'US Hell Training' Kang Kyung-nam "I Increased by 10 Yards"

20th Anniversary This Year, 11 Career Wins 'Clutch Player'
7 Hours of Training a Day "I Will Uphold the Pride of My 40s"

"Gambler" Kang Kyung-nam has steeled his resolve.

He is determined to make 2023 his year. Since December last year, he has been sweating it out at a training camp he set up in Irvine, California. In an interview with Asia Economy on the 2nd, Kang Kyung-nam said, "I am working hard to increase my shot distance," adding, "It has actually increased by about 10 yards." Last season, his average driving distance was 282.82 yards (ranked 86th). After two months of training, Kang Kyung-nam plans to return to Korea at the end of this month.

Kang Kyung-nam, the "Gambler," who is celebrating his 20th anniversary since debut this year, expressed his determination by saying, "I will show the power of my 40s on the 2023 Korean Tour."

Kang Kyung-nam is a "legend" of the Korean Professional Golf Association (KPGA) Korean Tour. After joining the Korean Tour in August 2003, including two tournaments he entered as a recommended player, he secured his tour card in 2004 by finishing in the top 10 twice in four tournaments. He has accumulated an impressive 11 wins on the Korean Tour. In 2006, he achieved his first victory at the Tomato Savings Bank Zephyros Open and won two titles that year, earning both the money title and the lowest scoring average award (Deokchun Award).

He won three times in 2007, once in 2010, twice in 2011, and once in 2013 before enlisting in the military. After completing his service, he returned to the tour in 2016 and secured his 10th Korean Tour win at the Jinju Savings Bank Kaido Men's Open in 2017, marking the eighth such milestone in history. In 2021, he collected his 11th trophy at the Bizplay Electronic Times Open. Kang Kyung-nam ranks joint 7th in domestic wins alongside Choi Yoon-soo and Park Sang-hyun, and his cumulative earnings are second only to Park Sang-hyun (4,386,566,753 KRW), with 3,875,862,469 KRW.

This year marks Kang Kyung-nam’s 20th anniversary on the Korean Tour. He reflected, "My prime years were from 2005 to 2007," adding, "During that time, my golf went exactly as I wanted." He continued, "It didn’t take long to add more wins after finishing military service," and said, "Thanks to that, I was able to maintain confidence and continue my tour career."

Kang Kyung-nam is synonymous with consistency. Up to last year, he has participated in 237 tournaments and made the cut in 195 of them. He has finished in the top 10 an impressive 93 times. Every year, he has maintained his tour card on his own merit and has never fallen outside the top 50 in the Genesis money rankings. Kang Kyung-nam expressed gratitude, saying, "Looking back, I never really experienced a slump," and "I received a lot of help from those around me."

Last season, Kang Kyung-nam also demonstrated his undiminished skills. He played in 21 tournaments, finishing in the top 10 four times, including runner-up at the Woosung General Construction Open. He ranked 14th in Genesis points (3,588.82 points) and 22nd in the Genesis money rankings (260,446,370 KRW). Kang Kyung-nam revealed the secret to his longevity, saying, "I never practiced less," and "I always maintained a steady amount of practice."

Kang Kyung-nam is training on the green for four hours a day to improve his clutch putting skills.

Kang Kyung-nam is tightening his golf shoes even in the United States. He invests four hours in putting practice in the morning and two to three hours in shot training with drivers and irons in the afternoon. To maintain his competitive edge, he plays practice rounds four times a week. Last year, his iron shot accuracy was remarkable, with a greens in regulation rate of 73.40% (ranked 21st). However, his average putts per hole at 1.82 (ranked 53rd) were somewhat disappointing. He sometimes missed crucial birdie putts. Kang Kyung-nam said, "I believe clutch ability is needed in key moments, so I am focusing on putting practice." Soon, Jang I-jun and Park Sung-jun will join the Irvine camp for joint training.

Kang Kyung-nam has made changes for the new year. He switched his driver from Callaway to Titleist. He also changed his main sponsor from Yooyoung Pharmaceutical to Daesun Brewery. Kang Kyung-nam expressed confidence, saying, "There were several chances to win last year, but I was disappointed not to add another victory," and "I feel I am fully competitive against younger players, so this year will definitely be different." Kang Kyung-nam married in 2016 and has two daughters. He emphasized, "Thanks to my wife and two daughters, I am much more psychologically stable," and "Since getting married, I have been more diligent in self-management."

Born in 1983, Kang Kyung-nam is determined to uphold the pride of his 40s this year. He said, "My goal for 2023 is to win," adding, "There aren’t many players in their 40s active on the tour, so winning would be even more meaningful." He added, "I don’t know how long I will continue on the tour, but I want to reach 15 career wins," and "As always, I will prepare hard until the season opener this year."