Korea’s Lee Yewon wins Blue Canyon Ladies title
South Korea’s Lee Yewon emerged victorious on the final day of play last Sunday (Mar 17) to win the inaugural US$650,000 (approx B22.75 million) Blue Canyon Ladies Championship in Phuket.
The 21-year-old shot a 4 under par 68 for a total of 9 under par 207 after three days of competition at the Blue Canyon Country Club to secure the trophy and US$117,000 in prize money.
Yewon, ranked 35th in the world and 1st in the Korean Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA), finished ahead of Choi Min-kyung by one stroke, while Lee Jeyeong secured third place.
Day two leader Bang Shinsil finished in joint fourthplace alongside several other players, including Park Minji, Kim Woojeong, Park Ju young and Lee jung min.
The victory marked Yewon’s fourth trophy on the
KLPGA Tour, adding to her three wins last season which saw her gain the number one spot in the KLPGA Order of Merit for 2023.
“I’m happy to clinch this title, although I feel there’s room for improvement,” said Yewon after yesterday’s win. “The fairways are quite narrow, so my strategy was to consistently find them and keep the ball in play.”
Despite finding the water on on the 14th hole, Yewon managed to compose herself in the heat and secure two crucial birdies on the 15th and 18th holes to get back on track and in contention for the trophy.
“I felt more at ease from that point onwards, although I didn’t anticipate winning outright. It’s truly an honour to triumph here in Thailand. I’ve always wanted to visit Phuket, but I never imagined it would be this hot,” said Yewon, who explained her favourite Thai food dish is Pad Thai.
Panrai Meesomath was the best performing Thai player, finishing tied in 17th place with a total of 3 under par 213.
“I’m reasonably pleased with my performance this week, finishing three under par, although I know I could have done better if I hadn’t faltered in the final few holes,” said the 19-year-old Chonburi native.
“However, playing alongside South Korean players has been a valuable learning experience. They exhibit remarkable mental resilience and can quickly recover from mistakes,” added Phannarai, who will focus primarily on tournaments in Taiwan and China this year.
The awards ceremony was overseen by Phuket Governor Sophon Suwannarat who distributed trophies and prize money to the players.
Governor Sophon was joined by several dignitaries, including Praphan Asawaaree, Chairman of the Executive Committee of Blue Canyon Country Club, and Kim Sunmi, Vice President of the KLPGA Tour.
The competition will return next year as a three-year agreement between Blue Canyon Country Club and the KLPGA to host the tournament from 2024 to 2026 has been agreed.