Skilled Imahira claims Diamond Cup for maiden Asian Tour title
Shugo Imahira drew on his wealth of experience at winning to claim the Asia Pacific Open Golf Championship Diamond Cup at Oarai Golf Club today to secure his first Asian Tour title and sixth success on the Japan Golf Tour Organisation.
In a photo finish to the tournament, which was jointly sanctioned with the Asian Tour, Imahira prevailed by one shot on eight under for the tournament thanks to a rock-solid finish of pars down the closing stretch, while his rivals were dropping shots.
He closed with a two-under-par 68 with his compatriots Kosuke Suzuki, an amateur, Hiroshi Iwata, Kaito Onishi, and Yuto Katsuragawa all in second place.
Suzuki came charging out of the pack with a 63 – thanks to a brilliant back nine of five-under-par 30 – Iwata shot 68, while Onishi, who chipped in for birdie on 18, and Katsuragawa both carded 70s.
Imahira’s win also earned him a place in the elite field for The Open at St. Andrews in July – an event he has played in twice before.
The 29 year old started the day one behind overnight leaders Onishi, Katsuragawa, Japan’s Ryuko Tokimatsu and New Zealander Ben Campbell but finished first helped by a brave back nine made up of eight pars and a birdie, on the par-five 15th.
Amateur Kosuke Suzuki closed with a sensational 63. Picture by JGTO.
It was a different story for Iwata, Onishi and Katsuragawa on the homeward nine as they dropped shots at critical moments. Onishi and Katsuragawa, in particular, both made double bogeys, on 13 and 15 respectively, while the later made a costly bogey on 17 which opened the door for Imahira.
Suzuki, just 21 years old, was the only player who got to grips with the back nine – he made three birdies in a row from the 11th and an eagle on 15 – but having started the day seven off the lead the gap proved too big to close.
“I am really happy with this victory. I haven’t really performed well this year, so I’m glad I am able to win early,” said Imahira, who won the JGTO money list title in 2018 and 2019 and whose last victory was the 2021 Fujisankei Classic.
“The Open was my goal at the start of this season. My 172 world ranking isn’t good enough to get me into overseas events, so getting into The Open by winning this week is amazing. The goal was to be a major player rather than a prize winner.”
He received a cheque for US$178,205.
Campbell closed with a 72 to finish three behind the winner in a tie for eighth and also suffered from a disappointing finish that saw him double bogey 17.
He said: “Very frustrated with the finish. Lost the ball on 17th. I thought it was on the fairway, but it actually went left. It was a week that could have been unfortunately. But overall, still a positive week. I thought I was feeling rusty coming into this week and that sort of showed a little bit today. Had a good chance after making birdie on 13 but three putted 14 and that really killed me. I only had about 10 feet there for birdie. To three putt that really hurts.”
Thailand’s Itthipat Buranatanyarat produced one of his best rounds on Tour, a 66, to finish joint 11th.
“I almost couldn’t make it to this event,” said Itthipat, a three-time winner on the Asian Development Tour.
Ben Campbell was joint leader at the start of the final round. Picture by JGTO.
“I had issues with my visa applications because it was quite last minute. I was on the reserve list and only got into the tournament five days before I fly. I am really happy with my result. This is my first Diamond Cup and the first Asian Tour event I’ve played in Japan. I have played in Japan on the Challenge Tour before but never on the Asian Tour.”
The next event on the Asian Tour is the US$2 million International Series England at Slaley Hall Hotel, Spa & Golf Resort, from June 2 to 5. The tournament is the second of 10 International Series events this season.
Japan’s Kaito Onishi stayed on top of the leaderboard in the Asia Pacific Open Golf Championship Diamond Cup today after the third round although he was joined there by countrymen Yuto Katsuragawa and Ryuko Tokimatsu and New Zealander Ben Campbell.
Onishi, the leader after the first two rounds, carded a one-over-par 71 to finish the day on seven under at Oarai Golf Club, while Tokimatsu, who had a hole in one, and Campbell both returned 66s; Katsuragawa came in with a 67.
