Kang Kyung-nam "4-Under Par Start"..."Got the Putting Feel~"

Korean Tour Major KPGA Championship Day 1: Lee Yoo-ho and Maeng Dong-seop at 3 Under Par, Yang Yong-eun at 2 Under Par

Kang Kyung-nam is looking at the ball right after the tee shot on the 10th hole on the first day of the KPGA Championship. Photo by KPGA

[Asia Economy Golf Specialist Reporter Kim Hyun-jun] Veteran Kang Kyung-nam (37) is in 'revival mode.'

On the 6th, at A-One Golf Course in Yangsan, Gyeongnam (par 70, 6,950 yards), Kang surged with a 4-under par on the first day of the KPGA Championship, the first major of the 2020 Korean Professional Golf Association (KPGA) season (total prize money 1 billion won), immediately taking the top spot on the leaderboard. Rookie Lee Yoo-ho (26) and Maeng Dong-seop (33) are tied for second place at 3-under par 67, just one stroke behind, while as many as 11 players including Yang Yong-eun (48) are fiercely competing for the win, tied for fourth place at 2-under par 68, two strokes behind.

Kang Kyung-nam recorded six birdies and two bogeys. Although he started shakily with a bogey on the 6th hole (par 3), he changed the momentum with consecutive birdies on the 7th and 8th holes. After a bogey on the 11th hole (par 4) in the back nine, he rode a wave of momentum with three consecutive birdies from the 12th to 14th holes, and finished on a high note by sinking a challenging 6.2-yard birdie putt on the final 18th hole (par 4). Despite missing the green 10 times, his 26 'stingy putting' proved powerful.

Kang Kyung-nam is a seasoned player with a total of 10 wins on the Korean Tour. He has been frustrated without a win for over three years since the Kaido Open in July 2017. He suffered from a palm injury and eventually underwent surgery last December to remove ligaments and muscles just below the left middle finger. The problem was losing his putting touch. "I recently got some tips during a round with an acquaintance," he said, adding confidently, "Today, I really benefited from my putting."

Among the leaders, Moon Kyung-jun (37, Husem) is tied for 15th at 1-under par, and 'fisherman swing' Choi Ho-sung (47) is tied for 23rd at even par, looking for an opportunity. Defending champion Lee Won-jun (Australia) is struggling, tied for 71st at 3-over par. 'KPGA Open Champion' Lee Soo-min (27) also remained tied for 90th at 4-over par. He managed only two birdies but suffered four bogeys and a double bogey on the 5th hole (par 4), a critical blow. He had three-putts from just 2.2 yards.

It is interesting that Kim Min-gyu (19, CJ Logistics) fell to a tie for 126th at 7-over par. After playing on the European Tour, he returned home due to the COVID-19 pandemic and caused a stir by finishing runner-up consecutively at the Gunsan CC Open and KPGA Open. However, his tee shots faltered, resulting in a noisy scorecard with one birdie, four bogeys, and two double bogeys. His 'runner-up revenge' became difficult.