Having waited patiently for nearly 11 years for his first professional win, Order of Merit leader Sihwan Kim is clearly enjoying the fruits of his labour and feeling comfortable in the company of some of golf’s biggest stars as he plots to get back to the winner’s podium for a third time this year.

The 33-year-old Kim, who was born in Korea and brought up in California, is finally fulfilling the potential everyone knew he had – he would not have gotten into Tiger Woods’ alma mater at Stanford University without that – and has already won the International Series Thailand and the Trust Golf Asian Mixed Stableford.

Sihwan Kim intends to continue his stunning run of form, which also includes a tied sixth place at the International Series England and fourth in the SMBC Singapore Open, despite not firing on all cylinders for the past few weeks.

“Right now, I’m not hitting the best, but I’m kind of getting it back,” said the calm Kim ahead of the $25 million LIV Golf Invitational Portland, played at Pumpkin Ridge in Portland, Orgean, from June 30 to July 2.

“I am just kind of missing on one side. I have been missing both sides for the last few weeks, which has been awful. But you just keep working hard and you’re always trying to get better and learn. So I am just trying to do that.”

Kim was struggling with his hitting in Centurion, where he finished tied 43rd in the 48-man field. And while he may have been frustrated inside the ropes, he enjoyed every moment outside it.

“It’s just been great. Everything was great, but if you ask me one particular thing that stood out in London, and also here in Portland, is how the players have been treated the whole week,” said the American who is now ranked 144th in the world.

“I didn’t have to leave the hotel the whole week. Everything we needed was in the hotel. How LIV have treated the players has just been phenomenal. And with the crowd we got in London, I think it was a huge success. It’s only getting stronger from here.”

On the state of his game, Kim added: “The way I’m playing, anything inside the top-10 would be a good result for me. If I was playing better, I would have gone for the win. Realistically, I don’t think that’s possible right now, but hey! This is golf. Anything can happen with just one swing. And at the same time, it is a frustrating game when it’s not going your way,” Kim added.

“Obviously, any season where you could get multiple wins is great. But I’d love to add one of the LIV Invitational titles to that list. It would be some achievement to do that against such a good field.”

Sihwan Kim will be joining his Asian Tour counterparts Sadom Kaewkanjana and Phachara Khongwatmai and form the Iron Heads team under another Korean-American, Kevin Na.

“I’ve been talking to Kevin quite a bit over the last year and a half. And he has helped me out with a lot of things during that period and I have gotten to know him quite a bit. He is just a great guy,” he added.

“I think the team is good. I think Phachara is playing well, and so is Sadom. And Kevin always plays well. I’ve just got to keep up and we will be fine.”

The three-day, 54-hole tournament features 13 Asian Tour members, including Japan’s world No 73 Yuki Inamori and Zimbabwe’s world No 94 Scott Vincent, who won the International Series London last month.

The Portland field has nine of the last 21 major winners and four former world No 1 players. Among the star attractions are Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, Phil Mickelson and Abraham Ancer.

Players will compete for a total purse of US$25 million, with the individual winner getting a cheque of US$4 million. In the team competition, the winning members bank US$750,000 each.

The 48-man field in Portland will play across 12 teams of four players each.

Acutely aware that he cannot take his spot in the lucrative LIV Golf Invitational Series for granted, Thailand’s Phachara Khongwatmai is intent on making his trip to Portland count.

The prodigiously-talented 23 year old, who won his first professional title on the All Thailand Golf Tour at the age of 14, will be making his second appearance in the groundbreaking new series of events, having finished a creditable tied 25^th place in the inaugural tournament at Centurion Club.

Phachara, who finally secured his maiden Asian Tour victory at the end 2021 when he claimed the Laguna Phuket Championship, looked good for a top-10 finish at the LIV Golf Invitational London after opening with rounds of 67 and 72. However, he faded out of contention on the final day with a 78.

The smile never fades from his face though and the world No139, who also finished runner-up earlier this year at the Trust Golf Asian Mixed Stableford Challenge and the inaugural International Series Thailand, said he was ready for a new challenge at the fabled Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club.

