Cho Kun-hwi of Welcome Savings Bank denied Spanish standout David Martinez of Crown Haitai a record-setting ninth Professional Billiards Association title and claimed his second crown of the season.
Cho beat Martinez 4-3 in a full-set thriller (7-15, 15-14, 15-6, 4-15, 15-4, 7-15, 11-6) in the PBA final of the fifth tournament of the 2026-2027 season, the zgm NH NongHyup Card PBA-LPBA Championship, held on the 26th at the PBA Stadium in KINTEX in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province.
The victory gave Cho his fourth career title, his first trophy in five months since winning the season opener. He now shares third place on the all-time wins list with Kang Dong-koong of Huons and Kim Young-won of Harim. His career prize money also topped 600 million won (611.5 million won, or about $425,000), lifting him to sixth from seventh on the all-time earnings list.
Martinez, who was chasing a men's-record ninth career title, fell short at the threshold of the milestone.
The final was a seesaw battle in which the two players traded sets. With the match tied 3-3, Cho led 8-6 in the seventh set and scored three points in the seventh inning to seal the win.
"Rather than forcing myself to practice when results weren't coming, I stuck to the routine I've followed for more than five years, and I think that's finally paying off," Cho said. "Playing billiards is a lot of fun these days."
The PBA continues its season with the fourth round of the Welcome Savings Bank PBA Team League 2026-2027, which opens at the same venue on the 31st.