Korean teenager Kim dominates for maiden PGA Europro Tour victory

Min Kyu Kim carded rounds of 65, 67, 73 to win the HotelPlanner.com PGA EuroPro Tour’s Pentahotels Championship by two shots to become the Tour’s youngest ever champion.

At just 16-years old, Kim (Golfmind Korea) claimed his first EuroPro Tour title at Caversham Heath Golf Club and lead from wire to wire.

The final day was marred by poor weather and saw lightning suspend play twice at 12.15pm and 2.15pm, before eventually resuming at 4.30pm.

Kim, who resumed his round on the 6th, weathered the storm to put an electric display in on the front nine, carding five birdies in the process. However, his back nine was anything but electric, bogies on the 13th and 14th reduced his lead to four shots, but back-to-back birdies in response re-established his commanding lead before a double bogey on 18.

“I am so happy and really impressed with my win”: said Kim, who wins £10,000 as well as a brand new Motocaddy S3 PRO electric trolley with lithium battery, Bushnell Pro X2 Range Finder and Bolle sunglasses.

“I focused on my game and that really helped me. I was nervous, but I tried to not let the pressure get to me.

“I’d like to thank the EuroPro Tour, Caversham Heath, Golf Mind Korea, and the KJ Choi Foundation for all of their support."

Stiggy Hodgson (The Wisley Golf Club) carded a solid final round of four under par to finish twelve under par for the tournament. But he rarely threatened Kim’s lead, which started the day four shots ahead of the other golfers.

A problem around Kim’s scorecard being signed incorrectly meant the Korean was issued with a two-shot penalty, but he still edged the victory.

Kim climbs to 5th in the tour rankings, from which the top five at the end of the season earn promotion to the Challenge Tour.

Highlights from the Pentahotels Championship will air on Sky Sports Golf on Tuesday, August 29. The HotelPlanner.com PGA EuroPro Tour continues with the “FORE” Business Championship at East Sussex National GR&S, Wednesday, August 23 – Friday, August 25.

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Motocaddy has been selected as the ‘Official Electric Trolley’ of the PGA EuroPro Tour for the twelfth consecutive year. The PGA EuroPro Tour is the leading developmental tour in Europe with the top five players from the Order of Merit receiving exemptions onto the 2018 European Challenge Tour.