LONDON, ENGLAND – JUNE 07: Richard Bland of England, Peter Uihlein of The United States, Greg Norman, Phachara Khongwatmai and Travis Smyth of Australia pose for a photograph (At the conclusion of the draft, Team Captains Kevin Na and Peter Uihlein decided to make LIV Golf’s first trade, swapping Richard Bland and Hideto Tanihara) following the LIV Golf Invitational – London Draft on June 07, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Tristan Fewings/LIV Golf/Getty Images)

“I have really enjoyed playing the LIV tournament at Centurion Golf Club, and I really want to be a part of each one of them. However, I cannot take anything for granted. I know I can play the next tournament in Bedminster (July 29-31), but following that, everything is dependent on how I play in the International Series, or in the LIV events here in Portland and New Jersey,” he said.

“It’s important for us to be playing at this level, not just for the good purses, but also because we are getting the chance to play with some of the biggest names in the game.

“So, this week is going to be very important for me. I want to play good golf and make sure that I do not have to depend on performing well in the next International Series event to secure my spot.”

The past few weeks haven’t been the best for Phachara, who missed the cut at the Kolon Korea Open and was tied 49^th in the International Series England.

ST ALBANS, ENGLAND – JUNE 10: Phachara Khongwatmai of Crushers GC tees off on the fourth hole during day two of the LIV Golf Invitational – London at The Centurion Club on June 10, 2022 in St Albans, England. (Photo by Aitor Alcalde/LIV Golf/Getty Images)

“I missed the cut last week in Korea and I have worked on the things that were not good with my game. My driving is a strong point of my game, and I did not hit the ball too well. But I am feeling much better this week. I think if we can find the fairways on this golf course, it will be a big advantage. The greens are small and tricky,” added the Thai star.

Phachara is part of the Iron Heads team, which features an all-Asian Tour members team captained by American Kevin Na, his compatriot Sadom Kaewkanjana and American Sihwan Kim – leader of the Asian Tour Order of Merit.

“It’s a great group. I have come to know Kevin over the past couple of years and he is a good guy. Sadom and Sihwan are very close friends of mine. I think if we can play to our potential, we have a good chance,” he added.

The three-day, 54-hole tournament features 13 Asian Tour members, including Japan’s world No 73 Yuki Inamori and Zimbabwe’s world No9 4 Scott Vincent, who won the International Series England last month.

The Portland field has nine of the last 21 major winners and four former world No1 players. Among the star attractions are Americans Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, and Phil Mickelson.

Players will compete for a total purse of US$25 million, with the individual winner getting a cheque of US$4 million. In the team competition, the winning members each bank US$750,000.

The 48-man field in Portland will play across 12 teams of four players each.

Japan’s Yuki Inamori, winner of last week’s Japan Players Championship by Sato Shokuhin on the Japan Golf Tour Organization, leads a strong 13-member Asian Tour contingent at this week’s star-studded US$25 million LIV Golf Invitational Portland.

The three-day, 54-hole tournament – second in the LIV Golf Series following the successful launch last month at Centurion Club near London – will be played at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club from Thursday.

Inamori, the two-time Japan Open champion, is ranked 73rd in the Official World Golf Ranking and is enjoying a successful 2022, having won The Crowns earlier in the season.

Another two-time winner this season, Zimbabwe’s Scott Vincent, will be trying to add a first LIV Golf title to his growing trophy cabinet after winning the Gate Way to the Open Mizuno Open in Japan followed by the International Series England in back-to-back starts last month.

NEWCASTLE- ENGLAND- Scott Vincent of Zimbabwe pictured with the winner’s trophy on Sunday, June 5, 2022, during the final round of the International Series England at Staley Hall Hotel, Spa and Golf Resort, Hunting Course, an Asian Tour US$ 2 million event. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour

A third Asian Tour member competing who is also inside the top-100 of the world ranking is Japan’s Ryosuke Kinoshita. The 30 year old from Nara is yet to win in 2022, but was tied eighth against a strong field in the Saudi International, the season-opening event on the Asian Tour and finished tied 12th in LIV Golf Invitational London.

The Portland field will showcase nine of the last 21 major winners, four former world number one players and nearly half of its competitors are currently ranked in the top 100. The global field represents 12 different countries and a combined 20 major titles.

Players will compete for a total purse of US$25 million, with the individual winner getting a cheque of $4 million. There is also a team championship where the winning team members bank US$750,000 each.