Japan’s Shugo Imahira (69) and Yuki Inamori (70) are one stroke further back, in the Asian Tour Japan Golf Tour Organisation (JGTO) jointly-sanctioned event.
Onishi has only been a professional for a year and yet he is on the threshold of his first JGTO victory. And despite a difficult day on the course, which saw him make two birdies and three bogeys, he remained in a confident mood.
“I’m not bad at golf so I think I have a good chance tomorrow,” joked the 23 year old, who graduated from the University of Southern California last year.
Ben Campbell is on the cusp of the biggest win of his career. Picture by JGTO.
“My golf is in good shape, so I think I can win if the shots and putts mesh well. I think I have a chance if I can play my best golf.”
Campbell’s joint lowest round of the day, made up of six birdies and two bogeys, has put him is position to claim a second pro win, to go alongside his 2018 New Zealand PGA Championship success.
“I played solid,” said Campbell.
“My front nine was really good. I just putted solid the whole day. It’s a great golf course. It’s tough. You just have to stay patient out there. I actually had five weeks off before this week. I was feeling a bit rusty. Today, I hit some good shots and some bad ones as well. I’m going to the range now to hit some balls. I know what I need to do. I just need to keep doing it all the time. If I can play like how I did today tomorrow, I think I can give myself a good chance.”
One player who everyone will keep a watchful eye on tomorrow is Katsuragawa, who currently leads the JGTO Money List with first and second place finishes to his name this season.
“I’m glad I was able to improve my score by three today,” said Katsuragawa, who first hit the headlines at the SMBC Singapore Open in January when he tied for second to secure a berth in this year’s Open.
“This is my first time playing this course. I like this tough course better. I’m good at shot making, so I can attack. I think I gained a little confidence when I won for the first time this year. Once I won, I didn’t have any negative thoughts from there. Now I can play with the image of winning. I want to do the same tomorrow as today.”
Tokimatsu is the most experienced of the front runners, winning three times on the JGTO from 2016 to 2018, and his attempt to add a fourth was helped considerably by an ace on the par-three fourth, where he hit an eight irons from 160 yards.
“It’s my first [hole in one] in a pro tournament,” said Tokimatsu.
“I have had a lot in private rounds, but it’s exceptional in professional tournament.”
Ryuko Tokimatsu recorded his first ace in a pro tournament. Picture by JGTO.
He then raced into the lead after making birdie on six, seven, nine and 11 but as he was about to finish the day with the outright lead he made a double on 17.
“This Oarai course is like that, so it can’t be helped,” he added.
Japan’s Mikumu Horikawa also made a hole in one on the eighth, with a seven iron from 218 yards. He fired a 67 and is six off the lead.
New kid on the block Kaito Onishi from Japan added a three-under-par 67 to his opening day 65 to take the lead in the Asia Pacific Open Golf Championship Diamond Cup.
Onishi, joint overnight leader with countryman Hiroshi Iwata, began on hole 10 and impressively toured the back nine in four under with birdies on 10, 11, 15 and 18, and then reached 10 under for the tournament with a birdie on the third, before dropping shots on five and nine.
He has a two-shot lead, on eight under, over compatriots Yuki Inamori (64) and Rikuya Hoshino (67), and Australian Todd Sinnott (68) – on a rainy and windy day at Oarai Golf Club, near Tokyo.
Japan’s Shugo Imahira, the Japan Golf Tour Organisation (JGTO) Money List winner in 2018 and 2019, is a stroke further behind following a 69. He’s a shot ahead of Japan’s Yuta Katsuragawa, the current leader of the JGTO money list, who also came in with a 69.
Iwata slipped back with a 74 and is one under for the tournament, which is jointly sanctioned by the Asian Tour and JGTO. It’s the first time the Asian Tour has visited Japan since 2019 because of the pandemic.
Kaito Onishi’s distinctive swing is proving highly effective. Picture by JGTO.
Onishi only turned professional last year after graduating from the University of Southern California, but he has been quick to adjust to life in the play for pay game. Most noticeably he was fourth in the ISPS HANDA Championship last month before impressing this week.
