Blockbuster field set to take on ‘The Toon’ at International Series England
Global golf stars are lining up to take on ‘The Toon’ at the acclaimed Close House in Newcastle for the US$2million International Series England from August 17-20.
Lee Westwood, the former world number one with 44 career victories – including nine on the Asian Tour – spearheads a cohort of 10 LIV Golf players set to play for the crowds on the Colt Course at Close House.
Joining the Majesticks Team co-captain from the 2023 LIV Golf League are 2018 Masters champion Patrick Reed, 2010 U.S. Open champion Graeme McDowell and this year’s PIF Saudi International winner Abraham Ancer. Alongside Ancer’s recent triumph in which he claimed a two-shot winning margin and a share of the US$5 million purse, McDowell will also be looking to improve on his single Asian Tour triumph coming back in 2008 in South Korea.
Despite being born and raised in Worksop and an ardent Nottingham Forest FC fan, Westwood, popularly known as ‘Westy’, moved to the region a number of years ago and struck up a long-standing partnership with Close House as its Tour Professional.
The 7th hole of Close House’s Colt Course.
Westwood said: “I’ve had the privilege of playing at home in tournament situations before, and there is truly nothing quite like it. Local excitement is building nicely with some of players confirmed.
“I’ve been embraced by the people of Northumbria since I set up home there; their passion for sport is unrivaled and the full field will feel that during the tournament week – the atmosphere will be tremendous.”
Tickets to the International Series England are available now from SeeTickets here with prices starting from £10 with concessions for under-16s and over-65s.
Seven-time Asian Tour winner and LIV Golf player Anirban Lahiri will also embark on his second International Series campaign of the year following an impressive runner-up finish in April in Vietnam, which was won by Kieran Vincent – the younger brother to Scott who earned his place in the 2023 LIV Golf League by topping The International Series 2022 Order of Merit.
Spaniard Eugenio Chacarra and American Jason Kokrak also make International Series returns after teeing up in the first event on the Asian Tour’s 2023 schedule in Oman. Meanwhile, England’s Richard Bland, Brendan Steele of the United States and South Africa’s Dean Burmester will make their debuts.
Signalling the halfway point of The International Series 2023 season, the event at Close House will be pivotal for players looking to climb The International Series Order of Merit (OOM), currently led by the only two-time International Series winner, Andy Ogletree.
Anirban Lahiri made his International Series debut in Vietnam, impressively finishing second. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
There will be a fierce contest to finish within the top-32 places in The International Series OOM come the end of the season. While the player in number one spot will punch his ticket directly to the ultra-lucrative 2024 LIV Golf League, the remaining 31 players will secure entry into the LIV Golf Promotions Event to vie for three further places.
Among those leading the charge to dethrone the current number one are several of the Asian Tour’s brightest stars including a quartet of Thai golfers Gunn Charoenkul, Chonalatit Chuenboonngam, Sadom Kaewkanjana and Phachara Khongwatmai, who all currently sit within the top 10 in The International Series OOM and are looking to secure their first International Series wins.
Head of The International Series, Rahul Singh, said: “Having the likes of Lee Westwood, Patrick Reed, Abraham Ancer and other LIV Golf stars confirmed for International Series England is demonstrative of the growing strength of The International Series and the allure of the fabulous Lee Westwood Colt Course at Close House.
“We are returning to England’s North East after being made to feel so welcome last year, despite restrictions imposed by the pandemic. We are ready to renew the fervour this year and welcome spectators to what stands to be the biggest International Series event yet.”
The tournament, which was inaugurated last year, is the 11th event of the season on the Asian Tour schedule.
In his 11-year professional career, Harold Varner III has won individual trophies in Australia and Saudi Arabia. With his RangeGoats GC, he celebrated a LIV Golf League team trophy earlier this year in Singapore.
But the 32-year-old resident of North Carolina had never won on American soil until Sunday, when he captured the LIV Golf DC trophy with a final-round four-under-par 68 for a one stroke victory over hard-charging Branden Grace.
