Two-time champion Minkyu Kim was chasing a historic third Kolon Korea Open title before a scorecard discrepancy abruptly ended his tournament run.

Kim was disqualified on Saturday after a scoring error on his 16th-hole scorecard wiped out a performance that had him tied for 39th at Woo Jeong Hills Country Club, highlighting how strict golf’s rules remain even when the total scores match.

According to a report by Golf Monthly, the 25-year-old pro expressed his immense frustration on social media regarding the post-round check:

"Despite both the player and official records recognizing the same total score… it is regrettable that the specific clerical error was not caught in the hole-by-hole verification process."

The error occurred after Kim carded a three-over 74 on Saturday, leaving him at five-over overall and tied for 39th place on the tournament leaderboard.

While checking the data, tournament officials discovered that Kim recorded a par on the par-3 16th hole when he had actually made a bogey during his round.

Even though the final totals matched, the strict regulations left the Korea Golf Association with no room to grant relief:

"I have confirmed that while the KGA looked into potential ways… there were ultimately no applicable methods under the regulations."

The 25-year-old has shown strong form so far in 2026 after securing a sixth-place finish at the GS Caltex Maekyung Open in May on the Asian Tour.

The error cost Kim his prize money and a spot in the tournament's final round.

Historic Precedents and High-Profile Casualties 

This scoring infraction strongly mirrors Jordan Spieth’s notable disqualification during the 2024 Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club after he signed an incorrect card.

Spieth fell victim to the same oversight, later explaining:

"Today, I signed for an incorrect scorecard and stepped out of the scoring area after thinking I went through all procedures to make sure it was correct. Rules are rules, and I take full responsibility."

Following that incident, veteran caddie Kip Henley strongly criticized the harsh penalty, replying directly to the American star: "Another benchmark in the dumbest rule in all of sports."

Beyond the scorecard drama, the 68th edition of the tournament saw several high-profile international stars struggle heavily on the demanding course layout.

The LIV Golf star Bubba Watson played in the tournament after a gap of two decades. However, he was unable to make the weekend rounds and finished at 7-over par.

Another participant who failed to make the cut was Chase Koepka, Brooks’ younger brother, who struggled with the tricky conditions at Woo Jeong Hills and finished at 5-over par total.

Kim now needs to move past this heartbreaking situation and focus on the upcoming tournaments in his professional career.

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Written by

Abhishek Sharma

Edited by

Pulkit Prabhav