Jang Heemin's Rookie Surge "Leading the Pack"... Kim Mingyu '2nd Place, 1 Stroke Behind'

On the Third Day of the Newly Established Woori Financial Championship, 2 Under Par Despite Strong Winds, Jang Dong-kyu and Hyun Jeong-hyeop Tied for 3rd, Kim Woo-hyun Tied for 5th

Rookie Jang Heemin is teeing off on the 18th hole on the third day of the Woori Financial Championship. Photo by KPGA

[Asia Economy Reporter No Woo-rae] Rookie Jang Hee-min (20, Jivent) has a chance to win.

On the 14th, at Ferrum Golf Club in Yeoju, Gyeonggi Province (par 72, 7,216 yards), the newly established Korean Professional Golf Association (KPGA) Korean Tour event, Woori Financial Championship (total prize money 1.3 billion KRW), concluded its third day. Despite strong winds, Jang posted a daily best 2-under par to take the top spot on the leaderboard at 4-under par 212. Kim Min-gyu (21, CJ Logistics) is in second place at 3-under par 213, while Jang Dong-gyu (34, Timefolio) and Hyun Jung-hyeop (39, Webcash Group) are tied for third at 2-under par 214, engaging in a chase.

Starting from a tie for 16th place, 5 strokes behind, Jang Hee-min recorded 5 birdies and 3 bogeys. Although he started shakily with consecutive bogeys on holes 5 and 6, he showed resilience by making birdies on holes 9 and 12. After a bogey on the 13th hole (par 4), he recovered with a birdie on the 14th hole (par 3), then demonstrated a strong finish with back-to-back birdies on holes 17 and 18. His strength lies in his ‘pinpoint iron shots’ with a green hit rate of 72.22% and ‘stingy putting’ averaging 1.77 putts per hole. Leading by one stroke, he has a great opportunity for his first victory.

Jang Hee-min is a rookie who debuted on the Korean Tour this year. He secured his tour card by finishing tied for 10th in the Qualifying Tournament (QT). He studied golf in the UK from middle school second grade through high school third grade and competed on the European third-tier tour. Last month, he played his first regular tour event at the DB Insurance Promy Open, where he surged to a tie for the lead after the second round with 7 birdies. He finished tied for 17th in the DB Insurance event.

Kim Min-kyu is checking the wind direction on the fairway of the 10th hole on the third day of the Woori Financial Championship. Photo by KPGA

"It was a tough game because of the wind," said Jang Hee-min. "I have never experienced such strong winds before. The wind direction and speed changed at every hole," he explained. He added, "Since I have this opportunity, my goal is to win," and expressed his determination to "play calmly." Kim Min-gyu, who was co-leader the previous day, lost 4 strokes with 3 birdies, 5 bogeys, and 1 double bogey. He has yet to win on the Korean Tour, with three runner-up finishes as his best results.

Kim Woo-hyun (31, Biner) and Lee Tae-hoon (Canada) are tied for 5th place at 1-under par 215, watching for their chance. Lee Hyung-jun (30, Welcome Savings Bank) is tied for 7th at even par 216, and Seo Yo-seop (26, DB Insurance) is tied for 11th at 1-over par 217. ‘DB Insurance Champ’ Park Sang-hyun (39, Dong-A Pharmaceutical) is tied for 21st at 2-over par 218. On the other hand, Choi Min-cheol (34, Daebo Construction), who was co-leader the previous day, struggled with 11-over par and dropped to a tie for 37th at 4-over par 220.