“I’m happy to be in the lead and I hope I have the momentum over the next two days,” said 23-year-old Onishi, who is from Nagoya.
“I need to focus on each shot and not think about my position. The goal is to win, and I am confident I can do that.”
Sinnott has been playing in Japan since winning the 2017 Leopalace21 Myanmar Open, an Asian Tour JGTO co-sanctioned event, and is putting together one of his finest performances in Japan.
The Australian claimed the TPS Victoria in February for his first success on the PGA Tour of Australasia and his fine form has clearly remained.
“Today’s a tough day obviously with the rain and wind,” said Sinnott.
Todd Sinnott has already won in Australia this year. Picture by JGTO.
“Honestly, I was just trying to stay really patient and just hang tough out there. I can’t even remember the round, very tired. I hit it solid in patches, but I think it’s my short game that stood out. I was able to get up and down whenever I miss the green. By doing that, I was able to keep the round going and keep the momentum going. Thankfully, I was able to play in Japan last year and this year, managed to travel to a couple more events this year. Life’s getting back to normal so it’s nice.”
Thailand’s Sadom Kaewkanjana (68) and Prom Meesawat (69) are in tie for seventh on three under along with Japan’s Ryo Ishikawa (67), Australia’s Ben Campbell (70) and American Berry Henson (71).
Said Sadom: “Tough conditions today but I was able to give myself a lot of birdie opportunities. Everything was good for me. Conditions were really different compared to yesterday. I tell myself to forget every shot that I hit, just focus on the next one out there. I did that better today, compared to yesterday. Happy to be in a good position right now. I need to play my best tomorrow and enjoy the game.”
Veteran Japanese golfer Hiroshi Iwata and his rookie compatriot Kaito Onishi carded five-under-par 65s to take the first-round lead in the Asia Pacific Open Golf Championship Diamond Cup at Oarai Golf Club today.
American Berry Henson, Todd Sinnott from Australia and Japan’s Shugo Imahira returned 66s – in what is the first Asian Tour event to be played in Japan since September of 2019, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Twelve players fired 67s including Japan’s Yuto Katsuragawa, currently first on Japan’s money list, and Keita Nakajima – the Japanese golfer who is the world’s number one ranked amateur.
Both Iwata, a three-time winner on the Japan Golf Tour Organisation (JGTO), and Onishi, a professional since last year looking for his first victory, traded seven birdies against two bogeys.
This week’s tournament, which is jointly sanctioned with the JGTO, gives the winner an exemption into The Open at St. Andrews in July which is a major attraction for Iwata.
“This is the first time I have wanted to play in the UK so much as it’s the 150th staging of The Open!” said Iwata.
“This is a great opportunity. I played well today, felt the course is a bit shorter compared with when we played it a few years ago. Tee shots are key and today I put them all in the fairway.”
The 42 year old has been enjoying a return to form of late having won The Crowns tournament a year ago, which was his first JGTO victory in six years, and he finished third in that same event at the start of the month.
Japan’s Kaito Onishi turned pro last year. Picture by JGTO.
Onishi is just 23 years old and played on the Abema Tour last year, which is Japan’s feeder tour, and has already made an impression on the JGTO this season after securing fourth in the ISPS HANDA Championship in Japan last month.
“Putting has been great for the past two weeks and it was today. Just need to straighten out my tee shots,” said Onishi, who is playing Oarai for the first time.
Henson made seven birdies and three bogeys and felt playing aggressive paid dividends.
“Japan has its own style of golf. Every time I come here, I have to adapt, I have to change, and I have to learn how to play this style,” said Henson.
“I’ve played here now for 10 years. This year I came thinking I need to play more aggressively as that’s what I see the top players do. Even if it’s a difficult shot, they play so aggressively. I did that today and it worked out.”
The Open is also something that is on the 42 year old’s radar.
Berry Henson has his eye on The Open prize. Picture by JGTO.
He added: “My goal is to win this week. I came here with an aim to grab The Open spot. My life goal is to play the British open at St. Andrews. I was aiming for that since the start of the year. Another life goal is to play the US Open at Pebble Beach. I want to just enjoy myself here in Japan. I love sushi and I enjoy Japanese food. My goal is to win and to enjoy myself this week in Japan.”
