RYU WINS MAEKYUNG OPEN IN SOUTH KOREA

SEOUL, May 12 - Overnight leader Ryu Hyun-woo held his nerve with a two-under-par 70 on Sunday to win OneAsia's GS Caltex Maekyung Open by a shot at The Namsoul Country Club on the outskirts of Seoul. 

Ryu's four-round 14-under-par aggregate gave him his second professional victory -- he won for the first time on the Japan Tour last year -- and  earned him nearly U.S. $180,000 from the one billion won (U.S. $900,000) purse on offer at the OneAsia event.

Kim Do-hoon (68) and Kim Hyung-sung (70) shared second place, with two others three shots further behind.

 

"I am really pleased with this win, I didn't think I had a chance after starting with a 72 in the opening round," said Ryu, who named his son Dae-sung, which means "multi-winner", to inspire him to try harder.

The turning point in the final round came at the par three 17th, with the top three finishers all on the tee at 14 under.

 

Ryu flushed a six iron to five feet and made birdie, while the two Kims -- Do-hoon playing in the group ahead -- both missed the green and couldn't get up and down.

 

With a two-shot lead down the last, Ryu could afford to make a bogey and still claim the spoils.

 

Jake Higginbottom (68) was the best of the non-Koreans and finished at six under for a share of eighth place. The Australian 20-year-old only turned professional in November, just two days after winning the BMW New Zealand Open as an amateur.

 

LEADING FINAL TOTALS

Par 288 (4x72) Yardage 6,943yd

Players from South Korea unless stated

274 - RYU Hyun-woo 72-65-67-70.

275 - KIM Do-hoon 753 67-70-70-68, KIM Hyung-sung  67-67-71-70.

278 - LEE Kyoung-hoon  67-71-69-71, KIM Dae-sub 70-66-71-71.

279 - KANG Kyung-nam  68-71-68-72.

281 - LEE Tae-hee  69-72-68-72.

282 - Jake HIGGINBOTTOM (AUS) 69-71-74-68, CHOI Ho-sung  70-68-75-69, PARK Ju-hyuk 68-70-73-71, PARK Il-hwan  68-72-71-71, SONG Young-han 68-70-73-71.

283 - MO Joong-kyung 70-68-74-71, MUN Do-yeob 70-72-69-72.

284 - Rory HIE (INA) 71-73-72-68, Matthew GRIFFIN (AUS) 67-73-73-71, YOON Jung-ho 72-67-74-71, KIM Bi-o 72-71-70-71, BYUN Jin-jae  71-68-71-74.

SELECTED TOTALS

285 Stephen DARTNALL (AUS) 73-69-72-71.

286 Lucas LEE (BRA) 73-69-71-73, Steve JEFFRESS (AUS) 71-71-70-74, Jamie ARNOLD (AUS) 72-70-70-74.

287  Terry PILKADARIS (AUS) 64-75-77-71

289 Peter WILSON (AUS) 68-74-75-72, Scott LAYCOCK (AUS) 70-74-74-71.

290 -Anthony BROWN (AUS) 69-73-75-73

291  Craig HANCOCK (AUS) 72-71-74-74, Gareth PADDISON (NZL) 69-75-76-71, Jason SCRIVENER (AUS) 72-72-77-70.

293 Mark BROWN (NZL) 70-70-75-78, Jason NORRIS (AUS) 71-72-76-74. 
298 Rohan BLIZARD (AUS) 70-74-75-79.