Current Asian Tour and International Series Order of Merit leader Andy Ogletree from the United States enjoyed a fine week. He was tied for third after a first round 68 before closing with a 71 to finish sixth, just five behind the Varner.
In winning on the outskirts of the nation’s capital on Memorial Day weekend in front of the largest crowd to attend a LIV Golf tournament in the U.S., Varner becomes the second different RangeGoats player to win this season, joining good friend Talor Gooch, who won back-to-back titles in Adelaide and Singapore.
Andy Ogletree made the most of his start at LIV Golf DC. Picture by Rob Carr/Getty Images.
“Very special,” Varner said. “I’ve never won in America. It’s my favorite country.”
Varner did not get to enjoy a champagne celebration with his team, though. The Spanish-speaking Torque GC won for the second time this season, shooting a final-round counting score of nine under to finish at 27 under, beating the South African Stinger GC by three shots, with the RangeGoats taking third.
“It’s good, but at the end of the day, I really wanted to celebrate with the RangeGoats,” Varner said. “That’s my team.”
Varner produced several clutch moments Sunday at Trump National Washington D.C., none bigger than his hole-out from the bunker for birdie at the par-four 11th to take the lead. His tee shot at the par-three 15th set up another birdie to give him a two-stroke lead.
But Grace, who lost in a playoff to Dustin Johnson two weeks ago in Tulsa, birdied two of his last three holes, including his final hole, the par-four second, to tie Varner at 11 under. “I played flawless all day,” said Grace after his bogey-free 66, the only bogey-free round in the field this week. “Nice to make a putt like that when it matters.”
At the time, Varner was about to play his second shot at the par-five 18th. His six-iron from 197 yards landed on the front edge of the green and settled 40 feet from the pin, setting up his two-putt birdie for the win.
“I knew exactly what I had to do, when I had to do it, how I have to do it,” Varner said. “I love that. That’s why you play, that moment.”
Varner’s victory prevented Torque from sweeping both trophies. Torque’s Mito Pereira led Varner by one stroke to start the day but wasn’t as sharp as the previous rounds en route to shooting 71 to finish third.
Even so, his lengthy eagle putt on the par-five 13th was a key moment in Torque’s tight battle with Stinger GC, which was looking for its second consecutive team win after claiming the title in Tulsa.
Torque GC celebrate their team victory in the appropriate manner. Picture by Rob Carr/Getty Images.
“My irons weren’t very good today,” Pereira said. “Happy to finish third and obviously wanted to win. But we won as a team, so that’s pretty sick, too.”
David Puig, the 21-year-old from Spain and LIV Golf’s youngest player this season, provided Torque with its best counting score, a 66 that tied Grace for the low round of the day. Sebastián Muñoz added a 70 to tie for fourth on the individual leaderboard.
The win moves Torque to third in the season-long team standings behind last year’s champions, 4Aces GC, and Stinger GC. But Torque Captain Joaquin Niemann likes how his team is performing going into the second half of the 14-event season.
“We won already two times and obviously the more important win is the last one of the end of the year,” Niemann said, pointing to the Team Championship. “I think this is good to prove to all the other teams that we are the team to beat.”
As for Varner, his plans to celebrate his first win in the U.S. include a round of golf on the Monday holiday with his friends at a municipal course.
“I love playing golf,” he said. “That’s my favourite thing. I’m going to play tomorrow. It’s going to be awesome.”
Text courtesy of LIV Golf
On a day filled with record-tying scores, a nearly two-hour weather delay, a drama-filled afternoon, a triple bogey by the eventual winner and a three-man individual playoff in front of the best-attended LIV Golf event held in the United States, two familiar names returned to the top of the podium at LIV Golf Tulsa. Report courtesy of LIV Golf.
4Aces GC Captain Dustin Johnson won the individual trophy for the second time in his LIV Golf career with a birdie on the first playoff hole to defeat Branden Grace and Cameron Smith. Grace’s Stinger GC also won for the second time, by one stroke over the 4Aces in a victory sealed by Grace’s par putt on the final hole of regulation.
