By Associated Press
Charlie Wi, a Korean American from North Hill, Calif., birdied last the seventh playoff hole on Sunday to win the $300,000 SK Telecom Open, a leg of this year’s Asia PGA tour.
The 29-year-old Wi raised his arms into the air in celebration after sinking a 6.6-foot birdie putt on the par-4, 387-yard 17th hole, ending a 79-hole duel with South Korean Kang Wook-soon.
The victory was Wi’s second on the Asian PGA tour since 1997, pushing him into first place in money earnings on the Asian PGA tour. In this year’s tour, he placed second in Hong Kong, third in Singapore, second in Myanmar and third in Malaysia.
Wi entered the final round, tied with Simon Yates of Scotland with six-under 210. As in the three previous rounds, wind affected most players at the 7,021-yard Ildong Lake Golf Club north of Seoul.
Until the 15th hole, Wi led the field by two strokes at nine-under. But he bogeyed the next two holes and ended the 72-hole tournament at seven-under, tied with Yates and Kang, and setting up a three-way sudden death playoff.
The three took turns on the 17th and 18th holes to decide the winner. Yates dropped out of competition after parring the fifth playoff hole, while the other two birdied.
Lin Chie-hsiang of Taiwan placed fourth with a six-under 282. One stroke behind were South Koreans Yang Yong-nam and Yang Yong-eun. |
