From 18th to 20th at Ora CC → Booyoung CC → Ora CC... 48 Participants Challenge 11 Rounds in 3 Days
Youngest 11 Years Old and Oldest 67 Years Old Draw Attention... Hole-in-One and Albatross Records Pour In
Asia Economy Honam CEO Lee Sang-min and Jeje Band CEO Hwang Jin-chul are posing for a commemorative photo holding the certificate of the 'Longest Golf Marathon Team Category' Korean record established by the Korea Records Institute.
[Jeju=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Hwang Jeongpil] The ‘1st Asia Economy Honam·Jeje Ironman Golf Tournament’ concluded successfully.
Out of 48 challengers in the ‘Longest Time Golf Marathon Team Category,’ 47 completed the course, setting a new Korean record in this field.
Hosted by the Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters and organized by the Jeju Golf Join Club ‘Jeje Band,’ the Ironman Golf Tournament was held over three days from the 18th to the 20th.
Sponsored by Huion Adelive Terrace, the tournament began on the 18th with 72 holes at Ora CC, followed by 54 holes at Booyoung CC on the 19th, and concluded with another 72-hole round at Ora CC on the final day, the 20th. Over three days, participants played a total of 45 hours, 11 rounds, and 198 holes.
Although rain on the first day cast doubt on the successful completion of all 198 holes, the weather cleared from the second day through the last, aiding the record-setting efforts.
Unlike event amateur tournaments, this Ironman Golf Tournament followed the official rules of the R&A and USGA to be recognized as an official competition.
Some challengers unfamiliar with official play initially caused a minor incident by receiving concessions on the green and picking up their balls, resulting in penalties early in the tournament. However, they quickly adapted and continued the competition by recording their scores themselves.
Additionally, the golf skills and various records of the Ironman Golf challengers attracted significant attention.
On the second day at Booyoung CC’s Sarang Course, hole 3, par 3, challenger Jo Woo-hyun (64) scored a hole-in-one, marking the first highlight of the successful tournament and winning a hole-in-one prize of 2 million KRW.
Immediately following, at Sarang Course hole 2, par 5, the youngest female challenger, Lee Ji-eun (22), made an albatross, a shot with odds similar to winning second prize in the lottery, approximately 1 in 6 million.
Among the 47 finishers, 34 were men and 13 were women. The oldest finisher was Yoo Kyung-sun (67), and the oldest female finisher was Hwang Sook-hee (62).
The youngest finisher was 10 years and 7 months old, fourth grader Oh Sae-hyun from Daheul Elementary School. He completed the course with his father, Oh Young-min (42).
Contrary to expectations that the last day would be the hardest, most finishers agreed that “the second day was the toughest and most challenging” during the 198-hole rounds.
On the final day of the tournament, Kim Moo-sung, former leader of the Saenuri Party, and Lee Seung-ah, chairperson of the Jeju Provincial Council’s Culture, Tourism, and Sports Committee, attended the completion ceremony to congratulate the record achievement and present certificates of completion.
A representative of Jeje Band, the organizer of the tournament, emphasized, “This tournament is difficult to hold outside of Jeju,” adding, “Thanks to Jeju’s long daylight hours and resilient turf, unique golf advantages of Jeju, a large-scale event with many participants could be established in a short period.”
They continued, “During the tournament, a total of 441 teams and about 1,700 people participated based on 18-hole rounds. Among them, 60% were golf tourists from outside Jeju. This presented a new model for the future of Jeju golf tourism.”
Jeju=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Park Changwon baekok@asiae.co.kr
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