In becoming last year’s season-long Individual Champion, Johnson won a three-man playoff in Boston, making eagle on the first playoff hole. With his win Sunday at Cedar Ridge Country Club, he becomes the third two-time winner in LIV Golf, joining Brooks Koepka and Talor Gooch, and he moves to sixth in the individual points standings after a slow start to his season.
Dustin Johnson celebrates after winning the LIV Golf Tulsa individual championship (Photo by Ian Maule/Getty Images).
“Next time I’d like to win without going into a playoff,” Johnson said. “Would be a lot less stressful.”
For the all-South African Stingers, it was a long time between wins, nearly a year since they won the inaugural LIV Golf Invitational tournament in London last June. They wore blue ribbons all week in memory of legendary South African golfer John Bland, who passed away Tuesday at the age of 77.
“It’s amazing how these things happen,” said captain Louis Oosthuizen. “Blandy was an inspiration to all of us growing up watching him play … It was just nice to sort of know in the back of our minds that he was there with us this week.”
Sunday was a day of low scores, with Smith and RangeGoats GC’s Harold Varner III tying the LIV record-low score of 61 (nine under) set by Grace in Friday’s first round. Yet when play was suspended two hours into the final round, Johnson and his 4Aces appeared in control. Johnson was a bogey-free three under on his day and led Grace by three strokes, while the 4Aces led the Stingers, also by three shots.
But then play resumed, and the leaderboards tightened.
At the par-four 10th, the most difficult hole this week, Johnson’s tee shot landed left of the cart path, and his second shot got away from him, finding the water on the left side of the green. After a penalty stroke, his fourth shot found the greenside rough. He found the green on his fifth shot, then two-putted for triple bogey. That left Grace as the leader, with Johnson a stroke back.
“I wish I could blame it on the rain delay,” Johnson said. “It wasn’t the rain delay’s fault, though. No. 10 was really the only hole where I had a little bit of a hiccup. Everything that could go wrong went wrong on that hole.”
Johnson steadied himself with a birdie on the next hole to tie Grace atop the leaderboard, but now the hopes were raised for several chasers in the pack – primarily Ripper GC Captain Smith, who was reeling off four consecutive birdies at the time. When Smith birdied his final hole for his 61, he had the solo lead at 17 under.
Grace then birdied the 17th to tie Smith at 17 under with one hole to play. Johnson, his playing partner in the final group, was at 16 under. But Johnson then rolled in a clutch birdie putt on the final hole to join the playoff. Meanwhile, Grace sealed the Stinger win with his par putt to finish with a five-under 65 to go with counting rounds from Dean Burmester (64) and Charl Schwartzel (66).
“I actually hit a great first putt that was straight on line,” said Grace. “Just nice finishing it out and then knowing that the team was successful.”
On the playoff hole, all three players saw their approach shots finish in the same general area below the hole. Grace missed his attempt, then Johnson knocked his in. Smith had the closest look but for one of the few times Sunday could not find the bottom of the cup.
“I thought it was pretty good. Just kind of didn’t come back,” Smith said of his attempt. “I holed a lot of putts today. Can’t really be angry at the greens.”
Louis Oosthuizen, Charl Schwartzel and Dean Burmester of Stinger GC spray each other with champagne after winning the LIV Golf Tulsa team championship. (Photo by Ian Maule/Getty Images).
Grace, who had rallied past Johnson to win last year in Portland, said winning the team title helped make up for coming up short in the playoff. “At the end, it was not bittersweet,” Grace said. “But I know I put in a lot of hard work and it’s paid off, and the team really wanted this one.”
As for Johnson, the victory gives him plenty of momentum going into next week’s PGA Championship, the second major of the season.
“Feel like I’m doing everything really well right now,” Johnson said. “I’m really looking forward to next week.”
