Seo Yoseop's 'Three Rabbits'... "Title Defense, 3 Wins, Prize Money King"

Korean Tour Hana Bank Invitational Opens on 21st, Park Sang-hyun in '3-Win Race', Ham Jeong-woo Aims for "Sponsor Stage Victory"

Seo Yoseop has stepped up to defend his title at the Korean Tour Hana Bank Invitational.

[Asia Economy Kim Hyun-jun, Golf Specialist Reporter] "Title defense, 3 wins, and prize money king."

Seo Yo-seop (25, DB Insurance) is on a hunt for ‘three rabbits.’ This is at the Korean Professional Golfers' Association (KPGA) Korean Tour Hana Bank Invitational (total prize money 1 billion KRW), opening on the 21st at Bears Best Cheongna Golf Club in Incheon (par 71, 7,208 yards). This tournament is especially known as the ‘Promised Land’ where he claimed the top spot in 2019. The event was canceled last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and he is now challenging for a ‘second consecutive win.’ ‘Order of Merit leader’ Park Sang-hyun (38, Dong-A Pharmaceutical) is competing for individual titles.

Seo Yo-seop became a major champion by winning the KPGA Championship last August and swept up to the Shinhan Donghae Open in September. Currently, he ranks 2nd in prize money (528 million KRW) and 6th in the Order of Merit (3,250.08 points), with 3 wins this season and a chance to claim 1st place in prize money with the 200 million KRW winner’s purse. It is welcome news that ‘Number 1’ Kim Joo-hyung (19, CJ Logistics, 635 million KRW) is staying in the United States. Bears Best is also the battleground of the Shinhan Donghae Open. Seo raised expectations by saying, "I know the course strategy better than anyone."

It is noteworthy that Seo Yo-seop gained big league experience by participating in the 4th event of the 2021/2022 PGA Tour season, The CJ Cup, which ended on the 18th, as the KPGA Championship winner. He said, "Playing alongside world stars has elevated my perspective on golf," and "I gained confidence with a strong 4-under-par finish on the final day." Naturally, adjusting to the time difference is a variable. He fired up his fighting spirit, saying, "There should be no major problems with conditioning."

Sanghyun Park will compete in a '3-win race' with Yoseop Seo at the Hana Bank Invitational.

Park Sang-hyun secured two wins last July at the Woosung Construction Aramir CC Busan Gyeongnam Open and on the 19th of last month at the DGB Financial Group Irvine Open. After finishing tied for 16th at the Genesis Championship and rising to 1st place in the Order of Merit points ranking (5,142.39 points), he stayed in Korea to recharge his energy instead of going on a ‘U.S. expedition.’ His prize money is also 5th (464 million KRW), entering the ‘1st place range.’ His consistency is formidable, with 8 top-10 finishes including 2 wins in 15 tournaments.

Ham Jung-woo (27, Hana Financial Group) has joined the fray. He is 4th in prize money (488 million KRW) and 3rd in the Order of Merit (4,002.87 points), gaining momentum after winning the Hyundai Marine & Fire Insurance Choi Kyung-ju Invitational on the 3rd, his first victory in 2 years and 5 months. At that time, he overcame a lack of stamina using a putter previously used by his girlfriend Kang Ye-rin (27), who plays on the Korean Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Tour, adding an off-course story. This time, motivation is further boosted by the sponsor stage. ‘Genesis Champ’ Lee Jae-kyung (22, CJ O Shopping) is aiming for ‘back-to-back wins.’