Henson is looking to secure his second win on the Asian Tour as is Sinnott.
“It was a good round. I really enjoyed playing with Ben (Campbell). Had some good chat out there. I really enjoyed the round and I like the golf course. My putting was pretty solid. I hit it decent the first 14 holes. Didn’t hit it great on the last few. I struggled a bit there but was still able to hole some nice par putts,” said Sinnott, who claimed the TPS Victoria in February for his first success on the PGA Tour of Australasia.
“It’s my first time playing this course. It’s hard. We were lucky because there wasn’t much wind this morning. When the wind or rain gets up, it can play very tough out there.”
Thailand’s Sadom Kaewkanjana, buoyed this week by receiving an invite to next week’s PGA Championship, came in with a 69.
He said: “I am feeling good this week. Received good news at the start of the week [about the PGA Championship] and that got me really excited. I’m playing in my first Major next week at the PGA Championship. It’s my first time playing in the United States. I have never played there before. I was preparing to play my first Major at The Open in July. Getting into the PGA Championship was really a surprise to me. My caddy found out about it on Monday and told me. I heard the courses for PGA Championship are very difficult, but we are still very excited.”
Suradit Yongcharoenchai earned a cheque for acing hole four. Picture by JGTO.
Two players made aces on par threes today: Thailand’s Suradit Yongcharoenchai holed his nine iron on the fourth while Japan’s Naoyuki Kataoka found the cup with his eight iron on 14. They both won JPY300,000 (approx. US$2,330).
Following his popular and long-awaited victory in the GS Caltex Maekyung Open at the weekend, Bio Kim says he has learned one lesson, in particular, and that is to work harder!
“It [the final round] was long and hard; it was hard mentally and physically,” said the Korean.
“It’s taught me to train harder and more diligently in the future to be able to handle this so I can get better results.”
He beat compatriot Mingyu Cho by two shots at the challenging and mountainous Namseoul Country Club, in what was the 41st edition of the event.
Surprisingly, despite a long and often much published 13-year professional career this was his first success on the Asian Tour; he only became a member in 2020 after successfully negotiating Qualifying School, having focused on playing in Korea.
He also claimed the Maekyung event 10 years ago, although it was not on the Asian Tour schedule at that point in time.
“This is a flagship event that represents Korean golf. I’m glad I could put my name up for the second time,” added Kim.
He has been on point in many of the tournaments since the Asian Tour restarted last November: he finished tied fourth, joint second, seventh and equal ninth in the final four events of last season, which finished at the Singapore Open in January; and this term he has been equally impressive with tied for fourth, fifth and third finishes. And, he has not missed the cut in the 11 events he has played.
The turning point for Kim’s recent resurgence appears to have been his victory in the LG Signature Players Championship on home soil last November before he headed to the Asian Tour Phuket Series in Phuket – where two events signaled the re-commencement of the Asian Tour after a two-year break caused by the pandemic.
On Sunday, the Korean star also hinted at a second attempt to play in the US.
In 2010, aged 20, he won his PGA Tour card at Qualifying School and played the 2011 season. He was unable to keep his playing rights for the following year and competed on the Web.com Tour (now called the Korn Ferry Tour) before returning home to play regularly on the Korean PGA Tour.
“My top priority is the Korean PGA, and then the Asian Tour schedule. There are also plans for the Korn Ferry Tour; I couldn’t give up my dream about America.”
Roared on by a huge gallery, Bio Kim from Korea finally added another important trophy to his impressive collection of titles when he claimed the 41st GS Caltex Maekyung Open at Namseoul Country Club today for the first of what could be many Asian Tour victories.
The hot favourite coming into the week thanks to a purple patch that stretches back to the end of last year, he carded a battling final round one-over-par 72 to win on nine under by two from Korean Mingyu Cho, who shot a 70 – on a day when organisers estimated 8,000 fans attended.
Korean Kyongjun Moon, winner of this event in 2015, finished third after shooting a 67.
