In a nail-biting finish to the Kolon Korea Open, rising young Korean star Minkyu Kim defeated compatriot Mingyu Cho in a three-hole aggregate play-off at Woo Jeong Hills Country Club.

Kim, aged 21, holed a 10-foot birdie putt on the par-five 18th to finish the play-off (contested on holes 16, 17 and 18) on even par, while Cho made bogey to end one-over. It was a stunning turnaround as Kim started with a par and a bogey verses the two pars his opponent had made to put him in control.

It is the first time that Kim – who hit global headlines in 2018 when he claimed the D+D Real Czech Challenge on the Challenge Tour, becoming its youngest-ever winner at 17 years, 64 days – has won in Korea and his success was rewarded with an invite to The Open at St. Andrews in July. Cho’s consolation prize is also a place in the elite field for the game’s oldest Major.

Kim began the day three behind overnight leaders Cho and Taehoon Ok, but steadily worked his way through the field with a two-under-par 69 to set the clubhouse lead on four-under-par.

Hyungjoon Lee, playing in the penultimate group, look set to surpass that total and most likely win the tournament when he was five under playing 18 but added to the drama of the day when he finished with a double bogey after finding out of bounds.

Thirty-three-year-old Cho then had a chance to win the 64th staging of Korea’s national Open in normal time with a 20-foot birdie putt on 18 but his attempt narrowly missed, and he signed for a 72 to send the event in over time.

“I can’t believe I have actually won!” said Kim, who has posted seven top-10s in his last 10 starts.

“I have come close to winning before and I wondered if I would ever win. I felt good on the back nine and started to feel I had a chance. Straight after I won, I thought of my father; I have to thank him for this. My golf is just beginning.”

On the final play-off hole Cho hit an errant drive which forced him to punch his ball back into play while Kim assumed control after hitting his second over the green. Cho’s third found the edge of the green from where he played a poor chip to 25 feet. He proceeded to miss that while Kim got up and down for the most important birdie of his career.

The Asian Tour takes a short summer break before restarting at the US$500,000 Mandiri Indonesia Open at Pondok Indah Golf Course on August 4-7. It will mark the start of an exciting second half of the season which will see a full schedule of tournaments played through until January 2023.

Results (Top 10 and ties)

280 - Minkyu Kim (KOR) 72-71-68-69, Mingyu Cho (KOR) 71-70-67-72.
281 - Jarin Todd (USA) 69-69-73-70, Hyungjoon Lee (KOR) 71-68-71-71.
282 - Junseok Lee (AUS) 72-72-66-72.
283 - Kyongjun Moon (KOR) 69-70-74-70, Taeho Kim (KOR) 72-72-70-69, Taehee Lee (KOR) 72-66-73-72, Taehoon Ok (KOR) 69-69-70-75, Sarit Suwannarut (THA) 71-72-67-73.