American Sihwan Kim, who is leading the Asian Tour Order of Merit and is second in the International Series Order of Merit after winning the Bangkok leg, will try to better his tied 43rd place finish in London.

South African stars made a clean sweep of the podium spots in London and will be out in force again. Charl Schwartzel from South Africa won the individual title and was part of the winning team. Trying to replicate the success of the 2011 Masters champion will be Asian Tour members and his compatriots Justin Harding and the highly-regarded Ian Snyman – winner of five titles on the Big Easy Tour in 2021.

Among other Asian Tour members in the field are three from Thailand – Sadom Kaewkanjana, Phachara Khongwatmai and Itthipat Buranatanyarat, and two from Australia: Travis Smyth and Wade Ormsby.

NORTH PLAINS, OREGON – JUNE 27: Brooks Koepka hits his tee shot on the 13th hole during a practice round prior to the LIV Golf Invitational – Portland at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club on June 27, 2022 in North Plains, Oregon. (Photo by Steve Dykes/LIV Golf via Getty Images)

The tournament features several players inside the top 50 of the world ranking, including Americans Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau and Mexican Abraham Ancer, who have joined the LIV Golf Series with the Portland tournament. Former Masters winner Dustin Johnson is the highest-ranked player in the field this week at No17.

The 48-man field in Portland will play across 12 teams of four players each.

In a nail-biting finish to the Kolon Korea Open, rising young Korean star Minkyu Kim defeated his compatriot Mingyu Cho in a three-hole play-off at Woo Jeong Hills Country Club.

Kim, aged 21, holed a 10-foot birdie putt on the imposing par-five 18^th to finish the play-off, which was played over holes 16, 17 and 18, on even par, while Cho made bogey to end one over. It was a stunning turnaround as Kim started with a par and a bogey verses the two pars his opponent had made to put him in control.

It is the first time that Kim – who hit global headlines in 2018 when he claimed the D+D Real Czech Challenge on the Challenge Tour, becoming its youngest-ever winner at 17 years, 64 days – has won in Korea and his success was rewarded with an invite to The Open at St. Andrews in July. Cho’s consolation prize is also a place in the elite field for the game’s oldest Major.

Minkyu Kim won with a brilliant birdie on 18. Picture by Kolon Korea Open.

Kim began the day three behind the overnight leaders Cho and Korean Taehoon Ok but steadily worked his way through the field with a two-under-par 69 to set the clubhouse lead on four under, which included a bogey on the last.

Korean Hyungjoon Lee, playing in the penultimate group, look set to surpass that total and most likely win the tournament when he was five under playing 18 but added to the drama of the day when he finished with a double bogey after finding out of bounds.

Thirty-three-year-old Cho then had a chance to win the 64^th staging of Korea’s national Open in normal time with a 20-foot birdie putt on 18 but his attempt narrowly missed, and he signed for a 72 to send the event in over time.

“I can’t believe I have actually won!” said Kim, who has posted seven top-10s in his last 10 starts.

“I have come close to winning before and I wondered if I would ever win. I felt good on the back nine and started to feel I had a chance. Straight after I won, I thought of my father; I have to thank him for this. My golf is just beginning.”

On the final play-off hole Cho hit an errant drive which forced him to punch his ball back into play while Kim assumed control after hitting his second over three green. Cho’s third found the edge of the green from where he played a poor chip to 25 feet. He proceeded to miss that while Kim got up and down for the most important birdie of his career.

Said Cho: “[Winning] is a difficult task. I think it was a good day, and I will move on. I am now planning to go and play in Europe for the first time, where, I am sure, I’ll learn a lot.”

Mingyu Cho had a chance to win in normal time with a 20 foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole. Picture by Kolon Korea Open.

American Jarin Todd closed with a 70 to tie for third with Lee, who returned a 71, one shot short of the play-off.

“I made a few mistakes on the back nine,” said Todd.

“Those holes are playing pretty tough. Missed on the wrong spots, paid for it. But yeah, I would have taken a top-five finish at the start of the week just because this course doesn’t really suit me. I’m happy with the result. Good birdie on the last. I hit a good drive and a really good second shot. Kind of unlucky to have it fly that far but made a good chip and putt for birdie there. I didn’t really look at the leaderboards out there. I was thinking the winning score might be seven or eight under. But looking at it now kind of hurts. This is how it goes but I am getting there.”

