[Golf Topic] 'AT&T Champ' Lee Kyung-hoon "Jumped to World Ranking 59th at Once~"

Lee Kyung-hoon is holding the trophy and posing for a commemorative photo immediately after winning the AT&T Byron Nelson. McKinney, Texas, USA = Getty Images / Multibits Photo by Multibits

[Asia Economy Kim Hyun-jun, Golf Specialist Reporter] ○..."137th → 59th."

‘AT&T Byron Nelson Champ’ Lee Kyung-hoon (30ㆍCJ Logistics) soared 78 spots in the world rankings. He received 2.03 points in the weekly official golf world rankings announced on the afternoon of the 17th (Korean time). He accumulated points by winning the AT&T Byron Nelson (total prize money $8.1 million) held at Craig Ranch Golf Club (par 72ㆍ7,468 yards) in McKinney, Texas, USA, which ended that morning. After finishing 5th in the 2018 Korn Ferry (2nd tier) Tour, he advanced to the 2019 PGA Tour and became a champion in exactly 80 events.

Lee Kyung-hoon secured not only a two-year tour card but also the winner's prize money of $1,458,000 (?1.65 billion) and a spot in the 103rd PGA Championship, a major tournament opening on the night of the 20th. He is the third Korean player to do so, following Im Sung-jae (22, 23rd) and Kim Si-woo (26, CJ Logistics, 50th). The competition for Korean men's golf tickets to the Tokyo Olympics this coming July has also intensified, as only two players per country can participate based on the June 21 rankings.

The ‘Top 3’ remain Dustin Johnson and Justin Thomas (both USA), and Jon Rahm (Spain). Xander Schauffele rose to 4th place, while ‘Hulk’ Bryson DeChambeau dropped to 5th. Collin Morikawa (USA) is 6th, and Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland), who won the Wells Fargo Championship on the 10th, is 7th. Sam Burns, runner-up at the AT&T Byron Nelson, is 36th. The ‘Returned Golf Emperor’ Tiger Woods (USA) is 103rd, falling out of the ‘Top 100.’