'Golf Nomad' Wang Jeonghun: "I Want to Travel the World"

Return to DP World Tour After Military Discharge with Enthusiastic March
Increased Driving Distance and Confidence Equipped "Expecting Victory"

"I am so happy."

These are the words of 'Golf Nomad' Wang Jeonghun. After completing his military service in July last year, he returned to the DP World Tour (formerly the European Tour) this year, opening a second chapter in his golf career. In an interview with Asia Economy on the 20th, Wang Jeonghun said with a bright smile, "I am very happy to be playing again on the DP World Tour," adding, "I am working hard to regain my previous form." He continued, "There are many diverse and skilled players, and compared to before, the player base seems to have deepened," and said, "It gives me positive motivation to work even harder."

'Reservist' Wang Jeong-hoon expressed his determination, saying, "I will definitely collect a championship trophy on the European stage this year." [Photo provided by KPGA]

Wang Jeonghun started his career on the China Professional Golf Association (CPGA) Tour in 2012 and advanced to the Asian Tour in 2014. In May 2016, he claimed the Hassan II Trophy by defeating Nacho Elvira (Spain) in a playoff, joining the ranks of DP World Tour champions, and achieved 'back-to-back wins' at the Mauritius Open. He also won the Rookie of the Year award, which can only be received once in a lifetime, emerging as a promising player. In August 2016, he represented South Korea alongside An Byeonghun at the Rio Olympics. In January 2017, he reached a career-high world ranking of 39th, the highest among Korean players at that time.

In January 2017, Wang Jeonghun won his third DP World Tour title at the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters after 29 tournaments, setting two remarkable records. He became the second fastest player to achieve three wins since 'Golf Emperor' Tiger Woods (USA, 1999, 12 tournaments). Additionally, he became the third youngest three-time winner at 21 years and 144 days old, following Matteo Manassero (Italy, 3 wins at age 19) and the late Seve Ballesteros (Spain, 3 wins at age 20 in 2011).

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Wang Jeonghun stayed in Korea and competed on the Korean Professional Golfers' Association (KPGA) Korean Tour. He enlisted in the military in February 2021 and was discharged in July 2022. Reflecting on his time in the military, Wang said, "While serving, I looked back on my continuous journey as a golfer and set new goals," adding, "It was a good time for recharging." During his military service, he focused on physical fitness and strength training, which helped increase his driving distance. In 2019, his average driving distance was 283.64 yards, but this year it has increased to 297.57 yards, a gain of 13.93 yards compared to before.

After completing his military service, Wang dedicated himself to practice from early morning until late at night. He said, "This is the first time I have worked this hard since I started playing golf," and smiled, "If I keep this up, I think I can live as a professional golfer for life." In December last year, Wang went to Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), for training camp. He focused on short game and putting practice, which he couldn't do during his military service. He also invested a lot of time improving the accuracy of his irons, one of his strengths. Wang emphasized, "My condition is gradually improving," and added, "Except for my competitive sense, my golf skills, mental strength, and physical fitness all seem better than before."

Wang Jeonghun focused on stamina and strength training, increasing his driving distance by about 15 yards.

Wang Jeonghun is gradually showing his former form. He said, "At first, I was worried if I could perform well again," but expressed confidence, saying, "As my performance improved, I became sure that I could survive in the competition." In January, he finished tied for 28th at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic, where top-ranked players such as world No. 2 Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland) and 'LIV Golf member' Patrick Reed (USA) participated. At the Singapore Classic, which ended on the 2nd, he competed for the title over four days and finished tied for 3rd, his best result of the season. Wang plans to focus on the DP World Tour this year and steadily improve his world ranking, which had dropped to 540th. He said, "If I break into the top 50 in the world rankings, I can participate in major championships and the PGA Tour," adding, "I want to feel the excitement of competing in top-tier tournaments once again."

Wang Jeonghun's goal this year is to add more trophies to his collection. The tournament he desires most is the BMW PGA Championship held in September at the Wentworth Club in Virginia Water, Surrey, England. He emphasized, "I want to lift the winner's trophy again on the DP World Tour," and said, "The Singapore tournament gave me the confidence that I can achieve this." He also expressed confidence, saying, "If I perform well in Europe, I can earn a PGA Tour card," and "I will finish the season strong." Wang said, "As before, I will continue to travel around the world competing in tournaments," and pledged, "I want to raise the status of Korean men's golf and bring joy to domestic fans who love golf."