'Shot Eagle' Kim Tae-hoon Leads "Long Hits Are a Double-Edged Sword"... 'Number 1' Kim Min-gyu Tied for 13th

4-Under Par on Day One of the Asiad CC Busan Open, Lee Taehee and Park Sungguk Share the Lead, 'KPGA Championship Champ' Shin Sanghoon Tied for 4th Place

Kim Tae-hoon is making an iron tee shot on the 4th hole on the first day of the Asiad CC Busan Open. Photo by KPGA

[Asia Economy Kim Hyun-jun, Golf Specialist Reporter] "Long drives are a double-edged sword."

‘Power hitter’ Kim Tae-hoon (37, Bizplay) has risen to the top ranks after a long time. On the first day of the KPGA Asiad CC Busan Open (total prize money 800 million KRW), which opened on the 30th at Busan Asiad Golf Course (par 71, 7,056 yards), he shot 4 under par and immediately took the top spot on the leaderboard. In 2020, he was the money leader and also won the Player of the Year award, boasting five top-10 finishes including one victory in 11 tournaments. He gained even more spotlight after winning the Genesis Championship (total prize money 1.5 billion KRW), the largest prize money tournament in Korea, in October.

However, last year he only had four top-10 finishes in 17 events, and this year just one in eight events, indicating a slump. It is worth noting that he ranks 3rd in average driving distance this season (307.22 yards), representing the Korean Tour’s top long hitter. His fairway hit rate is 113th (49.55%), showing some difficulties. Kim Tae-hoon himself said, "My iron shots, wedge shots, and putting are all good," adding, "The key in every tournament is the accuracy of the tee shots."

On this day, he recorded one eagle, five birdies, and three bogeys. The highlight was the ‘shot eagle’ on the 14th hole (par 4). He holed his second shot from 99 meters, which energized his momentum, and he finished strongly with consecutive birdies on the 15th and 16th holes. Kim Tae-hoon said, "Actually, my tee shots have been stabilizing this month, so I feel like I’m coming out of the slump," and expressed confidence by adding, "The course isn’t long enough to require hitting the driver every time."

Lee Tae-hee (38) and Park Sung-guk (34) are co-leaders, while ‘KPGA Championship champ’ Shin Sang-hoon (24) and Hwang Jung-gon (30) are chasing from a one-stroke behind tie for 4th place (3 under par, 68 strokes). ‘Korean Open champ’ Kim Min-kyu (21, CJ Logistics) is challenging for back-to-back wins from a tie for 13th place (1 under par, 70 strokes), and Jo Min-kyu (34), who finished second after a three-hole playoff last time, is staging a ‘return match’ from a tie for 23rd place (even par, 71 strokes). Two-time winner Kim Bi-o (32, Hoban Construction) has also joined the tie for 23rd place.