Shinhan Donghae Open First Day Leading Contenders Compete for Victory
2018 and Last Year’s Winner, Two-Time Champion
"Clearly Improved on Weaknesses"
Eom Jae-woong is a player who has won twice on the Korea Professional Golfers' Association (KPGA) Tour.
Eom Jae-woong is making an iron shot at the 11th hole on the first day of the 40th Shinhan Donghae Open. [Photo by KPGA]
He debuted on the regular tour in 2009 and claimed his first career victory at the 2018 Huons Celebrity Pro-Am. Five years later, last year, he secured his second win at the Baeksong Holdings-Asiad CC Busan Open. Winning even once on the professional stage is difficult, but he has collected two championship trophies. However, he is not a well-known star among golf fans because the tournaments he won were not high-profile 'big matches.'
Eom Jae-woong has laid the stepping stone for victory in a 'big match.' On the 5th, at Club72 Ocean Course (par 72, 7,204 yards) in Jung-gu, Incheon, during the first round of the 40th Shinhan Donghae Open (total prize money 1.4 billion KRW, winner's prize 252 million KRW), he shot 7-under-par 65 to enter the competition for the title. He recorded eight birdies and one bogey.
The Shinhan Donghae Open is the longest-running and most prestigious tournament sponsored by a single domestic sponsor. In addition to the KPGA Tour, it is co-hosted by three tours: the Asian Tour and the Japan Golf Tour Organization (JGTO). The winner receives a five-year exemption on the KPGA Tour and two-year exemptions on the Asian Tour and JGTO. It provides a platform to advance beyond Korea and compete internationally.
Eom Jae-woong exclaimed, "Overall, my performance was good. I was well-focused. My goal was to play the round smoothly, and I achieved that." He added, "It was a bit tough when the rain started and stopped during the round. The wind was also strong, but I managed to endure it well. After overcoming the tough moments, I was able to keep making birdies from the back nine. My wedge shots and putting were on point, which helped me post a good score."
He has participated in 10 tournaments this year and advanced to the final rounds six times. His best finish this season was 5th place at the 14th Descente Korea Match Play in June. Last week, he tied for 38th place at the 2024 Lexus Masters. Eom Jae-woong expressed confidence, saying, "I rested well during the break and thoroughly worked on my weaknesses. I focused on swing and fitness training. These efforts showed results in last week's tournament, and the momentum has continued into this event. My performance is definitely improving."
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