Last season’s Asian Tour Order of Merit winner Joohyung Kim from Korea, closed with a 70 to end in joint fifth place.
It is the second time Bio Kim has won the tournament – which is one of the jewels in the crown of tournament golf in Korea, along with the Korea Open – although when he triumphed in 2012, it was not part of the Asian Tour.
The Korean star, who led the event since round two, started the day with a four-shot lead and had to overcome an early challenge on the front nine by playing-partner Cho.
Bio Kim has now claimed seven titles in Korea. Picture by KGA.
Cho joined Bio Kim tied for the lead on nine under after seven holes after he birdied four, six and seven, while Bio made bogey on six. But Cho bogeyed hole eight to slip one back before Bio reached the par-five ninth with two fine shots and birdied the hole to move two ahead of Cho.
Cho’s chances were then shot to pieces when Korean Golf Officials gave him a two-stroke penalty on the ninth for standing on the hole’s second green when playing his third. He was informed he should have taken a drop.
It meant Bio was able to cruise home unchallenged on the back nine and enjoy one of the finest most of his career; although there was a minor scare on the last when he sliced his tee shot into the trees before he got his ball back in play and made bogey.
Cho partly made up for the disappointment of his rules infringement by holing a 25-footer for birdies on 18 to finish solo second; his two shot penalty the only difference between him and Bio Kim.
“Today was very tough, I lost my concentration a few times, but I am happy to make it through,” said 31-year-old Bio Kim.
“It took all of me to win today. Namsoeul Country Club is very difficult, and a lot of good players were chasing me. As I have been doing all week, and all year, I tried to stay in the present, clear my mind and not think about things too much, like my four-shot lead on the back nine.”
He earned a cheque for US$255,536 and moved into second place on the Asian Tour Order of Merit with winnings of US$402, 986. American Sihwan Kim remains in top spot, despite missing the cut.
Added Bio Kim: “It is Parents’ Day which means the win has special meaning. I have a lot to thank my parents for. If my parents didn’t raise me well, I wouldn’t be here. I’m trying to be a great son and a head of the family.”
Bio Kim’s victory once again reflected his affinity for Namseoul – which began when he tied for fourth in the event in 2007 before claiming equal third the following year, remarkably on both occasions he was still an amateur. He has also posted five other top-five finishes in addition to his success a decade ago and becomes the sixth dual winner of the event; no player has won it three times.
A professional since 2009 he only became a member of the Asian Tour after graduating from the Qualifying School in 2020, where he tied fifth, just before the pandemic hit.
Mingyu Cho finished two back. Picture by KGA.
And his performances since the Asian Tour’s restart at the end of last year have been the talk of the Tour. Since last November he has posted seven top-10s in nine events, including five top-five results. Tied second place at the Laguna Phuket Championship in 2021 had been his best finish before today’s breakthrough.
He played on the PGA Tour and Korn Ferry Tour early on his career before concentrating on competing in Korea – where he has been victorious on seven occasions, including this week.
His success today is a defining moment for a golfer who has made headlines throughout his career – including at the beginning when, remarkably, he claimed the Korea and Japan open amateur titles in 2008 and made it through the PGA Tour Qualifying School in 2010 aged just 20.
Said Joohyung Kim: “I had a lot of unlucky breaks. I really wanted to win, it’s one of the big events in Korea and it was my first event back here since last year. But I still finished inside the top five, it was a great week, and I gave it my all, but it just wasn’t enough.”
The Asian Tour heads to Japan next week for the Asia Pacific Open Golf Championship Diamond Cup at Oarai Golf Club, from May 12-15.
Bio Kim overcame an unexpected scare on the first hole – when a scoring official collapsed on the tee near to him – to take the third-round lead in the GS Caltex Maekyung Open today at Namseoul Country Club.
The Korean star fired a three-under-par 68 to lead on 10 under, by four from his countrymen Minjun Kim and Mingyu Cho, also in with 68s, and Jiho Yang, who shot 71 – in the Asian Tour’s first event back in Korea since 2019.
