'Rising Star' Lee Kyung-hoon "The Story We Didn't Know"

Gaining Attention After Phoenix Open Runner-Up, Former Shot Putter, Aspiring Singer, Life Goal: "Number 1 and Sexy Golfer"

'Phoenix Open runner-up' Lee Kyoung-hoon is gaining attention as a rising star on the PGA Tour.

[Asia Economy Reporter No Woo-rae] "Finally revealed."

Recently, Lee Kyung-hoon (30, CJ Logistics) has been in the spotlight. His runner-up finish at the Phoenix Open, which ended on the 8th, was the starting point. The PGA Tour praised him, saying, "He finished 2nd, just one stroke behind Brooks Koepka (USA)," and added, "He has stepped out of the shadows of already successful teammates such as Im Sung-jae (23), Kim Si-woo (26), An Byeong-hoon (30), and Kang Sung-hoon (34, all CJ Logistics)."

He picked up a golf club at age 13 to lose weight. At that time, he was a large man weighing over 200 pounds (90.72 kg). Lee Kyung-hoon explained, "At 16, I weighed up to 212 pounds (96.16 kg)," and "Now I weigh 175 pounds (79.38 kg)." After his first full swing sent the ball 250 yards, he became deeply passionate about golf. He recalled, "I thought it was cool to see the ball fly far." During his school days, he was a shot put athlete and even won a silver medal at a regional competition.

He enjoys going to karaoke. "I met the singer Psy at a concert and often sing 'Gangnam Style,'" he said proudly, adding, "If I weren't a golfer, I would have become a singer." He has a sense of humor. "My life goal is to be 'Number 1' and the sexiest golfer," he said. After seeing Koepka's stamina and strength, he hired a trainer in June 2019. It is interesting that he competed for the championship with Koepka at this year's Phoenix Open.

He often dreams of winning on the PGA Tour. To achieve that goal, he has trained 12 to 15 hours a day at times. Since his regular tour debut in 2019, he has qualified twice for the FedEx Cup Playoffs (PO). He has finished in the top 10 four times and in the top 25 eleven times, earning a total prize money of $2.6 million (2.87 billion KRW). He honed his skills through junior golf tournaments held in Seoul. Every year in April to May, he hosts a junior tournament named after himself.

This season, his performance around the greens is good. His Strokes Gained Around the Green ranking is 27th. Although he has no wins in the U.S., he has two victories on the Japan Golf Tour Organization (JGTO) and achieved back-to-back wins at the Korean Open in 2015 and 2016. His amateur career is also impressive. At the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou, China, he collaborated with Kim Min-hwi (29), Lee Jae-hyuk (27), and Park Il-hwan (29) to win the team event.