Song Min-hyeok Eyes Rookie of the Year Comeback... "Thanks to My Father Caddie"

KPGA Tour Championship Final Round Day 1: 5 Under Par
Rival Kim Baekjun Struggles at 3 Over Par, Hope for Comeback Remains
"My Father Has Been My Dedicated Caddy Since September"

Rookie Song Min-hyeok has rekindled the flame for the KPGA Tour Rookie of the Year title.

Song Min-hyeok is teeing off at the 7th hole during the first round of the KPGA Tour Championship. Photo by KPGA

On the 7th, at the Tour Championship (total prize money 1.1 billion KRW), the final event of the year held at Cypress Golf & Resort Southeast Course (par 71, 7,078 yards) in Seogwipo, Jeju Island, he shot 5 under par 66 on the first day. He significantly increased his chances of winning his first career victory and the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to claim the Rookie of the Year title. Song Min-hyeok is currently second in the Rookie of the Year points standings with 1,030.44 points. He is only 54.44 points behind the leader Kim Baek-jun (1,085.88 points), who struggled with a 3-over par 74 today. Song said, "I never thought about it because the gap in Rookie of the Year points was big, but since the last tournament, I started to see the possibility and developed the desire to win Rookie of the Year. I will focus on my own play without worrying about my competitor Kim Baek-jun’s ranking."

Song Min-hyeok said his performance improved as his father caddied for him. He explained, "My father used to caddie occasionally, but since September, he has been my full-time caddie. Although my father is a beginner with a golf score over 100, surprisingly, he reads the putting lines well." Song smiled and said, "When my father carries my bag, I can play with a much more relaxed mind. I have never fought with him or been scolded by him. Just having him by my side gives me peace of mind."

Song also credited his recent improvement in performance to the coach he started learning from at the end of August, which greatly increased his shot accuracy. "I corrected a bad habit of lifting my body during the backswing and changed to a swing that uses my lower body. This has created more birdie opportunities, and today my putting, which used to be a weakness, was also good." Reflecting on his last tournament, Song said, "Although I took the lead on the first day, I was too focused on maintaining my score and couldn’t carry it through to a win." He added, "Since there is no cut in this tournament, I will play more aggressively rather than just defending my position."