Lee Kyung-hoon "Starts with 2 Under Par"... Stanley Leads with 8 Under Par

Puerto Rico Open Day 1 Tied 31st, Grillo at 6 Under Par, Bae Sang-moon Struggles at 2 Over Par 93rd

[Asia Economy Reporter No Woo-rae] Lee Kyung-hoon (29, CJ Logistics, photo) had a steady start.

On the 21st (Korean time), at the Puerto Rico Open (total prize money $3 million) held at the Rio Grande Cocobichi Golf Club (par 72, 7,506 yards) in Puerto Rico, Lee shot 2 under par on the first day and stood tied for 31st place. Kyle Stanley (USA) leads with 8 under par. While world stars participated in the World Golf Championships (WGC) Series Mexico Championship (total prize money $10.25 million) during the same period, this stage offers a relatively easier competition for the win. Although the prize money is smaller, the rewards such as a two-year tour card are the same.

Lee Kyung-hoon recorded five birdies and three bogeys. He started brightly with a birdie on the 2nd hole (par 5), but lost one stroke in the front nine due to consecutive bogeys on the 3rd and 4th holes. However, in the back nine, he showed resilience by making 'two pairs of consecutive birdies' on the 10th-11th and 15th-16th holes. It was unfortunate that he made a bogey on the final 18th hole (par 5). He relied on accuracy with a fairway hit rate of 78.56% and a greens in regulation rate of 83.33%. His average putts per hole were 1.73.

He is three strokes behind the tied 8th place, a position that allows for a strong push into the upper ranks. Lee Kyung-hoon was the gold medalist in the team event at the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games. He moved to Japan and secured two wins at the 2012 Nagashima Shigeo and 2015 Honma Tour World Cup, and achieved back-to-back victories at the Korean Open in 2015 and 2016. In 2018, he secured his PGA Tour card by finishing 5th on the Korn Ferry Tour (second-tier) money list. Last year, he maintained his tour card thanks to a tied 3rd place finish at the Zurich Classic.

This season, he has played in 13 tournaments, ranking 84th on the money list ($529,689), including a tied 5th place at the RSM Classic. Last week, he performed well with a tied 13th place at the Genesis Invitational. Stanley swept the leaderboard with nine birdies (one bogey). He is a two-time champion. Emiliano Grillo (Argentina), Peter Uihlein (USA), and four others are chasing at 6 under par, tied for 2nd place. Bae Sang-moon (34) and defending champion Martin Trainer (USA) are tied for 93rd at 2 over par.