Jokuk Jeong and Seojin Park Secure Dramatic Victories at 10th Bear Creek Cup Amateur Golf Championship
High school freshman and national team standout showcase exceptional nerve to sweep men’s and women’s titles in Pocheon
Korea - Rising prospects Jokuk Jeong and Seojin Park claimed the men’s and women’s division titles respectively at the milestone 10th Bear Creek Cup Amateur Golf Championship on Friday. Both players hoisted their respective trophies at the conclusion of the four-day event, which was organized by the Korea Golf Association (KGA) and held at the par-72 Bear Course of Bear Creek Golf Club in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province.
In the men’s division, 16-year-old high school freshman Jokuk Jeong fired a brilliant final-round seven-under-par 65, carding eight birdies against a lone bogey. Jeong finished with a tournament total of 11-under-par 277, holding off national team member Kang Seung-gu by two strokes to secure his career-first KGA tournament victory.
“This is my first time winning a KGA event, and I am so grateful to my coach and my parents,” Jeong said after his breakthrough performance. “My iron shots were precise early on, creating a lot of scoring opportunities, and I managed to hole out on some very tricky putting lines. My ultimate goal for this year is to make the national team, gain competitive experience abroad, and eventually win multiple titles on the PGA Tour.”
The women’s division delivered a dramatic, marathon conclusion as 18-year-old national team standout Seojin Park shot a final-round four-under-par 68, carding five birdies and one bogey. Park finished tied at 14-under-par 274 alongside national reserve team member Lee Si-eun, triggering a sudden-death playoff on the par-four 18th hole. In an astonishing display of resilience, both players traded pars across the first five playoff holes before Park finally drained a clutch birdie on the sixth extra hole to seal her first KGA victory of the 2026 season.
“I am incredibly happy to win the Bear Creek Cup, especially after such an intense battle,” Park remarked following her grueling playoff victory. “I’ve played in sudden-death playoffs before, but they usually ended after the first extra hole. I never imagined we would go all the way to a sixth playoff hole, which makes this victory feel even more special and rewarding.” Park also outlined her lofty future ambitions, adding, “With the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games coming up this September, my immediate goal is to bring home gold medals in both the individual and team events. Long-term, I dream of making it into the LPGA Hall of Fame.”
By capturing the prestigious titles, both Jeong and Park secured maximum winner’s points under the KGA ranking system, with the remaining field receiving points on a sliding scale based on their finishing positions. Following the action-packed week in Pocheon, the domestic amateur circuit will head south for the 2026 Bacchus Cup SBS Golf National Provincial Student Team Golf Championship, scheduled to take place at Golfzon County Ora in Jeju from July 9–10.