While Bio Kim came up short in his title defense at last week’s GS Caltex Maekyung Open, finishing tied sixth, he has now set his sights firmly on the 151st Open Championship at Royal Liverpool Golf Club in July – where he will be making his debut in the event, and only his third start in a Major. Story by Olle Nordberg, Asian Tour.
The 32-year-old Korean qualified for golf’s oldest Major by tying for fourth at the World City Championship presented by Hong Kong Golf Club in late March, where he shot a fine five-under-par 65 on the final day, battling stormy weather.
“I’m happy, excited, that’s probably the two words that come to my mind,” said Kim last Sunday at Namseoul Country Club – where he has a phenomenal record in the Maekyung event, including a win in 2012 and countless top 10s.
Bio Kim poses with the Asian Tour Rookie of the Year trophy last year. Picture by Thananuwat Srirasant / Asian Tour
“And you know, I wasn’t really expecting to get inside the top four that week at Hong Kong Golf Club, but fortunately, my putts were going in and we had kind of horrible weather in the final round.
“Luckily, I got it done and I got a ticket to The Open, but you know, I can’t just rely on that. I want to play well at The Open, so I’m getting prepared, and luckily, I’m playing the week before at the Genesis Scottish Open. It’s going to be good preparation for The Open, so we’ll see how it goes.”
Links golf can be very challenging and an acquired taste for players that have not grown up playing that style of golf or are experiencing it for the first time.
But thanks to an exemption into the Genesis Scottish Open last year, Kim has already tried his hand at links golf. He said: “I had a little taste in that event last year about how the links golf course is going to play, but the people from Europe said The Renaissance Club is not quite a 100% links course, so I haven’t really experienced it. I mean, I was surprised how firm the ground was, how imaginative and creative I had to be from tee to green, and especially around the greens you had to be really creative.
“So, it was another good experience that I had last year. I’m probably going to experience a lot of things in those two weeks, but we’ll see how it goes. And you know, I just have to get my putter dialed in.”
Asked if he thought Royal Liverpool and links golf suits his style of play, he added: “You know, I’ve only had one taste of it, so I can’t exactly say I love it. But I really enjoyed it last year, I was actually desperate to go back there again which I am now, and I am so happy that I’m going back.
“Now that I know what to expect, it’s not going to be like a brand-new thing, I’m not going to be surprised. So, you know, I’ll be hitting a lot of low shots and be creative around the greens, and probably have to hit a lot of low draws so that the wind doesn’t really touch the ball as much as with the fades.”
The runner up on the 2022 Asian Tour Order of Merit already has two Majors on his resume, the 2013 U.S. Open and the 2022 PGA Championship, with a tied 45th in the former and missed cut in the later.
Bio with Bae Sangmoon during a practice round prior to the start of the 113th U.S. Open at Merion Golf Club in 2013. Picture by Rob Carr/Getty Images.
Asked about the different between playing in Majors compared with regular Tour events he said: “For sure, I mean, I could kind of see why people like Rory, Tiger and all those guys, big name guys, are so into the Majors. Because of the atmosphere, the tournaments, and the history itself, it’s just you want to put your name on there.
“So, I will try my best to put my name on there, but you know, it’s the first time and you never know how it’s gonna go. But definitely, maybe in the future, I’m going to go for that.”
Kim was also the Asian Tour Rookie of the Year last year, which is surprising considering he has been a professional since 2009, but it was his first full season on the Tour, having successfully negotiated the 2022 Qualifying School.
It’s also surprising this is will be his first appearance in The Open, but as with the Asian Tour he is more than likely make a quick impression, despite the unfamiliar conditions.
Having bounced back from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Sapporo Country Club and The North Country Golf Club are now looking to make the most from their tie-up with Asian Tour Destinations (ATD).
As well as targeting growth in the number of overseas visitors, the two Japanese venues are gearing up to host significant professional tournaments in the coming months.
From June 29 to July 2, The North Country Golf Club will stage the Shigeo Nagashima Invitational Saga Sammy Cup on the Japan Golf Tour Organisation.