The Asian Tour takes a short summer break now before restarting at the US$500,000 Mandiri Indonesia Open, which will be played at Pondok Indah Golf Course from August 4-7.

It will mark the start of an exciting second half of the season which will see a full schedule of tournaments played through until January 2023.

Both players earned a place in The Open, at St. Andrews in July. Picture by Kolon Korea Open.

Taehoon Ok continued his rise up the leaderboard at the Kolon Korea Open at Woo Jeong Hills on Saturday, posting a one-under-par score of 70 to share top spot with a charging Mingyu Cho on five under.

Ok, a 2020 Qualifying School graduate, got off to a difficult start in the KRW1.35 billion event, posting two bogeys in the first six holes before getting his game under control. A run of three birdies in four holes brought him back under par for the day but he was unable to improve on his score.

Conditions weren’t easy, as he explained after his round. “It was very windy. The course was tricky. It was hard. I didn’t feel good with the bogey on the first hole even though I subsequently made a birdie on a more difficult hole. I was nervous because the shot didn’t go well. Your short game needs to be good here,” he added.

Ok, who finished fifth in the GS Caltex Maekyung Open last month, will be hoping to keep his emotions in check for the final round as he bids to secure his first Asian Tour win.

“I want to win, but I won’t think about winning tomorrow. I think the trophy will follow if I have a good result,” he said.

Mingyu Cho, a two-time winner on the Japan Tour, recovered from an opening bogey to post a four-under-par score of 67, lofting him from his overnight position of 10th into a share of the lead in the 64th edition of the event, co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and the Korea Golf Association.

Cho, who finished second at the GS Caltex Maekyung Open, played a conservative round to make the move into the combined lead, and potentially a spot at The 150th Open at St Andrews.

“The aim was not to shoot over par and I did it comfortably today. It was hot out there. Pins were tricky and difficult. I just played shot by shot,” said 33-year-old Cho.

“I need to stay focused and stick to the game plan tomorrow. Final round, I don’t think it’s a good position to be in but anything is possible. I will do my best tomorrow,” he added.

“Winning is going to be tough as Woo Jeong Hills is a very difficult course. If I play aggressively, I might not be able to score but I will leave it to fate. It’s my dream to win in Korea and to win the national open. It will be nice to stay on the winner’s record after I retire.”

Defending champion Junseok Lee, who posted scores of one-over-par on the first two days, made a bid for the lead with the day’s low score of 66. The Australian pro, who won on the local Korean tour last week, could have gone even lower if it not for two dropped shots on the par three holes 7 and 16.

Six players have achieved the feat of back-to-back wins at the Kolon Korea Open – the last being Kyounghoon Lee who won in 2015 and 2016 – and Lee will be looking to make it seven tomorrow. If successfully it would also be his first Asian Tour win, as the 2021 Kolon Korea Open was only open to local players due to Covid-19 restrictions.

Sarit Suwannarut, fortunate bounce led to an eagle and lowest nine hole score of the week. File photo by Asian Tour.

Thailand’s Sarit Suwannarut began with an awkward start, posting two bogeys and two birdies on his front nine, before he made a hole-out eagle with some assistance on the par 4 12th. Two subsequent birdies netted him the week’s lowest nine hole scores of 31 and a share of third place.

Explained Suwannarut: “I hit a driver on 12 and it actually hit one of the volunteers. I told her to move before hitting the tee shot but she still stayed in front of the green. Then I hit a good drive right at the flag and it hit her. Luckily it took a bounce before hitting her, she’s alright.

“The ball then landed in front of the green and I chipped it in for eagle! (Got to make it for the volunteer!) I gave her the ball and signed a glove for her after that,” he laughed.

“I drove the ball really well today, hit every green and had a 10-footer on 15 and a tap-in on 18 for birdies,” he added.

Hyungjoon Lee, who started the day on three under, started with a birdie on his first hole but was unable to improve on his score, a bogey on his last hole dropping him back into a share of third with an even par round of 71. Junghwan Lee, also in fifth place overnight, was in a similar position and an even par round today also left him sharing third place.

