Zarawee Bunjan becomes first Thai player to win KLPGA Tour
Wins E1 Charity Open with 10-under 206, marks historic first regular tour victory for a Thai golfer
- •Zarawee Bunjan won the E1 Charity Open with a 10-under 206, becoming the first Thai player to win a regular KLPGA Tour event.
- •Iryul Lee finished as runner-up with 8-under 208, while Seo Gyo-rim and Lee Da-young tied for third at 7-under 209.
- •Bunjan achieved her first career victory as a player from the KLPGA International Qualifying Tournament, marking the first regular tour win by a Thai golfer and becoming the seventh player in KLPGA Tour history to win their first tournament.
Moment of Victory
On the final third round of the 14th E1 Charity Open (total prize money: 1 billion KRW) held at Penum Club in Yeongju, Gyeonggi Province (par 72) on the 24th, Zarawee Bunjan (Thailand) recorded a 2-under 70 with three birdies and one bogey, finishing at 10-under 206. This secured her victory over Iryul Lee, who finished at 8-under 208, by a two-stroke margin. Bunjan became the first Thai player to win a regular KLPGA Tour event, achieving her first career victory just two years after her 2025 KLPGA Tour debut. She is also the first player from the KLPGA International Qualifying Tournament to win a regular tour event.
Historic Significance
Bunjan's victory is regarded as a historic milestone in the history of the Korean Women's Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Tour. Her win marks the first time a Thai player has claimed victory on the KLPGA regular tour, symbolizing a significant step toward the internationalization of the KLPGA Tour. Bunjan qualified for the 2025 tour by finishing 16th in the KLPGA Qualifying Tournament in November 2024. In her debut season, she competed in 17 tournaments but failed to reach the top 10, finishing 92nd in the money list and losing her tour card. She regained her 2026 tour card by finishing 15th in the 2025 Qualifying Tournament. This tournament marks her first season win, her first KLPGA Tour victory, the first regular tour win by a Thai player, and she joins the list of only seven players in KLPGA Tour history to win their first tournament.
Match Flow and Key Plays
Bunjan started the final round with pars on holes 1 to 3, finishing the front nine at even par. She made a birdie on the 7th hole (par 4), but Iryul Lee reduced the deficit by two strokes during the front nine, keeping the match tightly contested. On the 10th hole (par 4), she missed a 3-foot birdie putt, but on the 11th hole (par 4), she holed a 4.5-foot putt after placing her second shot on the green, recording her first birdie of the back nine. On the 12th hole (par 5), her tee shot found the rough, but her second shot landed on the fairway. She then placed her approach shot 2.4 meters short of the hole and made two consecutive birdies, extending her lead to two strokes over Lee. On the 13th hole (par 4), her second shot landed in a bunker, but she executed a precise bunker shot to finish just in front of the cup, salvaging a par and overcoming the crisis. She then closed the tournament with five consecutive pars, sealing her victory.
Next Schedule and Achievements
Iryul Lee finished as runner-up with a total of 8-under 208, marking her first top-10 finish of the season. Seo Gyo-rim and Lee Da-young tied for third at 7-under 209. Lee Da-young became the fifth player in history to surpass 500 million KRW in career earnings (500 million 462 million 6 thousand 959 won) through this tournament. Defending champion Park Hyun-kyung finished tied for 26th at 1-under 215, missing her first win of the season. With Bunjan's victory, the first multiple-winner of the season shifted to the Shu-hap Bank MBN Women's Open.
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