Meanwhile, the Makomani Country Club, part of the Sapporo Country Club, will welcome the Japan LPGA Tour for the MinebeaMitsumi Ladies Hokkaido Shimbun Cup from July 6-9.
The North Country Golf Club.
Both clubs believe their association with the ATD will help in increasing their profile around the region and, in turn, attract more international visitors.
“We are pleased to be part of the Asian Tour Destinations network,” said a spokesperson for The North Country Golf Club, whose course was designed by Japan golfing legend Isao Aoki more than three decades ago.
“As well as having more than 700 members we’d like to see more golfers from overseas coming to play our course,” added the spokesperson.
Another element to the appeal of The North Country Golf Club is that during the course closure in the winter months from the end of December to the beginning of March, skiing activities are available.
“Each year we have more than 20,000 visitors during that period with between 60% and 70% from Asia.”
Also in Hokkaido Prefecture is Sapporo Country Club, which boasts a total of 81 holes split between three different locations.
Min-young Lee of Korea celebrates winning the Hokkaido Meiji Cup at Sapporo Country Club, Shimamatsu Course, last year. Picture by Yoshimasa Nakano/Getty Images.
On the outskirts of Sapporo, about 19 kilometres from the city centre, the 36-hole Makomanai Country Club is adjacent to Shikotsu-Toya National Park, while the 27-hole Takino Country Club is a little further away.
Just 10 kilometres from downtown Sapporo, the 18-hole Hitsujigaoka Country Club is the most easily accessible of the three locations.
According to Mr Yamazaki, Sapporo Country Club’s General Manager, joining ATD has been beneficial on a number of fronts.
“Since joining ATD, the degree of interest in our club has gone up among travel agencies, which has resulted in a positive effect on the number of reservations. It’s also made our staff proud and motivated,” he said.
“The Asian Tour Destinations network is made up of wonderful golf courses in various countries. We’re delighted to be a part of that and through our partnership with ATD we look forward to further promoting our club around the region,” he added.
Korean Chanmin Jung completed a shock wire-to-wire victory in the GS Caltex Maekyung Open today, establishing him as one of his country’s stars of the future.
He shot a final round five-under-par 66 for a tournament total of 16 under par and a commanding six-shot victory at Namseoul Country Club, in Seoul.
Korea’s Minhyuk Song, an amateur, and Junghwan Lee tied for second following rounds of 64 and 70 respectively, in an event reduced to 54 holes after Saturday’s third round was cancelled because of poor weather and a waterlogged course.
Their compatriots Jaekyeong Lee (66) and Eunshin Park (67) tied for fourth, one shot back, while defending champion Bio Kim, also from Korea, finished in a tie for sixth, an additional stroke behind, following a 70.
Chanmin Jung. Picture courtesy of the GS Caltex Maekyung Open committee.
Until this week, Jung was best known as one of the biggest hitters in Korea – he topped the driving distance stats on the Korean PGA Tour last year – and had only finished in the top 10 twice in domestic events since turning professional three years ago.
That all changed this week with an inspired and unexpected victory, that has helped him live up to his nickname the ‘Korean Hulk’.
He led after the opening day with a 63 and had a two-shot advantage after his second round 68, which he started today’s round with after yesterday was washed out.
A brilliant front nine of five-under-par 31, with an eagle – the result of holing his bunker shot on the par-five fourth – and three birdies, put him six ahead at the turn, before he stylishly closed out the event with nine straight pars on the second half.
“I won a big tournament wire to wire, so I feel good,” said the 23 year old, who won US$222,222.
“I sensed the victory with an eagle on the fourth hole. After that, I felt at ease. I used my driver on nine holes today, I used it often because I was confident.
“My putting has changed a lot, I had a lot of worries before, but it’s solved, the anxiety is gone.”
Chanmin Jung. Picture courtesy of the GS Caltex Maekyung Open committee.
Said Song, also the low amateur here last year: “I played very well today; both my putting and shots were so good that I quickly forgot any disappointment after I made a mistake.
“As an amateur I’m thrilled to finish in second place. Last year I was tied for the lead after two rounds, but it’s great to finish second in the final round.”
