What they said at last week’s GS Caltex Maekyung Open, where Korea’s Minhyuk Song defeated his compatriot Mingyu Cho in a compelling sudden-death play-off.

First Round

First-round leader Taehee Lee from Korea on his eagle on the par-four 18^th hole:

• “My tee shot went right down the middle of the fairway. The pin was front-right, and I wanted to hit a high shot, but I couldn’t because of a divot. I had 130 yards left, but considering the uphill slope and the wind, I aimed to send it about 155 yards and hit an 8 iron. Because it was uphill, I couldn’t see the green, but the gallery started clapping. When I got there, the ball was in the hole. It’s my first eagle on the 18th hole!”

On his success at this tournament, and being the only player to win in back-to-back years (2019-2020) he said:

• “I’ve played in the GS Caltex Maekyung Open nearly 20 times, I think the most important thing is being myself. Being able to play my own game in any situation is key. Belief in myself and confidence are the most important factors. I know the dangerous areas better than other players on this course, so in that sense, I feel more comfortable.”

Thailand’s Poom Saksansin after his 67 (-4) in the first round:

“I’m not really expecting that here, I planned not to come here this year, to be honest”

Asked how he managed to get the better of the course this time after a string of missed cuts in 2023, 2024, and 2025 he said:

• “I don’t know. Normally, I just cannot hit from the fairway here – it’s just like I cannot control the ball. The second shot is very important here. You have to be precise, due to the pin location. You cannot go over the pin. Also, I just scored well on the par threes today. I made three under on them. So, that’s why I scored well. And I found good places to make to up and downs.”

Fellow Thai Pavit Tangkamolprasert, who already has two runners-up this season, after his 66 (-5):

• “I never played good here, but honestly, this year after the first four events, I feel more confident about my game. Everything I think is about mindset. Everything felt smooth today and continued my momentum. It was a little bit of a colourful score card. It’s like I am always attacking. I’m very, very happy with how I play today.  I came out strong mentally. That’s why I am playing well.”

Minhyuk Song.

Second Round

New Zealander Nick Voke after his second round 66 (-5):

• “Very pleased with it. You know, as you said, challenging golf course, but challenging conditions as well. This wind is tricky, it’s strong, it’s coming from all sorts of directions. So, one of the better ball striking rounds for me. I think I hit 17 greens, a lot of two putts from 20 feet, and a couple of them went in. So it was a good day. You can get in trouble out here at Namseoul when you’re… Legit, you’d rather have 15 feet up the hill than an eight-foot coming down, like it’s crazy. So you’ll be really precise with your numbers into the greens. I put it in the right spots, had a lot of looks, and it was pretty stress free.”

Asked if it was helpful to play with Julien Sale (72-66) and Mingyu Cho (66-70) who also played well the first two days:

• “Yeah, we were feeding off each other. You know, when the cameras came around, we’re like, oh, it’s our time to shine now, boys. You know, Julian played sensational, Mingyu really well yesterday. Yeah, just feeding off each other, a lot of fist pumps, lot of good putts, good shots. It was cool.”

On his strategy to score well at Namseoul Country Club:

• “Yeah, there’s only one thing, and that’s to keep it under the hole. Like you find your front number and the pin is your back number, hit in between that and you’ll do well.”

Julien Sale from France after his 66 (-5) that included two eagles on his last nine holes:

• “Made a good birdie on one, and then holed on two, for eagle. I think I had like, 130 metres. Had a pitching wedge. I actually didn’t see it go in, because I was a bit below, but yeah, my caddy was just on top of the hill looking at it, and he’s like saying it’s looking good, looking good, and it went in. At first I didn’t believe him, but I heard the crowd cheering. And then after that, on the par five, hit a good tee shot, with a three wood. The wind was helping, and then a nice seven iron that rolled to like five metres and made the putt.”

Joint leader Yubin Jang on how a year on the LIV Golf League in 2025 has made him a better player:

• “Having played on LIV Golf across a variety of courses and conditions, I found it relatively easy to adapt to the windy conditions today. That experience has been a great help. Even in situations where I might normally take a more aggressive club, I’m now trying to play more steadily. I do feel that I’ve grown as a player.”

On what this tournament, one of Korea’s Majors, means to him:

• “Since my days on the national team, the tournaments I’ve most wanted to win are the GS Caltex Maekyung Open and the Kolon Korea Open. I was in contention in both 2023 and 2024, but it was disappointing not to win. Those missed opportunities have stayed with me, so I’ll do my best to play without any regrets.”

Mingyu Cho.

Third Round

Co-leader Mingyu Cho from Korea after his third-round 67 (-4):

• “There weren’t any major crises or big opportunities on the front nine, I made pars throughout. I knew I had lost the lead, but I didn’t dwell on it. I just kept playing, believing chances would come naturally. I started playing golf in 1999 and have been on tour for over 20 years. From experience, you shouldn’t attack the course recklessly – especially not this one. It’s important to stay patient and play within yourself.”

On what a win at home would mean after over 20 years winless on Korean soil, but with two victories on the Japan Golf Tour:

• “A new opportunity presents itself. If I win in Korea, it feels like all the pieces will finally come together. And my son was born on Monday, so I want to draw strength from that and give it my best as a father.”

Compatriot Minhyuk Song also shared the lead after three rounds following a 66 (-5):

• “Namseoul Country Club is a course where I’ve had some of my best results. I especial love the huge galleries. I tried to be myself today, just as I did in the first and second rounds. Rather than thinking about protecting my position in the third round, I focused on moving up the leaderboard. I think that mindset helped me get into a share of the lead. There were a lot of leaderboards out on the course, so I checked them frequently. I kept track of where I stood and played accordingly.”

South African Ian Snyman after his third round 67 (-4) on having his brother Ryno on the bag and other family members in the gallery this week:

• “It’s been quite special having, let’s say half of the full family here. I nearly shed a tear before the round, because my sister, she came and she saw my brother, and she started crying, and it’s just been a whole special feeling. And it was a big thing for me to make the cut. This is always a week where it’s tough, and to make it with him, it’s just extra special. And to have a fun day like today, where I could see he was excited with every putt made. It was a moment that I’ll cherish for a long time, and hopefully we can make some more memories tomorrow.”

Final Round

The champion Minhyuk Song from Korea after securing his first professional victory in a playoff against compatriot Minguy Cho after a final round 70 (-1):

• “I really wanted to win, but I also told myself that even if I stumbled, as long as I had the strength to get back up, I could become a player capable of winning. I’m just very happy that such a great opportunity came sooner than I expected. I thought I might cry after my first win, but in the moment, I just felt overwhelming joy and couldn’t stop smiling. Up until last year, my father caddied for me, but this year I’m working with a professional caddie. My dream was to win with my father on the bag and bow to him as a celebration. Although I couldn’t fulfil that this time, my caddie did an amazing job and really helped me perform well.”

Pictures courtesy Korea Golf Association.