Bae Sang-moon downs Poulter, Kim to win in Korea

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SEOUL, South Korea (AP) -- Young South Korean Bae Sang-moon thrilled local fans Sunday as he squeezed out Ryder Cup players Ian Poulter and Anthony Kim to win the $1 million Korea Open.

The South Korean carded a final round of a 2-under 69 to finish with a total 11-under 273, one shot ahead of Englishman Poulter (70) who faltered over the closing holes at the Woo Jeong Country Club south of Seoul.

Poulter's Ryder Cup rival and rising star Anthony Kim (71) finished joint third, two shots off the lead, along with South Korean Kim Wi-joong (72).

Bae, 22, collected $240,000 for his exploits, climbing to fifth on the Asian Tour's Order of Merit. The win came just a year after his maiden victory on the Asian Tour.

"I'm extremely happy and I don't think I've realized the magnitude of my win. I'm very proud of myself," said Bae who finished with pars over the final eight holes.

"The birdie on the 10th hole kept my momentum going for the rest of the day. That birdie gave me the confidence needed to keep it going in the closing holes."

Poulter, runner-up at the 2008 British Open, bogeyed the 16th and 18th holes to blow his lead.

"I came here to win but I am going home second, so I'm not very happy," Poulter said. "But it's nice to come here with so many fans and I'm glad I could show them some good golf this week."

American Anthony Kim, part of the victorious U.S. team at last month's Ryder Cup, was eager to win in his ancestral home, but his growing reputation was untarnished by a competitive showing.

"I am very disappointed. I let a lot of shots go today and this week. There is a lot for me to learn but hats off to the winner who played great," Kim said.

"I had a good time and enjoyed the support from the fans, even though I played terrible in the last three days. But I'll be back and I will be a much better player when I return."

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