'National Title' Hwang Jae-min and Han Seung-su Share Lead on First Day of Korea Open, Six Players Including Moon Kyung-jun Chase at One Stroke Behind in Tight Race
[Asia Economy Kim Hyun-jun, Golf Specialist Reporter] 'Veteran' Lee Jeong-hwan (31) has finally entered the race for victory.
On the 23rd, at Chungnam Cheonan Woojeong Hills Golf Club (Par 71, 7,326 yards), Lee posted a 3-under-par on the first day of the 'National Title' Kolon Korean Open (total prize money 1.35 billion KRW), sharing the lead with Hwang Jae-min (36) and Han Seung-soo (USA). He joined the Korean Professional Golf Association (KPGA) Korean Tour in 2010 and achieved his first win in seven years at the Kaido Golden V1 Open in June 2017. Standing tall at 188 cm with a handsome appearance, he has played a significant role as a 'crowd-puller.'
It is noteworthy that he enlisted immediately in December after winning the season finale Golfzon·DYB Education Tour Championship in November 2018. He was discharged in October 2020 and successfully made a smooth comeback last year with two top-10 finishes, but has yet to make a significant impact this year. However, on this day, his clean play stood out with three birdies on holes 2, 8, and 12. He relied on an 88.89% greens-in-regulation rate and 'computer iron shots' as his driving force.
"It rained on the difficult course, but I’m happy to finish the round without any bogeys," said Lee Jeong-hwan, addressing his recent slump by saying, "I think I’m feeling a bit rushed. I keep thinking about how well I used to play, and even when I know the game isn’t going well, I get impatient." He added with confidence, "I’ve only just finished the first round, so it’s a bit early to think about winning. If I finish the second round well, I might have a chance to win over the weekend."
Six players, including Moon Kyung-jun (40, NH Nonghyup Bank), Ok Tae-hoon (24), and Lee Sang-hee (30), are tied for 4th place at 2-under-par 69, just one stroke behind. 'Domestic No. 1' Kim Bi-o (32, Hoban Construction) recorded four birdies and five bogeys to settle at 1-over-par, tied for 29th place. Having already secured two wins in just four tournaments?including last month’s Maeil Business Newspaper Open and the SK Telecom Open on the 5th?he is already hunting for his third victory. Defending champion Lee Jun-seok (Australia) also joined the tie for 29th, eager to defend his title.
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