Korean national amateur Kim Min-su secures dominant victory at 110th Japan Amateur Championship
South Korean teenager fires a flawless final-round 69 to claim a five-stroke victory and complete a historic triple crown of national amateur titles
Korea - South Korean national team player Kim Min-su claimed a commanding five-stroke victory at the prestigious 110th Japan Amateur Championship on Friday. The 18-year-old high school senior carded a flawless, bogey-free three-under-par 69 during the final round at the Yokkaichi Country Club in Mie Prefecture. Kim completed the four-day tournament with an exceptional 17-under-par total of 271, comfortably outpacing runner-up Taiki Fujii of Japan, who finished at 12-under-par 276. Kim’s masterclass performance across the four rounds included one eagle, 16 birdies, and just a single bogey over 72 holes of championship play.
“I have previously won the national amateur titles in both South Korea and Taiwan, and I desperately wanted to add the Japanese national title to that list,” Kim said following his historic victory. “Winning this tournament grants me entry into the Japan Open this autumn. Legendary Korean players like Han Chang-sang have won that tournament in the past, and just as I am making a name for myself in Korea, I will try to make a name for myself in Japan as well.” With this victory, Kim earned an official invitation to the 91st Japan Open Golf Championship, scheduled to take place from October 15–18 at the Tarao Country Club’s West Course in Shiga Prefecture.
Kim opened the championship with rounds of 66 and 67, followed by consecutive weekend rounds of 69 to maintain complete control of the leaderboard. The crucial turning point of the final round arrived on the par-four fourth hole, where Kim drained a spectacular 14-step birdie putt that gave him the ultimate confidence to seal the victory. At 18 years and one month old, Kim became the fifth South Korean amateur to hoist the trophy, ending an 18-year drought for his country since Kim Bi-o’s triumph in 2008. He joins an elite list of past Korean champions that includes Lee Dong-hwan (2004) and Kim Kyung-tae, who secured back-to-back titles in 2005 and 2006.
The Korea Golf Association (KGA) sends two top-ranked amateurs to this event annually based on strict performance criteria. Kim earned his top-seed spot as the reigning 2025 Korean Amateur Champion, while his national teammate An Hae-cheon secured the second spot as the top-ranked player in the KGA ranking system earlier this April. An also put on a respectable performance during the international showcase, finishing the week in a tie for 13th place at five-under-par 283.