"Late Bloomer Rookie Jeon Jae-han 6-Under Par 'Invited Player Power'"

2nd Place in the 1R of Jeonjae Asian Tour International Series Korea
Tangkamolprasert Leads by 2 Shots, Jane Watananand and 3 Others Tied for 3rd
Wang Jeonghun and Kim Hanbyeol Tied for 12th, Kim Bio Tied for 25th, Kim Mingyu Withdraws Due to Traffic Accident

Jeon Jae-han is making an iron shot on the first day of the Asian Tour LIV Golf International Series Korea. Photo by Asian Tour

[Asia Economy Reporter Tae-won Choi] It is the "invited player power" of the "late-blooming rookie" Jeon Jae-han (32).

On the 18th, Jeon Jae-han shot 6 under par on the first day of the Asian Tour LIV Golf International Series Korea (total prize money $1.5 million) held at Lotte Skyhill CC in Seogwipo, Jeju Island (par 71, 7,079 yards), securing 2nd place. Pavit Tangkamolprasert led with 8 under par 63, while Jazz Janewattananond (both from Thailand), Justin Harding, Ian Snyman (both from South Africa), and Brett Rumford (Australia) tied for 3rd place with 5 under par 66.

Jeon Jae-han collected six birdies without any bogeys. After reducing two strokes in the front nine with birdies on the 4th hole (par 5) and 7th hole (par 4), he added consecutive birdies on the 11th and 12th holes and two more birdies on the 14th and 17th holes. Jeon Jae-han debuted on the Korean Professional Golfers' Association (KPGA) Korean Tour in 2020 at the age of 30. Before competing domestically, he gained diverse experiences in several countries. Born in Seoul, he moved to Malaysia at age 4 and started golf at age 8. From age 14, he lived in Australia for two years, and at 18, he enrolled at Northwestern University in the United States, where he played on the golf team. In 2009, he was runner-up at the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship held in China and participated in the 2010 Open Championship.

After graduating from university in 2012, he turned professional and joined the Japan Golf Tour Organization (JGTO) in 2013. He returned to Korea in 2014 to complete his military service and obtained KPGA professional status in 2017, entering the Korean Tour at a late age. Jeon Jae-han said, "I feel good because I played well after a long time," adding, "I was invited to participate, and I hope this tournament becomes a turning point and a refreshing experience."

Kang Yoon-seok (36) tied for 7th place (4 under par 67), and Wang Jeong-hoon (27), who returned to the Asian Tour after completing military service in July, started comfortably tied for 12th place (3 under par 68). Kim Han-byul (26), Ok Tae-hoon (24), and Kim Woo-hyun (31) are also in this group. Kim Bi-o (32), aiming for his second Asian Tour win since winning the GS Caltex Maekyung Open, is tied for 25th place (2 under par 69). Kim Min-gyu (21), who ranked first in Korean Tour prize money and awards, withdrew due to a traffic accident just before the tournament.