Kim started the day in a share of the lead but suffered a major distraction on the first when 20-year-old university student Woojun Lee, who was handling one of the scoreboards, collapsed just before he was due to tee off.
A doctor in the large crowd, who had gathered to watch the final group, as well as Kim rushed to help him before an ambulance was called. Lee, who suffers from Anemia, eventually made a full recovery at hospital.
Korea’s Mingyu Cho is tied for second. Picture by KGA.
The whole incident lasted about 10 minutes and when Kim finally got going, he made a double on the first.
“To be honest, I wasn’t too distracted on the first. We all thought we had better wait to help him before getting going. I missed the tee shot, it was a tough pin position and I three putted – maybe I was just nervous,” said Kim.
“I eventually got my flow going and having such big crowds was huge motivation. I have a lot of memories here but I’m not thinking about things too much, just keep a very clear mind.”
He is bidding to claim his first title on the Asian Tour on the back of an inspired run of form which has seen him post seven top-10 finishes in nine events, highlighted by a tied second finish at the Laguna Phuket Championship at the end of 2021.
He has actually won the GS Caltex Maekyung Open before, back in 2012, but it was not part of the Asian Tour then.
Kim grew up playing amateur golf at Namseoul and made his debut on the Asian Tour when tied fourth in the 2007 GS Caltex Maekyung Open before claiming equal third the following year, remarkably on both occasions he was still an amateur.
And as a member of the professional ranks, he has also posted five other top-five finishes in addition to his victory a decade ago.
He needed to draw on all his experience today to get ahead; he fired seven birdies, two bogies and one double.
His impressive round was built upon six birdies in the space of eight holes from the seventh.
The tournament has also so far seen strong performances by players from South Asia with India’s Khalin Joshi and Viraj Madappa five off the lead in joint fifth, following rounds of 69 and 72 respectively.
And Indian Honey Baisoya carded a 66, the joint-lowest round of the day, to sit in outright seventh, another shot back.
“Game is feeling good, so looking forward to tomorrow,” said Joshi.
“I haven’t played in front of gallery like this in a while, so I’m really excited. Today was good fun playing with two local boys, and the support we had was pretty good.
“It’s been a while since we’ve seen crowds. And for me personally, I haven’t been in contention in a while, so it’s good. It’s getting me charged for sure, and I’m looking forward to tomorrow.”
Said Madappa: “It was a little erratic today, I feel like the wind was swirling a little bit. I started off really well. The front nine I played good honestly, tee to green was really solid and I made a few putts. I put myself in good places on the front nine and on the back nine… Just when the wind started swirling I made a few bad decisions off the tee. Misjudged some of the wind and put myself in tough spots.”
India’s Viraj Madappa is excelling in his maiden appearance at Namseoul. Picture by KGA.
Both Joshi and Madappa are in search of their second wins on the Asian Tour.
Reigning Asian Tour number one Joohyung Kim from Korea fired a 72 and is in a group of five players seven off the pace, along with Thailand’s Rattanon Wannasrichan who carded a 66.
As many predicted Korean Bio Kim asserted his influence on the GS Caltex Maekyung Open today and moved to the top of the leaderboard at Namseoul Country Club at the halfway mark.
In-form and with an impressive track record here at Namseoul this week’s hot favourite leads on seven under, although shares the limelight with compatriots Dongmin Lee and Minhyuk Song, a 17-year-old amateur, who joined him in front.
Kim, who won this event at the same venue in 2012, shot a three-under-par 68 while veteran Lee carded a 70 and Song, an impressive 66.
India’s Viraj Madappa, inspired by a hole in one, shot a 65 to sit a shot back with Korean Jiho Yang, who returned a 67.
Kim grew up playing top-level amateur golf at Namseoul and made his debut on the Asian Tour when tied fourth in the 2007 GS Caltex Maekyung Open before claiming equal third the following year, remarkably on both occasions he was still an amateur.
And as a member of the professional ranks, he has also posted five other top-five finishes in addition to his victory a decade ago when the event was not on the Asian Tour schedule.
