Lee Taehee 2nd Place "4-Under Birthday Spurt~"... 'Match King' Park Eunsin 2-Under Par

KB Financial Liiv Championship Day 1: Jeong Han-mil Leads at 5 Under, Ok Tae-hoon Ties for 2nd, Park Sang-hyun Ties for 8th

Lee Tae-hee is teeing off at the 12th hole on the first day of the KB Financial Live Championship. Photo by KPGA

[Asia Economy Kim Hyun-jun, Golf Specialist Reporter] It is Lee Tae-hee's (36) "birthday spurt."

On the first day of the KB Financial Live Championship (total prize money 700 million KRW), part of the Korean Professional Golf Association (KPGA) Korean Tour, held on the 26th at Blackstone Icheon Golf Club in Icheon-si, Gyeonggi-do (par 72, 7,260 yards), Lee shot 4 under par to tie for 2nd place. Jeong Han-mil (31) leads with 5 under par, while Ok Tae-hoon (24), Seo Yo-seop (26, DB Insurance), and Bae Yun-ho (29) joined Lee in a tie for 2nd place. "Match King" Park Eun-shin (32) is aiming for his "second consecutive win" from a tie for 8th place at 2 under par.

Lee Tae-hee recorded 7 birdies, 1 bogey, and 1 double bogey. Starting at the 10th hole (par 4), he made three consecutive birdies through the 12th hole (par 4), followed by "stepping stone birdies" on the 14th and 16th holes, and then back-to-back birdies on the 1st and 2nd holes of the back nine. The bogey on the 4th hole (par 4) and the double bogey on the 7th hole (par 3) near the end were regrettable. He cheered, "My shot feeling has returned after a long time," and added, "Shooting 4 under par on a difficult course is a very satisfying score."

Lee Tae-hee is a player who has won a total of four titles, including back-to-back victories at the Maekyung Open in 2019 and 2020. He has received even more spotlight after marrying his manager, Kwon Bo-min. His wife still manages everything, from health care to sponsor contracts and schedules. He said, "Since today is my birthday, I think the seaweed soup my wife made for me this morning gave me strength," and added, "Strong winds are forecast for tomorrow, so I will need to play a defensive game."

Ok Tae-hoon sought redemption after the Munsingwear Match Play that ended on the 22nd. Although he swept six consecutive wins, he finished 3rd due to other players in different groups earning more points. Park Sang-hyun (39, Dong-A Pharmaceutical), the DB Insurance Promy Open champion, joined the "two-win competition" from Park Eun-shin's tie for 8th place group. Defending champion Moon Kyung-jun (40, NH Nonghyup Bank) is tied for 84th place at 4 over par, and "Woori Financial Group champion" Jang Hee-min (20) is tied for 102nd place at 6 over par, urgently needing to avoid the cut-off.