KPGA Gunsan CC Open First Day Co-Leaders, Moon Doyeop Tied 13th at 2 Under Par, Defending Champion Kim Juhyung Struggles at Even Par 40th
Kim Woo-hyun is teeing off at the 8th hole on the first day of the KPGA Gunsan CC Open. Photo by KPGA
[Asia Economy Golf Specialist Reporter Kim Hyun-jun] Kim Woo-hyun (30, Biner) made an early surge.
On the 29th, at Gunsan Golf Club in Jeonbuk (par 71, 7,124 yards), the opening day of the KPGA Gunsan CC Open (total prize money 500 million KRW) saw him shoot 6 under par, tying for the lead with Hyun Jung-hyup (38) and Kim Dong-min (23). Park Sang-hyun (38, Dong-A Pharmaceutical) and Ma Guan-woo (31) are chasing from a one-stroke behind, tied for 4th place (5 under par, 66 strokes). Moon Do-yeop (30, DB Insurance), the DB Insurance Pro-Am Open champion, is positioned tied for 13th (2 under par, 69 strokes).
Kim Woo-hyun was a national team member for two years starting in 2007, joined the Korean Tour in 2012, and has achieved a total of three wins including the 2014 Happiness Songhak Construction Open, Boseong CC Classic, and the 2017 Kaido Dream Open. Notably, two of his three wins came through playoffs, earning him the nickname "Man with a Strong Heart." On this day, he collected seven birdies (one bogey), creating an opportunity to claim a victory trophy for the first time in four years. He added confidence by saying, "The greens were soft, making it good to play."
While Moon Do-yeop is challenging for a "second consecutive win at the opening," defending champion Kim Joo-hyung (19, CJ Logistics) fell back to tied 40th place at even par (71 strokes), making title defense difficult. His iron shots wavered, erasing two front-nine birdies with two back-nine bogeys. Attention should be paid to the fact that this is the "winning turf" where he became the youngest KPGA champion last year. Kim Tae-hoon (36, Bizplay), the 2020 season money leader, and "Number 2" Kim Han-byeol (25, SK Telecom) are tied for 29th place (1 under par, 70 strokes) respectively.
The "Korean Express" Park Chan-ho (48) appeared as a recommended player and experienced the harsh realities of the professional stage. He recorded one birdie, eight bogeys, one double bogey, and one triple bogey. On the 14th hole in the back nine (par 4), he made a triple bogey after a tee shot went out of bounds (OB), and on the 16th hole (par 4), his tee shot landed in the water, resulting in a double bogey, a critical blow. He added, "Tomorrow, I will aim for a score within 10 over par with two birdies."
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