The 31 year old was quickly into his stride today thanks to three birdies on the front nine. He made an unexpected double-bogey on the 13th but confidently bounced back with birdies on the next two holes.
“I felt comfortable out there today and it was certainly inspiring to play in front of such big crowds. We haven’t done that in a long time,” said Kim.
“It’s great to still be playing at the same level I have been this year and put myself into a good position into the weekend.”
He’s been the cusp of a first Asian Tour victory several times since its restart at the end of last year, recording five top-five finishes plus two other top-10s.
Little-known Song is enjoying playing the finest tournament of his fledgling career.
“I am now tied first! I feel like I’ve been given a whole new opportunity,” said the youngster, who suffered a herniated disk last year.
Madappa aced the par-three third with a seven iron to help make his move in an event he is competing in for the first time.
“One of the main reasons why I came here you know: the legend of Namseoul,” said the 24-year-old Indian, who has triumphed once on the Asian Tour at the 2018 TAKE Solutions Masters on home soil.
“I was really excited to start the week here and I think it’s lived up to the expectation. I’m pretty sure it’s going to get a little tougher for the next few days.”
About the hole in one he said: “It was actually anticlimactic, because I thought the ball went long but it ended up going in the hole. We were actually looking for the ball and ended up looking in the hole thankfully.”
Reigning Asian Tour Order of Merit champion Joohyung Kim is three off the lead after a 68.
He was also particularly excited to be playing in front of so many spectators.
“It’s amazing to participate in a Korean tournament with crowds,” said 19 year old.
“It is my first time to see the gallery in Korea for a long, long time as there were no galleries last year, including at overseas tournament too, because of Covid. It was great because they cheered me on a lot.”
The rising star said he is gearing up for an epic summer as he will play in The Open, the U.S. Open and the PGA Championship.
Korean Dongmin Lee took the first-round lead with a six-under-par 65 at the GS Caltex Maekyung Open today, helped by drawing on the experience of playing in the prestigious event on many occasions.
His compatriot Hyungjoon Lee came in with a 66 at Namseoul Country Club – in an event which marks the first time that the Asian Tour has been to Korea since 2019.
“I have a lot of experience on this course, so I know exactly where I shouldn’t go and where I should go,” said 36-year-old Dongmin Lee.
“A first day six under par round is great. I hope I can play the rest of the tournament this well. It’s my best score in this course. Namseoul is difficult, but I played aggressively, and things worked out well.”
Dongmin Lee is a two-time winner on the Korean PGA Tour, including last year’s Descente Korea Munsingwear Match Play.
He began his round early in the morning on hole 10 and could be forgiven for starting with a bogey as conditions were very cold before bright sunny weather started to warm things up.
Hyungjoon Lee is a five-time winner in Korea. Picture by Korean PGA.
The Korean, a professional for two decades, ended up shooting eight birdies including on the last three holes and dropped just two shots.
He added: “It’s just the first day though, I need to pace myself and just focus on playing my own game over the next three days.”
Hyungjoon Lee finished joint second in the Korean PGA Tour’s season opening DB Insurance Life tournament last month and picked up where he left off with an equally impressive round today, which also started on the back nine, made up of six birdies and one bogey.
“I teed up early in the morning. There was no wind really until the second [11th] and third [12th] holes. It was easy to make a birdie. I felt confident,” said Hyungjoon Lee.
“I had about a three-week break after the season opening tournament and I spent a lot of time practicing my putting to get ready for Namseoul. I really wanted to work on my feel and touch. I practiced at quite a lot of different venues and came to Namseoul four times.”
The 29 year old completed his 18-month military service in July last year and struggled with his game when transitioning back into normal life.
He added: “I did not play very well after finishing military service and was very disappointed. I got away from the Korean winter and went to practice in Chiang Mai for a month and a half this year and that was a big help.”
The Korean is a five-time winner in Korea but like Dongmin Lee he is looking for his maiden title on the Asian Tour.
Bio Kim won this event in 2012. Picture by Korean PGA.
Korean Bio Kim, winner of this event in 2012 when it was not on the Asian Tour schedule, and Junggon Hwang, a four-time winner in Japan, fired 67s.
