Korean Doyeob Mun, like a bolt from the blue, won the GS Caltex Maekyung Open after a sensational back nine birdie-fest saw him shoot a sizzling bogey-free eight-under-par 63.

Mun, six behind the leaders at the start of the day and playing nine groups ahead of the final pairing, stormed through with six birdies on the second half – including four-in-row from the 11^th – to win by three shots from Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond, plus Koreans Baekjun Kim and Junghwan Lee.

Mun posted his 10-under par total two hours before the final players finished, anxiously waiting to see if he would be caught.

Jazz missed makeable birdie putts on 14 and 15 and later bogeyed the last while Canadian Yonggu Shin birdied 13 and 14 to move one back but then dropped a shot on the 17^th, before a catastrophic 10 on 18. He ended in a tie for 12^th.

Doyeob Mun. Picture courtesy of the Korean Golf Association.

Mun’s run for the title was fast and furious. After making those four successive birdies he was one shot behind Jazz, who had just made the turn. The Korean soon joined Jazz in the lead on nine under after another birdie on 16 before making a birdie on the last for sole possession of first. He hit a majestic second shot on the difficult par-four 18^th to six feet to set up one of only three birdies there today. And when Jazz dropped a shot on 13 Mun led by two in the clubhouse. He was hitting balls on the range in case of a play-off before events unfolded in his favour.

“I couldn’t be happier to be on top of the leaderboard in a tournament I’ve always wanted to win,” said Mun, whose home club is Namseoul

“When the birdie putt on 18 went in, I thought I could at least make it to play-off. I talked to my caddie about making sure I made that birdie, and I’m happy that I did.

“The last three holes at Namseoul Country Club are particularly tricky. I focused on playing steady and making par rather than being aggressive. I wasn’t aiming for birdies, just putting the ball in the right position.”

It is his first win on the Asian Tour and fourth on the Korean PGA Tour, as this week’s event is sanctioned with the local body. He last triumphed in Korea in 2022.

Jazz Janewattananond. Picture courtesy of the Korean Golf Association.

The 33-year-old has played regularly on the Asian Tour since 2018, having made it through qualifying school in 2018 and this year, when he placed third. Previously, his best finish on tour came at the Shinhan Donghae Open in 2018, when he was joint fourth, and he also finished in the top five at the Singapore Open in 2019 and 2022.

His 63 was two short of the course record and made a mockery of Namseoul’s reputation for being one of the toughest courses on the circuit.

Carved out of mountainous terrain, its undulating topography, and elevated greens, that are slick and sloping, make it a true test plus a physical challenge to walk. Fortunately, sunshine today replaced the grey skies and drizzle, from earlier in the week.

Despite his brilliant come-from-behind win, Malaysia’s Danny Chia still has the record for most shots gained on the last day. He came from seven behind to win the Taiwan Open in 2002 – when a typhoon played havoc with the scores.

Jazz, who shared the lead at the start of the day with Baekjun Kim, was bidding to become the first overseas player to win this event in 21 years but faded on the back nine, playing it in two over.

He said: “Oh, I mean, it was so hard out there today, it was a grind fest. I mean, I tried to grind as much as I could. I didn’t give up at all at any point. But it was just hard, you know, like I didn’t have my best stuff out there, but overall, I think I finished up well.

Scott Vincent. Picture courtesy of the Korean Golf Association.

“Congrats to Doyeob. I don’t know how he shot eight under par today, but if it wasn’t for him, I would be doing a play-off with another player right now. So overall, good.”

Zimbabwe’s Scott Vincent, two behind at the start of the day and like Jazz looking for his first win since 2022, was in contention for much of the day but finished poorly with a double bogey and three bogeys, carding a 75 to tie for 12^th.

The Asian Tour crosses the Sea of Japan next week for the International Series Japan presented by Moutai. The inaugural US$2million event is being played at Caledonian Golf Club, 8-11 May.