Minkyu Kim and Thailand’s Nitithorn Thippong posted a pair of 68s to move up the leaderboard and grab a share of seventh place, together with Jarin Todd of the USA and Taehee Lee, who were moving in the opposite direction with dual scores of 73.

The leading two players finishing in the top 8 and ties, and who are not otherwise exempt, will gain a spot in The 150th Open at St Andrews from 10-17 July 2022. The winner of the Kolon Korea Open will take home KRW 450,000,000, which is around US$349,000.

Sanghee Lee added a second-round three-under-par 68 to his opening 69 to take the halfway lead today in the Kolon Korea Open at Woo Jeong Hills Country Club.

The Korean is five under for the prestigious event, one ahead of his countrymen Taehee Lee (66) and Taehoon Ok (69) and American Jarin Todd (69)

Sanghee Lee has won four times in Korea but admitted that his national Open is the one that he really wants to win the most.

“I have claimed the NH Open, KPGA Championship, SK Telecom Open, and GS Caltex Maekyung Open but the Korea Open is the big one we all want to win,” said Sanghee Lee.

“I have challenged every year, but the results were disappointing. Thinking about it, I felt a lot of pressure. I felt a strain on myself, it didn’t work. On my day off from the army, I often watched Korean tour events and had a strong desire to get back playing again.”

He made birdie on the par-five 18^th to take the outright lead to set up one of the most important weekends of his career.

He added: “Today, I did well despite difficult pin positions. My tee shots were accurate and my second shots were also very good but the putting wasn’t as good as yesterday. It was a bummer. I’m sad, but I’ll prepare well for the remaining two days and get a good result. It’s going to be fun.”

Taehoon Ok of Korea

Taehoon Ok took advantage of his early tee time to ease his way into contention.

“I’m surprised to be in the lead,” he said after his round. “I made a double bogey on the fourth hole and bounced back with a birdie on the fifth. The positions of the pins today were tricky.”

Todd looked set to also finish the day on five under but found water on the last and made bogey.

“It’s always tricky out here,” said the American.

“It got a little bit tricky on the back nine. It’s always hard here. I putted pretty good today, was missing on the right spots so I had the chance to get up and down. Bad luck there on the last with the lie and the wind gust but overall, a good day.

“The season has been good so far. I’m starting to get back into the flow. I didn’t play at all during the COVID break so it’s nice playing some of the bigger events now. There’s still a long track to go from here, two more days. A win here will be really fun, especially with The Open spot on offer this week. I came close to getting it in Singapore, finished top-five there. It was disappointing. I’d actually rather take The Open spot than the win this week! Just because it’s going to be at the old course at St Andrews and it’s on every golfer’s bucket list.”

Jarin Todd of the United States

Koreans Junghwan Lee (71), Kyongjun Moon (70), Doyeon Hwang (68), and Hyungjoon Lee (68) are three under in a tie for fifth.

Korean Bio Kim, lying second in the Order of Merit, was able to improve on his opening 72 with a 69. He is one under for the tournament and in contention despite an unfortunate bogey on his last hole – the unforgiving ninth – which meant he had to settle for a share of 10th place overall.

Taehoon Ok took advantage of his early tee time to ease his way into the lead at the Kolon Korea Open at Woo Jeong Hills on Friday morning, posting a score of 69 to move to -4, ahead of compatriots Kyongju Moon and overnight leader Junghwan Lee.

Ok opened his scoring in the KRW1.35 billion event with a birdie on hole 10, making the turn on two under after dropping one shot, but ran into difficulties on the way in, dropping one shot on the second hole, and two shots shortly after, but three birdies rescued his score somewhat, leaving him conscious of his good fortune.

“I’m surprised to be in the lead,” he said after his round. “I made a double bogey on the 4th hole and bounced back with a birdie on the 5th. The second shot on the 9th hole was amazing. I made good use of my opportunity,” he added.

“I will continue to practise fade shots,” he noted, “the positions of the pins today were tricky.”

Junghwan Lee, solid start maintains his challenge on the lead. Photo provided by Kolon Korea Open.

