Namseoul Country Club, venue for the GS Caltex Maekyung Open, is always a stern test – especially because of the notoriously difficult greens.

This year was no exception. The conditions were especially tough on Sunday, when strong, gusty winds and firm and fast greens pushed the scoring average up to 73.391, on the par-71 layout.

The par-four 18^th hole at Namseoul is always a difficult hole, and even more so with the traditional Sunday pin on the top shelf of the slick two tiered green. After averaging a score of 4.325 in the first three rounds, the hole averaged 4.972 on the final day. One player recorded a sextuple bogey 10, while there were  five triples, nine doubles and 35 bogies against only four birdies. Not surprisingly,  the 18^th ranked as the most difficult hole on the course on Sunday, and was second behind the 16^th hole for the week.

However, the champion Doyeob Mun from Korea had no trouble with the 18^th on Sunday making a birdie, a feat only three other players matched, and produced a spectacular bogey free eight-under-par 63 in the final round for his first Asian Tour victory. Incredibly, he beat the scoring average on the last day by more than 10 shots, winning by three over the trio of Jazz Janewattananond from Thailand and Koreans Baekjun Kim and Junghwan Lee, after starting the day six shots behind the leaders.

Mun finished joint top in the Fewest Bogies or Worse column with six. He ranked second in Greens in Regulation (GIR) with 76.39%, and he was third in scrambling with 76.47%.

Junghwan Lee. Picture courtesy of the Korean Golf Association.

He was also accurate off the tee hitting 73.21% of the fairways and placing T5 in this category. Mun’s other stats for the week were very consistent: Putts per GIR 1.782 (21^st), Putts per Round 29.5 (T21), Driving Distance 293 yards (18^th).

Seven-time Asian Tour winner Jazz had a good week on and around the greens and he ranked second in Putts per Round with 26.75, T8 in Putts per Green with 1.714 and fifth in Scrambling with 73.33%. He also had a good week off the tee hitting 73.21% of the fairways (T5), but perhaps his GIR percentage of 58.33% (T32) left him with too much to do to secure his eighth Asian Tour title.

Korean Junghwan Lee has now finished T2, T4 and T2 in the last three editions of the GS Caltex Maekyung Open, and he did a great job keeping bogeys off the card last week. He led the Fewest Bogies or Worse category with only six made for the tournament, along with the winner Mun and fellow Korean Sanghee Lee who finished T7. Lee also placed high in the GIR category with 73.61% ranking sixth and fourth in the Scrambling category with 73.68%.

Baekjun Kim, who leads the Korean PGA Tour Genesis Point Rankings, also had a good week on the greens ranking fifth in Putts per GIR with 1.698.

Statistics Categories leaders at the GS Caltex Maekyung Open (of players making the cut):

• Putts per Round: Sihwan Kim (USA): 25.75
• Putts per GIR: Bio Kim (KOR): 1.651
• GIR: Baekjun Kim (KOR): 79.63%
• Fairways Hit: Gaganjeet Bhullar (IND): 89.29%
• Driving Distance: Minjun Kim (KOR): 330.67 yards
• Most Eagles: Woohyun Kim (KOR), Sarit Suwannarut (THA), Wooyoung Cho (KOR), Guntaek Koh (KOR): 2
• Most Birdies: Wooyoung Cho (KOR): 18
• Fewest Bogies or Worse: Doyeob Mun (KOR), Sanghee Lee (KOR), Junghwan Lee (KOR): 6
• Scrambling: Sanghee Lee (KOR): 80.00%
• Bounce back: Micah Shin (USA): 41.67%