Tom Kim’s brutal lipout on the 72nd hole ends with Ben An beating him in the playoff in South Korea | Golf news and tourist information

Two of South Korea’s biggest stars faced off Sunday in their home country. It ended in heartbreak for one and elation for the other at the DP World Tour Genesis Championship at the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club in Incheon.

Ben An, 33, was seeking his first tour victory in more than nine years and his first victory since February 2022 on the Korn Ferry Tour. He was facing Tom Kim, the 22-year-old who had already won three times on the PGA Tour but had yet to win the title on the European Tour.

The contest came down to the wire with Kim facing an eight-foot birdie putt on the par-5 18th hole to win. She took a step as the ball slid into the cup, but it came out agonizingly and Kim could only stare at it in disbelief.

He birdied four of the final six holes and headed into a playoff with Kim. Both men shot a 5-under 67 in the final round and tied at 17 under.

The playoff didn’t last long, as An birdied the same 18th hole that cost Kim the tournament and captured his first DP World Tour title since the BMW PGA Championship in May 2015.

“It’s great, obviously I’ve had a great season, it’s been too long (to win) on the main tour,” An said. “All I tried to do was show great golf in front of the home fans, it’s been a while since I don’t play against them.

“It feels amazing, it’s a shame Tom had a bit of trouble there, but it’s been a great tournament for me, I’ve really enjoyed it.”

There were two bogeys for An in the final round, but they were offset by the seven birdies. Kim scored most of his score in the first 14 holes, making six birdies and one bogey during that stretch, but parred the final four holes.

It was an emotional victory for An as he was seen crying after being able to win with his family in attendance. This hug with his grandmother was a particularly wonderful moment.

“There have been a lot of fans supporting me and Tom and I feel like we had a great battle today. I think I was a bit lucky to be a winner today,” he said.

“It’s a sweet ending to this year, it’s been a great year. It feels amazing, I’ll enjoy it for a while and then I’ll have to get back to it.”