(SEOUL=Yonhap News) Reporter Dongchan Kim = Kyunghoon Lee (30) secured victory at the AT&T Byron Nelson PGA Tour event in the United States (total prize money $8.1 million). 

On the final day of the tournament held at TPC Craig Ranch (par 72, 7,468 yards) in McKinney, Texas, on the 17th (Korean time), Kyunghoon Lee shot a 6-under-par 66 with eight birdies and two bogeys in the fourth round.

Finishing with a total score of 25-under-par 263, Lee Kyoung-hoon defeated second-place Sam Burns (USA) by three strokes, achieving his first victory on the PGA Tour. The winner's prize money amounted to $1,458,000 (approximately KRW 1.64 billion).

With this victory, Kyunghoon Lee became the 8th Korean national player to reach the top of the PGA Tour, following Kyoungju Choi (51), Yongeun Yang (49), Sangmoon Bae (35), Seungyul Noh (30), Siwoo Kim (26), Sunghoon Kang (34), Sungjae Lim (22).

This marks the first PGA Tour victory by a Korean player since Siwoo Kim's victory in January.

Former national team member Kyunghoon Lee, a gold medalist in the team event at the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games, achieved back-to-back victories at the Korean Open in 2015 and 2016. He also claimed two wins on the Japan Golf Tour Organization (JGTO). Joining the PGA Tour's secondary circuit in 2016, he made his mark on the PGA Tour from the 2018-2019 season onwards, culminating in his emotional first victory in his 80th career tournament.

Starting the final round in second place, trailing by one stroke behind Burns, Lee surged into the lead with three consecutive birdies on holes 2 through 4. He further extended his lead by one stroke each on the 6th and 8th holes, increasing the gap to three strokes with the pursuing pack. Despite losing a stroke on the 9th hole (par 5) due to a tee shot error, Lee managed to maintain a three-stroke lead by reducing it again on the 12th hole (par 5).

However, adversity struck on the 16th hole (par 4).

With approximately a 4.5-meter par putt remaining, the game was interrupted due to inclement weather. Despite holding a three-stroke lead, the situation was precarious with the challenging par putt remaining, and there was a possibility that the momentum could be disrupted by the 2-hour and 30-minute interruption.

When the game resumed, Kyunghoon Lee's par putt fell a bit short, reducing the gap to the pursuing pack to two strokes. However, on the subsequent 17th hole (par 3), Lee hit a tee shot to within about 1 meter of the hole, extending his lead back to three strokes and solidifying his momentum.

Entering the final 18th hole (par 5) with a three-stroke lead, Lee targeted the green with his second shot, successfully executing a "two-on," and his eagle putt from approximately 12 meters stopped just beside the hole, resulting in a delightful birdie to celebrate his first tour victory.

This tournament, won by Kyunghoon Lee this year following Sunghoon Kang's victory in 2019, produced a Korean champion for the second consecutive year. Last year, the tournament was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Furthermore,Sangmoon Bae also won the championship in 2013, when it was known as the HP Byron Nelson Championship, maintaining a strong connection between this tournament and Korean players. Sunghoon kang, along with Kyungju Choi, waited for Kyunghoon Lee on the 18th green and congratulated his junior on his first victory.

Kyunghoon Lee, whose best finish was a tie for second at the Phoenix Open in February, secured a spot in the major tournament, the PGA Championship, which begins on the 20th, with this victory. Additionally, he has secured eligibility to compete on the PGA Tour until the 2022-2023 season, providing a wonderful gift for his wife Juyeon Yoo, who is expecting their child in July.

As for Sunghoon Kang, he finished tied for 47th place with a score of 11 under par, 277 strokes.