He said he plans to turn professional this year and is hoping to play in the Asian Tour Qualifying School soon.
Junghwan Lee was equally content with his week, and conscious that the runaway winner was just too good.
He said: “I missed getting the trophy, but Chanmin Jung played very good golf! Personally, I’m satisfied, I consistently made birdies this week. My game is very good now, I wonder if my shots have ever been this good after I spent the winter training in Thailand.”
The next event on the Asian Tour will also be staged in the Land of Morning Calm, with the Kolon Korea Open to be played at Woo Jeong Hills Country Club, from June 22-25.
The GS Caltex Maekyung Open has been reduced to 54 holes after today’s third round was washed out early on following another rainy day at Namseoul Country Club, located in south-east Seoul.
The third and now final round will re-start tomorrow at 7.50am local time.
Only a handful of groups teed off this morning when play eventually started at 11.30am local time, before the round was cancelled just 40 minutes later.
Said Chokchai Boonprasert, Tournament Director, Asian Tour: “Because we have had rain since last night, the bunkers and the fairways are full of water, so after discussing the situation with the Korean Golf Association we decided the course is unplayable. We will start round three on Sunday and we will complete the tournament in 54 holes.”
Chanmin Jung. Picture courtesy of GS Caltex Maekyung Open committee.
Unheralded Korean Chanmin Jung currently leads the tournament after two rounds. He is 11 under, two ahead of Korea’s Junghwan Lee and four ahead of his compatriots Yubin Jang, an amateur, Taeyang Jung, and Bio Kim – the defending champion.
This is only the second time in its history that the event – first played in 1982 – has been reduced to three rounds. The other occasion was in 1998 when Hong Kong’s Scott Rowe triumphed at Lakeview.
Just six weeks ago Hong Kong’s Taichi Kho, who surprisingly missed the cut this week, won the World City Championship at the Hong Kong Golf Club after the tournament was reduced to 54 holes due to inclement weather.
Korean Chanmin Jung said yesterday his aim was to win this week at the GS Caltex Maekyung Open after taking the first-round lead with an eight-under-par 63.
Today, he showed he has every intention of doing just that after recovering from double bogey on the first hole to card a 68 to keep the lead – on a gloomy and rainy day at Namseoul Country Club, on the south-east side Seoul.
He’s 11 under for the Asian Tour event, two ahead of Korea’s Junghwan Lee, who carded a 66, and four ahead of his compatriots Yubin Jang (64), an amateur, Taeyang Jung (65), and Bio Kim (68), the defending champion and expert navigator of Namseoul.
Unheralded Chanmin Jung, aged 23, has only been a professional for three years and in that time has recorded two top 10s on the Korean PGA Tour.
However, his unrivalled power off the tee – he was ranked first in driving distance in Korea last year and is known as the ‘Korean Hulk’, also because he is a big unit – has made him a potential star of the future and he is starting to show that this week.
Junghwan Lee. Picture courtesy of the GS Caltex Maekyung Open committee.
He dropped one more shot after his poor opening hole but made six birdies, including on the infamous par-four 18th, where the tee shot is tight, and the green requires maximum concentration.
Said the Korean: “I hooked my tee shot badly to the left on the first hole, so I started with a double bogey and tried to settle my mind. Fortunately, I had birdies on the fourth and seventh hole and it led to a good result.
“The secret to finishing three under par today was not to use the driver as much as possible; I hit fairway woods and irons off the tee, when I could. I’m trying to play smart golf now, not only hit the ball a long distance.
“I’m looking forward to seeing the gallery on the weekend; I actually like to get the attention and I’ll have a good time with the golf fans on the weekend. My strategy this weekend is to persevere and wait for an opportunity.”
Bio Kim (right). Picture courtesy of the GS Caltex Maekyung Open committee.
Lee’s round was very much a tale of two halves: he began on the 10th and went out in one over, but toured the next nine in six under, thanks to six birdies in his last seven.