Thailand’s Natipong Srithong carded a 68 along with Asian Tour Qualifying School graduates Neil Schietekat from South Africa and Ireland’s Kevin Phelan, as well as India’s Khalin Joshi, Canadian Richard T. Lee and Koreans Doyeob Mun, Junghwan Lee, and Yoon Chung.
Bio Kim is due a maiden win on the Asian Tour after an exceptional run of form recently and will have an outstanding opportunity to get the monkey off his back at the GS Caltex Maekyung Open – which tees-off tomorrow at Namseoul Country Club, just outside Seoul.
The Korean star has an impressive track record in the tournament: he won in 2012, when it was not on the Asian Tour schedule, and, when he was an amateur, he tied fourth in 2007 and equal third the following year. He has also posted five other top-five finishes.
Combine this with the fact he has had five top-five finishes since the Asian Tour restarted at the end of last year, plus two other top-10s, and the stars could well align for the 31 year old this week.
“To be honest, we grew up at the Namseoul Country Club,” said Kim, whose current purple patch actually started when he claimed the LG Signature Players Championship on home soil last November.
“I had the opportunity to play the course quite a bit, because as a national team member we got to play there a lot. We had a junior tournament at Namseoul, like a Korean amateur tournament, there as well. We’ve also had some practice rounds for Maekyung, or before the Korean amateur tournament.
Kim was runner-up in the Laguna Phuket Championship in November. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
“I guess just comfort wise, it’s a place where I grew up and where I practice a lot. So that’s maybe a reason why I’ve had success there. I like the golf course and my house is about 20 minutes away, that helps as well. And so hopefully, I can keep that good record going on.”
Namseoul is a notoriously tricky course, especially on the approach shots and on or around the greens. The greens are usually very fast and firm, and many of them slope quite severely from back to front, so players need to try their best to keep the ball below the hole for uphill putts.
“Yeah, there’s some undulations and the greens are firm and fast. You have to be kind of short of the pin all the time. The fairways are also kind of tricky to read. Sometimes the ball could go further, sometimes it’s just hard to judge the lie, so I guess growing up there just helped me out a lot.”
Kim’s style of play and local knowledge of the course also lets him stay aggressive and not give up any distance off the tee.
“I would say so, but for me, I don’t know why, I just would like to be a bit more aggressive than others because I have a lot more comfortable holes than other guys. The reason why I say that is maybe because I’m hitting the ball left to right. That kind of helps me to hit a lot of drivers out there. A lot of people use two irons, five woods and three woods off the tee. For me, I do use a lot of drivers.”
The Korean star has been consistently near the top of the leaderboards going back to late last year, and came close to posting his first Asian Tour victory at the Laguna Phuket Championship in December finishing tied-second. In his last 11 events Kim has only finished outside of the top-10 twice.
Said Kim: “I am happy with the results, but to be honest I don’t know. I’ve been just working on my game, you know, tweaking my swing and putting here and there. I just had some good vibes, good people around me, supporting me. That always helps make my golf game a little easier. I would just love to keep making birdies and eagles down the road. Hopefully I can keep that record going on and hopefully I can win a couple of times.”
In his last 11 starts Kim has finished outside the top 10 just twice. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
Kim also had the experience of playing on the PGA Tour back in 2011, and although he didn’t quite manage to have the success there that he wanted, he still rates the experience highly.
He adds: “It was good. I mean, if I look back on it, I enjoyed it. I had a really good experience in 2011, but also, at the same time, I guess I was too young mentally to be away from home by myself. I was homesick most of the time, so I always wanted to go back to Korea. Like I would skip some events even though I could play in them.
“Now I regret that I made that choice. But you know, I guess life is just all about making mistakes and learning. Now I’m on the Asian Tour and Korean Tour, but I still want to go back to the PGA Tour at some point.”
Kim is currently in fifth place on the Asian Tour Order of Merit. The top-three ranked players, American Sihwan Kim, Thailand’s Phachara Khongwatmai and Korean Joohyung Kim, are also competing this week and have been drawn together for the first two rounds.
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