Hwang Jung-gon Leads by 3 Shots "Victory in Sight After 5 Years"... Kwon Oh-sang in 2nd Place 'Chasing Battle'

Korean Tour Asiad CC Busan Open Day 3: 6-Under Par Surge, '2-Time Champ' Kim Bi-o Tied 7th

Hwang Jung-gon is examining the putting line on the 9th hole on the third day of the Asia CC Busan Open. Photo by KPGA

[Asia Economy Kim Hyun-jun, Golf Specialist Reporter] "3 under par → 4 under par → 6 under par."

Hwang Jung-gon (30) has accelerated his march to victory. On the third day of the KPGA Asiad CC Busan Open (total prize money 800 million KRW) held at Busan Asiad Golf Course (par 71, 7,056 yards) on the 2nd, he shot 6 under par to take a 3-stroke lead (13 under par, 200 strokes). Starting as the 1-stroke leader, he swept up 6 birdies with his 'needle-like iron shots.' This is a golden opportunity for him to claim the top spot for the first time in five years since the 2017 Korean Tour major KPGA Championship.

Hwang Jung-gon has won twice on the domestic stage, including the Maeil Dairies Open in August 2014, while moving between Korea and Japan. He also claimed four victories on the Japan Golf Tour Organization (JGTO), including the Mizuno Open in 2011, the Casio World Open in 2012 and 2015, and the Mynavi ABC Championship in 2019. After enlisting following the 2019 season, he was discharged in November last year and has qualified for the main event in all eight tournaments this year, showing great momentum. His second place at the KPGA Championship on the 12th of last month remains a regret.

"Even while serving as a public service worker for 21 months, I made sure to go to the golf course on weekends to play rounds," said Hwang Jung-gon, adding, "It helped me maintain my real-shot sense more than practicing on artificial mats." He also said, "Right after discharge, I moved to California, USA, and endured seven weeks of hellish training," showing his fighting spirit. "I focused on defense in the early part of today's game, which ironically caused difficulties," he said, adding, "I will play aggressively until the end."

Kwon Oh-sang (27) shot an 8 under par daily best to quickly rise to a tie for 2nd place (10 under par, 203 strokes), and Lee Tae-hee (38) joined this group. Lee Sang-yeop (28) is in 4th place (8 under par, 205 strokes), and two-time champion Kim Bi-o (32, Hoban Construction) is tied for 7th place (6 under par, 207 strokes). The two-win champion Kim Min-gyu (21, CJ Logistics) saw his bid for a second consecutive victory halted at a tie for 23rd place (3 under par, 210 strokes). Hwang Doo-hyun (26) made a hole-in-one on the 6th hole (par 3, 175 yards) and won a 30 million KRW bed set.