“The beginning didn’t go well,” he said.
“But I was able to relax later and get the putter going.”
The prospect of more bad weather at the weekend does not concern him.
He added: “It’s not just one person who’s struggling, it’s hard for every player. I think I can play calmly without losing my concentration. I like difficult conditions more than easy ones. I’m not used to it, but I just like it. I think it’s good to be in the lead under those conditions.”
Bio Kim, despite not being at his best this season, is once again in contention here in an event he also won in 2012 and has been close to winning on many other occasions – including in 2007 when, in his in debut on the Asian Tour, he tied for fourth as an amateur.
“You know it is a good result and I did shoot a good number,” said the 32 year old, who finished second on last year’s Asian Tour Order of Merit.
“However, I was playing very well going into number four, which is my 13th hole, but from there I was just missing all my good opportunities. I just really couldn’t get something going on my back nine, but I finished with a birdie on the last, so hopefully that good momentum still going for the weekend.”
Yubin Jang. Picture courtesy of the GS Caltex Maekyung Open committee.
Unlike Lee, he is not looking forward to the bad weather.
He said: “I’m not very comfortable, you know, because it’s already a tough golf course. And wind, chilly conditions and rain doesn’t really help the players, but you know, it is what it is and just got to get through it. Hopefully, I stay warm and drain some putts.”
Jang, winner of five amateur events including last year’s World University Golf Championships in Italy, impressively made nine birdies today for the joint lowest round of the day, with Australian Kevin Yuan.
“This is my third GS Caltex Maekyung Open appearance, and I’m glad I did well,” said the amateur star.
“I started well in 2021, but I collapsed in the third and final rounds. I want to show a different side of me this time.”
Chanmin Jung, a strapping big hitter appropriately known as the “Korean Hulk”, came close to matching the 22-year-old course record at Namseoul Country Club in the GS Caltex Maekyung Open today after taking the lead with a stunning eight-under-par 63.
The eye-catching performance gave him the first-round lead in the Asian Tour’s first visit of the year to Korea and was just two shy of the record set by Chinese-Taipei’s Chung Chun-hsing in 2001.
His countryman Kyongjun Moon, the winner here in 2015, ended the day in second after a 65 while Argentina’s Miguel Carballo also made relatively light work of the famous Namseoul track shooting a 66.
Defending champion Bio Kim from Korea was in a group of seven players tied for fourth after 67s.
Jung, just 23 years old and playing in what is one the nation’s most prestigious events for the first time as a professional, finished in a blaze of glory by eagling the par-five ninth, having started his round on 10. He hit a seven iron over 200 yards to seven feet to make a three, having earlier carded seven birdies and a bogey.
Kyongjun Moon. Picture courtesy of the GS Caltex Maekyung Open committee.
“It’s a good day! It ended unexpectedly well, I am surprised,” said the Korean, a professional for three years, having been part of Korea’s national amateur team.
“The green speed certainly wasn’t slow, I was nervous over the putts and had to be careful. Fortunately, the putter and shot making were working well today.”
He is looking for his first good result on Tour.
He added: “The goal is to win. When I was an amateur, I felt that it was more about how you played and not just the result. After turning professional, I learned it is more about the result.”
Moon birdied four of the last five holes to make a fine start to an event that means so much to him.
Said Moon: “I have amazing memories of my win here in 2015, and always enjoy coming back to Namseoul. It was nice to finish well.”
Veteran Carballo, aged 44, is relishing being among the frontrunners, having missed five out of eight cuts this season, although he played well in the International Series Qatar in February when he tied for eighth.
“I played solid, very, very good today. The putter was working on the back nine. I hit it close all day, so just had short putts,” said the Argentinian, who is no stranger to success on the Asian Tour having won the Indonesian Open in 2019, the year he also claimed the second of his Asian Development Tour titles.
Miguel Carballo. Picture courtesy of the GS Caltex Maekyung Open committee.
“It’s my first time here. It’s a long course for walking. You have to find the fairway with your driver here, it’s the most important thing. And the greens are difficult, they are fast,” he added.
