During the final round of the E1 Charity Open on the KLPGA Tour, Korean women's professional golf, the match was temporarily suspended due to a malfunction of the sprinkler just before the champion group's Ha Min-song made the winning putt.
Ha Min-song, who took the lead together with Hansol Ji, Yunji Jeong, and Soyoung Lee with a total of 8-under par, dropped the second shot on the 18th hole (par 4) of the South Springs Golf Course in Icheon, Gyeonggi-do, within 5 meters of the hole, and got a birdie opportunity.
The three other players, who were joint leaders, were all waiting after holed out, so if Ha Min-song made a birdie here, the championship could be confirmed by one stroke.
However, the moment Ha Min-song was on the green and prepared for a birdie putt, an unexpected situation occurred.
Suddenly, the sprinklers surrounding the green started spewing water.
The players and caddies quickly fled, and the match was suspended.
The sprinkler operation did not stop for about 4 minutes, and the greens were filled with water and the speed of the greens changed.
It was confirmed that the sprinkler malfunction was caused by a mistake by the course management staff to turn on the green sprinkler for the hole where all the players had exited, and then turn on the green sprinkler for the 18th hole.
The competition committee temporarily put the course management staff on the green in accordance with the stagnant water treatment regulations, wiped them with towels, and resumed the game, but Ha Min-song's birdie putt, which was interrupted in rhythm, eventually went wrong, and the championship did not happen.
Ha Min-song, who entered overtime with Ji Han-sol, Jung Yun-ji, and Lee So-young, finished in 4th place in the first overtime held in the same hall, while all three other players took a birdie, but only missed a birdie.
(Photo = provided by KLPGA, Yonhap News)