Junghwan Lee, who held a share of the lead overnight, made a solid start to his round from the 10th hole, birdieing two holes on his front nine to make the turn in two under par. He continued in good form with pars towards the last, but two bogeys in his last three holes dropped him back to level par for the day and he remained on three under.

Kyongjun Moon began the day one shot behind the leaders and briefly held the lead after the turn, but he too fell foul of holes 7 and 9, dropping a shot on each to finish the day on one under par, and a share of second place.

Bio Kim, lying second in the Order of Merit, was able to improve on his opening position with a two under par 69. Although an improvement on his overnight position in a share of 29th place, an unfortunate bogey on his last hole – the unforgiving ninth – meant he had to settle for a share of 9th place overall.

Bio Kim, moving up the leaderboard. Photo provided by Kolon Korea Open.

Chang Wei-run of Chinese Taipei, who started the day one shot behind the leaders on two under, was going along in fine fashion on his front nine, having gained three shots against par before he too fell victim to the ninth hole, posting a double bogey and then compounding the misfortune with three dropped shots on the back nine, putting him back in a group in 14th place on level par.

Also in the group are Argentina’s Miguel Angel Carballo, who moved up with a largely blemish-free 68, and Dongkyu Hang, who posted the same score. Siddikur Rahman of Bangladesh, and the Korean pair of Jaemin Hwang and Seonghyeon Jeon also finished in 14th after the morning session, overnight leader Hwang dropping three shots against the card in his round.

Seungsu Han of the United States set the early pace in the 64th edition of the Kolon Korea Open on Thursday, posting a flawless three-under-par 68 in the morning which was later matched by Korea’s Junghwan Lee and Jaemin Hwang at the Woo Jeong Hills Country Club. 

A moderate breeze offered few favours in the morning and with rainy conditions during the afternoon and the threat of thunderstorms, the early field gained a slight advantage in the KRW1.35 billion event, which is co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and the Korea Golf Association.

Lee, a two-time winner on the Korean circuit, also stayed blemish-free while Hwang capped a strong finish with three birdies in his closing six holes. Together with Han, they hold a one-shot lead over a host of players following the opening round of the Kolon Korea Open.

Junghwan Lee, back on track and feeling good about his round. Photo provided by Kolon Korean Open.

Lee was glad to rediscover his best form, something he has been trying to do since completing his National Service.  “I stayed bogey-free on a difficult course,” he said. “I feel good because I got a good result even though the weather was bad.”

“I haven’t played well after coming out from the army but my game is been more stable since I got married last year. I live in Gwangju and I drive about two hours to the course here every day. Nice to get off to a good start. I will stay calm and see how it goes the next few days.”

The Woo Jeong Hills course has lived up to its reputation as one of South Korea’s toughest tracks, but it was something that 35-year-old Seungsu Han was ready for. “There were some tough pins. I played good, hit a lot of good shots, and stayed in the right spots all day,” he said.  “I think this is my fourth time playing this tournament, so I am more familiar with it now. I know how they are going to set it up, so I don’t panic about it.”

“You just have to keep on hitting good shots, and leave yourself in the right positions here, especially with the pins that they are going to put on the greens. You have to be super patient. I hit the ball really well today, I kept it in play off the tee, hit a lot of greens and was also on the right side of the hole for the most part. When you do that you get some birdie looks.”

“It was good to get a round in before the rain, I got super lucky,” he added after the morning session at an event which is making a welcome return to the Asian Tour schedule after its reinstatement in 2018 was again halted by Covid-19 related travel restrictions.

Thailand’s Nitithorn Thippong relied on his scrambling skills to maintain pace with the leader. Photo provided by Kolon Korea Open.

Nitithorn Thippong, winner of the DGC Open, opened with a birdie on 10th but dropped a shot on 13 before picking up back-to-back birdies to turn in 33. He dropped another shot on the first but recovered with a birdie on the sixth to settle for a share of fourth place.

Putting and scrambling was the key to maintain momentum for the 25-year-old Thai golfer, who is still looking to capitalize on his first Asian Tour win after breaking through in India in March.

“I made a lot of long par putts today which was nice. The par on the 8th coming in was great. I thought I drove the ball out of bounds so I hit a provisional, but found it in the left rough and chipped it out to the fairway. Then I hit into the bunker, blasted it out, and made the putt from about 21 feet. That’s probably the highlight today,” he said.

