[Adieu 2020] 'Johnson's Reign', 'DeChambeau Long Drive Craze', 'Kim Arim Major Queen'

Top 10 Global Golf News This Year: "No Gallery" Due to COVID-19 Impact, Im Sungjae's First Win, Woods' Record PGA Tour Wins Fail

This year, the global golf community faced difficulties due to the impact of COVID-19, with the Masters, originally scheduled for April, postponed to November.

[Asia Economy Golf Specialist Reporter Kim Hyun-jun, Reporter Noh Woo-rae] "COVID-19 Pandemic."

The biggest issue in the global golf world this year is the outbreak of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19). The PGA Tour in the United States suffered a critical blow when it was 'shut down' in March. Fortunately, it resumed in July, and world No. 1 Dustin Johnson (USA) swept 4 wins, opening the era of 'Johnson's reign.' In Korea, Im Sung-jae (22, CJ Logistics) rose to the ranks of PGA Tour champions by winning the Honda Classic, and Kim A-lim (25) caused a sensation with a surprise victory at the US Women's Open.

▲ Direct hit from 'COVID-19' "No gallery" = The PGA Tour was suspended immediately after the first round of The Players Championship, known as the 'fifth major,' due to the spread of COVID-19 in the US, then resumed from the Charles Schwab Challenge in June, holding 'no-spectator events.' The impact was significant with the cancellation of The Open in July, the Olympics in August, and the Ryder Cup, the intercontinental golf competition between the US and Europe, in September. The European Tour, as well as Korea and Japan, also faced difficulties with a significant reduction in scale.

World No. 1 Dustin Johnson opened the "Johnson era" by sweeping four wins this year, including the Masters victory.

▲ Johnson's reign "15 million dollar jackpot" = Johnson maintained an upward trend throughout the year with 3 wins in the 2020 season and 1 win in the 2021 season. It is remarkable that he achieved 'win - runner-up - win' in the three playoff (PO) tournaments from August to September. He became the final PO champion and secured a '15 million dollar (1.645 billion KRW) bonus.' Last month, at the autumn Masters, he showcased his 'Number 1 power' to the world with the tournament's lowest score (20 under par, 268 strokes) victory.

▲ Im Sung-jae "First win, next is a major" = Im Sung-jae revealed his potential by winning the Honda Classic by one stroke. It was exactly his 50th PGA Tour event since joining last year. With a 22nd place at the US Open in September and runner-up at the Masters in November, expectations for next year’s major championship competition are rising. Recently, he purchased a house inside Sugarloaf Golf Club near Duluth, Atlanta, Georgia, and has embarked on a full-scale conquest of the PGA Tour.

Non-member Kim Arim won the US Women's Open in her first appearance, instantly rising to the status of 'Major Queen' and causing a sensation.

▲ KLPGA Tour member Kim A-lim "Instant world star" = Kim A-lim made big news by winning the US Women's Open on the LPGA Tour on the 15th. She became the third Korean player to win as a non-member and the fifth in history to win on her first appearance. She secured a 'direct ticket to the LPGA Tour' and will challenge the US stage immediately next year. She confidently declared, "It is a stage I have dreamed of for a long time" and "an opportunity for my golf to develop."

▲ 'Hulk' DeChambeau "Long drive experiment ongoing" = Bryson DeChambeau (USA)'s 'bulk up' is another exciting card. He increased his weight by 18 kg to become a 110 kg giant, leading him to top the long drive rankings on the PGA Tour for the 2019/2020 season (322.1 yards) and the 2020/2021 season (337.8 yards). He reaped the benefits of 'long drive effect' by winning the US Open by 6 strokes (6 under par, 274 strokes). He is currently testing a '48-inch long shaft driver.'

Tiger Woods participated in only 10 tournaments due to COVID-19, ending his challenge for the PGA Tour record of 83 wins.

▲ Woods "PGA Tour most wins record missed" = 'The returned golf emperor' Tiger Woods (USA) played only 10 tournaments due to the impact of COVID-19. He succeeded in his comeback by winning the Masters in April last year and tying Sam Snead's PGA Tour record for most wins (82 wins in total) at the Zozo Championship in October, but this year he entered the 'top 10' only once. On the 21st, he participated in the PNC Championship event with his 11-year-old son Charlie, focusing on 'second-generation training.'

▲ Ko Jin-young and Kim Sei-young "Double haul of money queen and player of the year" = Ko Jin-young (25) won the CME Group Tour Championship, the final event of the 2020 LPGA Tour season, securing her 'second consecutive money queen' title, while Kim Sei-young (27, Mirae Asset) won twice including a major, earning her first-ever 'Player of the Year' award. The 'K-power' remains strong. Park Hee-young (33) won the ISPS Handa Vic Open, Park In-bee (32, KB Financial Group) the Australian Women's Open, and Lee Mi-rim (30, NH Investment & Securities) the ANA Inspiration, combining for 7 wins out of 18 events.

▲ Kim Tae-hoon "Grand prize, European Tour entry" = Kim Tae-hoon's victory at the Genesis Championship in October, the largest prize money event in Korea, directly led to him ranking first for the grand prize. He gave up his spot at the CJ Cup late in the season to focus 'all-in' on the Korean Tour. He received an enormous haul including a 50 million KRW bonus, a Genesis car, and a European Tour card for next year. He cheered, "Due to COVID-19, international travel is difficult, so I will focus on the domestic stage for now."

Kim Hyo-joo achieved the remarkable feat of becoming a five-time champion by focusing on the domestic stage instead of the United States.

▲ Kim Hyo-joo "Sweeping 5 crowns on the KLPGA Tour" = LPGA Tour member Kim Hyo-joo (25, Lotte) has emerged as a 'box office icon' domestically instead of in the US. She won the Lotte Cantata Ladies Open in June, her first victory in 3 years and 6 months since the Hyundai China Ladies Open in December 2016, and added an '8-stroke victory' at the KB Financial Star Championship in October. She settled as a '5-crown winner' with 2 wins, money title, lowest scoring average, popularity award, and best player trophy.

▲ Golf industry "COVID-19 special boom" = The golf industry seems to be benefiting from COVID-19 as a driving force for prosperity. The golf population is rapidly increasing while overseas golf tours are impossible. With a 20% increase in visitors, many golf courses that used to close during the severe cold season are operating without breaks this winter. It is forecasted that "the golf membership market will show a steep upward graph while the golf equipment market will also grow in scale," a rare phenomenon.