Lim Jin-young wins championship and takes home 4.5 million baht; Natthakrita finishes tied for 6th at the KLPGA Rejuran event at Amata Spring Country Club.
South Korean golfer Lim Jin-young delivered the best performance in the final round, shooting 7 under par 65 to surge ahead and secure her first KLPGA Tour title with a total score of 15 under par 273 over four days. She received the trophy and prize money of 216 million won, approximately 4.56 million baht, narrowly beating compatriot Lee Ye-won, who finished second with 14 under par 274, just one stroke behind. Thai golfer Natthakrita Wongtaveelap tied for 6th place with a total of 11 under par 277. The Rejuran Golf Championship 2026, with a total prize fund of 1.2 billion won (about 22.44 million baht), was held at the 6,552-yard, par-72 Amata Spring Country Club and concluded on Sunday, 15 March 2026 GMT+7.
The KLPGA Tour women's professional golf season opener for 2026 took place in Thailand, sponsored primarily by Rejuran Farmar Research, with partners including the Tourism Authority of Thailand Amazing Thailand, K-Food, K-Berry, Thailand Post, UIH, TP.Millis, WAC, Nolbu, Monkey Travel, Smith and Leather, Golf Pride, SBS Golf, Golf Plus, and Quad Sports. The tournament was stroke play over four days and 72 holes, from 12-15 March 2026 GMT+7, with a total purse of 1.2 billion won, approximately 22.44 million baht.
On the final day, Sunday 15 March 2026 GMT+7, South Korean golfer Lim Jin-young started strongly despite trailing the leader by four strokes. She carded 5 under par in the first nine holes with birdies on holes 1, 2, 5, 7, and 9, and added two more birdies on holes 15 and 17 in the back nine. She finished with a bogey-free 7 under par 65, bringing her four-day total to 15 under par 273 and clinching the championship. She earned 216 million won, about 4.56 million baht. This victory marked her best memory, as it was her first KLPGA win after three years on tour and the season opener held abroad in Thailand, with enthusiastic support from Korean and Thai fans alike.
The champion, tearfully expressing her feelings, said, "I was surprised after finishing because I wasn't really contending at first, so I didn't feel much pressure. But now I find myself speechless. It was a very tough game; the course was really difficult. It feels like a dream to be standing here, especially while waiting for the results and seeing myself finish ahead and waiting for the playoff players. In the end, I tried to stay calm and patiently waited until I saw the last putt on the course."
She also added that during the off-season she trained very hard, focusing on quality and improving her short game. She analyzed everything honestly to identify weaknesses and worked to improve them, which led to good results. Since the first event this season, she has been staying in Thailand alone. Her parents and supporters remain in Korea, and she believes they are very happy. She thanked everyone and said her original goal was to win two tournaments this season. Now that she has won her first, she wants to use it as motivation to perform well in all remaining events this season.
Meanwhile, Lee Ye-won, also from South Korea and the 2024 Thailand tournament champion, finished second with a total score of 14 under par 274. Yoon Ye-seong, the previous round leader, ended tied for third at 12 under par 276, alongside Kim Shi-hyun and Hong Jung-min.
Thai golfer Natthakrita Wongtaveelap tied for 6th place with Ji Han-sol, both scoring 11 under par 277. After the game, Natthakrita said, "My putting today was still not as expected, but I gave it my best. As for the approach shots,
they were not as good as they should be, so I need to work on them a lot more. As I said, this is my first competition in several months, so I'm not as sharp yet. This round, I added a new mantra — 'Namo Buddhathaya' — short but it gave me a lot of confidence."
Other Thai golfers' results included Kanjan Bannabodee tied for 20th with 6 under par 282, Jaravee Boonjan tied for 29th at 5 under par 283, Chakansim Khambon tied for 51st at 1 under par 287, Pannarut Thanapolboonrasm tied for 70th at 7 over par 295, and Nemittra Jantananaket tied for 73rd at 10 over par 298.
Final tournament results summary:
1. Lim Jin-young (-15) 67-73-68-65 (273)
2. Lee Ye-won (-14) 66-70-69-69 (274)
3. Kim Shi-hyun (-12) 68-69-70-69 (276), Hong Jung-min 72-65-74-65 (276), Joon Ye-seong 72-65-67-72 (276)
6. Natthakrita Wongtaveelap (-11) 67-71-69-70 (277), Ji Han-sol 70-69-69-69 (277)
8. Park Bok-yum (-9) 71-66-71-71 (279), Lee Saeng-yoon 69-68-70-72 (279)
Other Thai golfers' performances:
20. Kanjan Bannabodee (-6) 72-69-71-70 (282)
29. Jaravee Boonjan (-5) 70-70-72-71 (283)
51. Chakansim Khambon (-1) 71-71-72-73 (287)
70. Pannarut Thanapolboonrasm (+7) 74-70-77-74 (295)
73. Nemittra Jantananaket (+10) 67-70-82-79 (298)