[New Challenge] Jang Yubin "I Will Make It the Best Year"

Hangzhou AG Gold Medal, Amateur Gunsan CC Victory
Turned Pro Last October, Equipped with Consistent Shot Strength
Returned from Vietnam Training Camp "Focusing on Domestic Stage This Year"

The hope of the 2024 Korea Professional Golfers' Association (KPGA) Tour.

Jang Yu-bin, who took the professional stage last year as an amateur, expressed, "I look forward to the new season as a professional. I will show my best skills on the domestic stage."

This is the story of Jang Yu-bin, the gold medalist at last year's Hangzhou Asian Games. The KPGA, under the new chairman Kim Won-seop, is expected to face another challenging year. Players who shone brightly on the domestic tour, including the Order of Merit winner Ham Jeong-woo, Park Sang-hyun, Kim Bi-o, Jung Chan-min, and Go Gun-taek, are focusing on overseas tours this season. The KPGA Tour inevitably loses some attention as top stars compete on the PGA Tour's Korn Ferry Tour (second tier), Asian Tour, and Japan Golf Tour Organization (JGTO). Jang Yu-bin is the alternative to fill the void left by these migrating stars. He firmly stated, "This season, I will focus entirely on the domestic stage."

Jang Yu-bin followed an elite path. In April 2022, he won the Korea Golf Association President's Cup Amateur Championship and was selected as a national representative for the Hangzhou Asian Games. He earned a reputation as a 'pro killer' since his amateur days. He won twice on the KPGA Srixon Tour (second tier) and claimed the title at the Gunsan CC Open last August after a playoff against Jeon Ga-ram, securing a full tour card for next year. This was his 11th amateur victory overall, following Jo Woo-young's win at the Golfzon Open in April last year.

Jang Yu-bin won the gold medal last year at the Hangzhou Asian Games by teaming up with Jo Woo-young, Im Sung-jae, and Kim Si-woo (from left).

Jang Yu-bin continued his rising momentum in China. At the Hangzhou Asian Games, he teamed up with Im Sung-jae, Kim Si-woo, and Jo Woo-young to win the team gold medal. This was the first men's team gold in 13 years since the 2010 Guangzhou Games. He lived and trained with PGA Tour players Im Sung-jae and Kim Si-woo, learning a lot during practice rounds. Jang said, "I heard many stories about the PGA Tour, and it inspired me to dream of competing with world-class players in the future."

Although his hands trembled from the tee shot on the first hole at the Hangzhou Asian Games, he relaxed after finishing with a birdie. He also made six consecutive birdies. He led the individual competition after the first round with 11 under par. Reflecting on the moment, he said, "It was truly an honorable moment. Even now, when I think back, I wonder how such results came about. Everything went smoothly. It was the best year of my life."

Jang Yubin received the Overseas Special Award at the KPGA Genesis Awards Ceremony last year.

After winning the Asian Games gold medal last October, he turned professional. In his debut at the Hyundai Insurance Choi Kyung-ju Invitational, he finished tied for 27th, and he placed tied for 8th at the Genesis Championship. Last year, he competed in 12 tournaments?eight as an amateur and four as a professional. He achieved six top-10 finishes, including one victory. At the year-end awards ceremony, he received the 'Overseas Special Award.' He recalled, "Many people cheered for me at my debut. I was truly happy."

Jang Yu-bin is a talent who can dominate the KPGA Tour. In January, he signed a main sponsorship contract with Shinhan Financial Group. Smiling, he said, "This year, I think I can focus solely on tour life without any worries." Competing in professional tournaments taught him a lot. He admitted, "I felt that PGA Tour players play differently from us. When I looked closely, the differences were significant." He also realized that adapting to the KPGA Tour is not easy. "In the latter half of last year, I played tournaments every week for the first time. It was physically demanding at times, and the course setups were challenging," he explained.

Jang Yubin won the KPGA Tour Gunsan CC Open last year while competing as an amateur.

In January, Jang Yu-bin went early to Vietnam for training camp. Along with physical training, he focused on shot-making skills and improving his putting under various conditions. He said, "I worked hard to improve the areas where I was lacking last year." On the 29th of last month, he participated in the New Zealand Open, co-hosted by the Australian Tour and Asian Tour, but did not achieve good results. He scored 3 under par over two days and missed the cut. He said, "It was a disappointing result, but it became an opportunity to renew my mindset."

Jang Yu-bin's goal this year is the Genesis Award. He confidently said, "I will prepare perfectly and achieve better results this year." He returned home after finishing training camp in Thailand on the 6th. He will make his first appearance at the KPGA Tour opening event, the DB Insurance Promy Open, held at La Vie Est Belle CC in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, on the 11th of next month. He dreams of dominating the KPGA Tour and then competing on the PGA Tour. Jang Yu-bin said, "I want to thank everyone who has helped me since I started playing golf," and added, "I will repay them with my performance going forward."