Lee Tae-hee "The Secret to Doing Well Is Patience"

KPGA Championship 2R: Leading with 4 Under Par
Escaping Slump at A-One CC "Staying Calm Over the Weekend"

Lee Tae-hee has seized the opportunity to win.

On the 9th, Lee Tae-hee shot a 4-under-par 67 in the second round of the Korean Professional Golf Association (KPGA) Korean Tour KPGA Championship (total prize money 1.5 billion KRW) held at A-One Country Club in Yangsan-si, Gyeongnam (par 71, 7,138 yards). By reducing his score by 4 strokes for two consecutive days, he took control of the top of the leaderboard with 8-under-par 134. Starting from a tie for 5th place, 2 strokes behind, Lee Tae-hee collected 5 birdies (1 bogey). His back-to-back birdies and the birdie on the final 9th hole (par 5) stood out.

Lee Tae-hee is teeing off at the 11th hole during the second round of the KPGA Championship.
[Photo by KPGA]

Lee Tae-hee debuted on the Korean Tour in 2006 and has accumulated a total of 4 wins, making him a leading player. He also won the Player of the Year award in 2015. However, he had struggled at A-One Country Club. The KPGA Championship has been held at A-One Country Club for 8 years since 2016. Over the past 7 years, he participated 6 times and missed the cut 3 times. His best finish was a tie for 13th in 2016. Before the tournament venue changed to A-One Country Club, he finished 6th twice and 8th once.

Lee Tae-hee admitted, "Strangely, my results at A-One Golf Club have not been good. Since it is the most prestigious domestic tournament, I always feel good when I participate, but I was never able to post a satisfactory score." However, this year is different. Leading the field, he is aiming for his 5th KPGA Tour win. Lee Tae-hee said, "The game went well. Nothing was particularly off; everything was balanced. Although I made a few mistakes on short putts, fortunately, I finished well. My shot feel is also good," showing a satisfied expression.

Lee Tae-hee credited patience as the key to breaking his bad luck at A-One Country Club. He said, "Since my results here were so poor, I resolved to be patient and wait even if birdies didn’t come during this tournament. By playing with patience, the results have really been good," he said with a bright smile. Lee Tae-hee added, "Making the cut was my goal. I have only achieved the first goal so far," and vowed, "Since I am performing better than expected, I will calmly focus on my game and approach the remaining rounds with determination."