He made five birdies and impressively was bogey free.
When Bio Kim tees it up at the GS Caltex Maekyung Open Golf Championship at Namseoul Country Club tomorrow he will be doing so at a course where he’s had so much success throughout his career: he won the event last year, and in 2012, while he also claimed the prestigious Korean Amateur Golf Championship here in 2008.
Remarkably, he also tied for fourth in 2007 – when he made his debut on the Asian Tour as a teenager – and was equal third the following season, on both occasions as an amateur.
“It’s good, I mean it’s always nice to be defending champion, so hopefully I can defend the title”, said the 32-year-old Korean, who conveniently lives not far from the course, located in Seoul.
“It felt great [last year], I just have a lot of good memories at the Namseoul golf course. I’ve had two wins at the Maekyung, and I’ve won the Korean Amateur Championship here when I was 18 years old. So, I do have some good memories, but it’s a tough golf course!”.
Bio Kim, fourth from left, at today’s photo shoot. Picture courtesy of Korea Golf Association.
To the surprise of many Kim has not won since lifting the trophy here last year. That victory was supposed to be a catalyst for more success during what was his first full season playing on the Asian Tour. He eventually finished second on the Tour’s Order of Merit and was the Rookie of the Year, but he only came close to winning again at the International Series Korea, where he was runner up.
Coming into last year’s event he was playing some of the best golf of his career and had notched seven top-10 finishes. However, this time around he just has the one: a tied-fourth finish at the recent World City Championship presented by Hong Kong Golf Club, which was a giant result as it earned him a place in this year’s Open Championship at Royal Liverpool Golf Club in July, as the tournament was part of the Open Qualifying Series. It will mark the first time he has played in The Open and will be only his third appearance in a Major.
With that on the horizon and a strong desire to improve on his current Order of Merit position, which is 26th, he is hoping to get back on track this season by reviving the memories of his magical Maekyung win a year ago.
Says Kim: “I felt confident that week. I had some success over the last few years on this course, and then heading toward the tournament, especially last year, I was going into it in pretty good form. I was having a lot of top 10s going into that week, so I was looking forward to it. I didn’t know I was going to actually win, but you know, I like that golf course, so I had some good positive vibes.”
The Namseoul layout is known on Tour as a stern test because of the demanding greens and elevation changes, add windy conditions and difficult pin positions on the weekend, and the mere idea of winning a tournament here is inconceivable to many.
Bio (left) with Taichi Kho, Travis Smyth and Michael Hendry after they secured berths in The Open at the World City Championship presented by the Hong Kong Golf Club in March. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
Having started the final round four shots ahead of the chasing pack, Kim arrived at the 72nd hole with a two-shot advantage. He says: “The tough par-four 18th, I was two shots ahead and my driver went right into the woods and my contender was in the fairway. I thought that he was gonna make a birdie, and then somehow, I had to imagine myself making par or at the worst-case bogey. I did that [made a bogey], and that was probably one of the hardest shots to hit out of the woods, that was probably the shot of the day.”
He ended up defeating compatriot Mingyu Cho by two shots.
Asked about his key to winning at Namseoul, Kim says: “To be honest, I don’t know. Just that us Korean golfers grew up on this golf course, we play Korean amateur events here and play several rounds on the Namseoul golf course, so I think that helps. And you know, it’s a tough golf course, you have to be dialed in with everything, you need to putt well, irons and putting and everything. So yeah, I mean hopefully I can keep doing what I’ve been doing at Namseoul. I just have to put myself in good positions and I’ll be pretty aggressive off the tee, but you know, we’ll see how it goes.”
He has been paired in the first two rounds with Thailand’s Sadom Kaewkanjana and one of the country’s amateur stars Wooyoung Cho.
It’s the first trip of the year to Korea for the Asian Tour, with two more to come later in the year, the Korea Open and the Shinhan Donghae Open.
Total prizemoney this week is KRW1,300,000,000 (approximately US$970,700).
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