Experience was also essential on a course that has a reputation for being one of the hardest in South Korea. “This is my second time playing here. I first played here in 2019 and I think that experience helped. The pins are always tough in Korea. I hit a great chip on the ninth to about two feet and made it for par too,” said Thippong.

“I have been feeling confident with my game since getting my first win in India. I had some issues with my new driver in England two weeks ago, so I went home and did another round of fitting. I’ve changed the shaft now and it’s working well again,” he explained.

“I drove the ball nicely today and that gave me a lot of opportunities to score. You have got to drive the ball well out there as the fairways are narrow,” he concluded.

Jarin Todd of the USA recovered from early bogey to finish under par. Photo provided by Kolon Korea Open.

Jarin Todd of the USA, who finished ninth in the recent International Series England, played a patient round to join the group on second, shrugging off an early bogey to pick up three shots and finish on two-under-par. He was joined by Soonsang Hong, who diced with birdies and bogeys throughout his round, and Sanghee Lee, who looked set to post even-par with a birdie and bogey before finishing with an eagle flourish on the par five ninth.

Chang Wei-lun of Chinese Taipei had brief flirtation with the lead after his first nine holes, making the turn at two-under-par and posting another birdie on his tenth hole. But two holes later, he dropped a shot and slipped back to the group in fourth place. Taehoon Ok shared a similar fate, staying in the leading group until two holes from the end when he too slipped back.

Taeyang Jung was the early clubhouse leader with a score of one-under-par 70. After a steady run at the start, he made the turn at even par despite a birdie/bogey pair to finish his front nine, but a second dropped shot pushed him back above par on the third hole, his 12th of the day. A burst of three birdies brought him back into the red, although a disappointing bogey on the last hole dropped him back into eventual 11th place.

As the afternoon session drew to a close, Jung was joined by fellow-Koreans Byungjun Kim, who overcame a difficult front nine with two double bogeys to finish on one-under-par 70; Jeongwoo Ham who dropped two shots against three birdies, and Miguel Tabuena of the Philippines, who looked destined for the lead for most of his round until a double bogey brought him up short three holes from the finish. Heungchol Joo completed a group of five in eleventh place.

Jeongmin Park, Doyeon Hwang, Mingyu Cho and Jaekyeong Lee, together with Thailand’s Poom Saksansin, led a strong group on an even par score of 71. Hwang, who was in the first group away this morning, produced an eagle on the par 5 fifth hole to set an early lead, but quickly dropped two shots in quick succession, and three more bogeys on the second nine saw him fall back to join the others on even par.

They were joined by Mingkyu Cho, Hanbyeoul Kim and Thailand’s Sarit Suwannarut, who endured a torrid run of three bogeys in succession on his back nine but recovered two shots in the final holes to get his score back on track. Hyungjoon Lee, Junggon Hwang and Hongtaek Kim completed the group of morning starters to finish on par with a score of 71.

Asian Tour regulars Siddikur Raymond of Bangladesh and Todd Baek of the USA rounded out the group in 16th place on even par, in an event that has been dominated by Korean golfers in recent decades, with only Jazz Janewattananond winning in 2019 and before that, Rickie Fowler of the USA in 2011.

Defending champion Junseok Lee of Australia and Korea’s Bio Kim, placed second on the Order of Merit, returned with identical 72s while Merit leader Sihwan Kim of the United States was left to rue a disappointing 75.

Here’s your guide to the TV times for the live broadcast of the 64th Kolon Korea Open Golf Championship at Woo Jeong Hills Country Club.

The leading two players who finish in the top 8 and ties at the Kolon Korea Open who are not already exempt will earn places in The 150th Open at St Andrews from 10-17 July 2022.

The Kolon Korea Open is the eighth event in The Open Qualifying Series and will be played at Woo Jeong Hills Country Club in Cheonan from 23-26 June.

Players in the field at Kolon Korea Open who are already exempt for The 150th Open at St Andrews:

Sihwan Kim

In the event of a tie for a qualifying place, the player with the higher ranking in the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) at the beginning of the week commencing 20 June will be awarded a place in The 150th Open.

Ends.