Korean golfer Minhyuk Song claimed his first professional title after defeating fellow countryman Mingyu Cho in a sudden-death play-off at the GS Caltex Maekyung Open at Namseoul Country Club.
The 22-year-old secured victory with a par on the opening extra hole after Cho made bogey, capping off one of the most dramatic finishes in the tournament’s history. Cho had appeared destined to win, holding a two-shot lead heading into the final hole, but a missed short bogey putt resulted in a costly double bogey that dropped him back into a tie with Song.
Another twist came when Inhoi Hur, who had also finished at 11-under after a brilliant final-round 64, was handed a two-shot penalty after signing his scorecard. Tournament officials reviewed an incident from the previous round and adjusted his total to nine-under, leaving him tied for third alongside Ian Snyman and Taehee Lee.
Song stayed patient throughout the back nine, trailing Cho until the final hole where he held his nerve with a steady par. Meanwhile, Cho struggled after driving into trouble and eventually three-putted. Song later shared that he had always believed resilience would eventually lead him to victory and was thrilled the breakthrough came sooner than expected.
The win carried extra meaning for Song, who finished runner-up at the same event as an amateur in 2023 before turning professional later that year. He also reflected emotionally on his journey, saying he once dreamed of winning with his father serving as his caddie, though he credited his current professional caddie for helping guide him to the title.
In the play-off, Cho once again found trouble off the tee and could not recover after missing an eight-foot par attempt, while Song calmly two-putted for the winning par. It was another heartbreaking near miss for Cho, who has still yet to secure a professional victory in Korea despite several close calls over the years.
Hur’s disappointment was equally painful after a strong late charge that included three consecutive birdies down the stretch. Officials later ruled that his original tee shot from the third round had gone out of bounds, meaning his provisional ball became the ball in play and his score on the hole was corrected from par to double bogey.
The Asian Tour now moves to Chinese Taipei for next week’s Taiwan Glass Taifong Open at Taifong Golf Club, where defending champion Ekpharit Wu will return to defend his title.