Ham Jung-woo Leads by 4 Shots with "7-Under Surge"... What About Kim Joo-hyung?

Korean Tour 2021 Season Opening DB Insurance Promy Open Day 2: Moon Kyung-jun and 3 Others Tied for 2nd in 'Chase'

Ham Jung-woo is examining the putting line on the 11th hole during the second day of the DB Insurance Promy Open. Photo by KPGA

[Asia Economy Golf Specialist Reporter Kim Hyun-jun] "7-under par storm shots."

Ham Jeong-woo (27, Hana Financial Group) surged to a 7-under par on the second day of the DB Insurance Pro-Am Open (total prize money 700 million KRW), the opening event of the 2021 Korean Professional Golf Association (KPGA) season, held on the Oak and Maple courses (par 72, 7,147 yards) at Oak Valley Golf Club in Wonju, Gangwon Province on the 15th, jumping to a 4-stroke lead with a total of 11-under par 133. Moon Kyung-jun (39, NH Nonghyup Bank), Moon Do-yeop (30, DB Insurance), Choi Min-cheol (33), and Bang Doo-hwan (34) are chasing in a tie for second place at 7-under par 137.

Ham Jeong-woo won the SK Telecom Open in May 2019. Turning professional in 2016, after various trials and errors including failing the Korean Tour Qualifying (Q) School and the Japan Golf Tour Organization (JGTO), he earned Rookie of the Year in 2018 and finally joined the ranks of champions with his 2019 SK Telecom Open victory. It is rather surprising that he has not won since then. Last year, he competed in 10 tournaments but only managed four top-10 finishes, including second place at the KPGA Championship, which was frustrating.

He scored 4-under par on the first day and swept up 8 birdies (1 bogey) on the second day. Starting at the 10th hole (par 4), he opened the scoring with consecutive birdies on the 11th and 12th holes, then accelerated with four consecutive birdies from the 1st to the 4th holes on the back nine. Although the birdie on the 6th hole (par 4) was offset by a bogey on the 7th hole (par 3), he finished strong with a birdie on the final 9th hole (par 4). Ham Jeong-woo also expressed confidence, saying, "My putting had been lacking, but the change of putter during the SK Telecom Open victory has shown its effect."

First-day leader Lee Se-jin (20) fell back to a tie for 7th place (4-under par 140) after a 2-over par slump. Kim Joo-hyung (19, CJ Logistics), the youngest champion in Korea Tour history, joined this group with an even-par round, and Lee Tae-hee (37) is tied for 15th place (2-under par 142). Kim Tae-hoon (36, Bizplay), last year's double crown winner of the Order of Merit and prize money title, is tied for 24th place (1-under par 143). The 2019 champion Lee Tae-hoon (Canada) is tied for 53rd place (2-over par 146), making title defense difficult.