Seven Birdies in Round 1 of Dong-A Membership Group Open
204 Tournaments Since 2008 Debut Without a Win
Runner-up at 2019 Season Opener Remains Career Best
Kim Jaeho, at 43 years old, has seized his first-ever opportunity for victory.
On August 28, at Gangnam 300 Country Club (par 70, 6,863 yards) in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province, during the first round of the KPGA Tour Dong-A Membership Group Open (total prize money of 700 million won), he shot a 7-under-par 63 to take the top spot on the leaderboard. He delivered an almost flawless performance, making seven birdies without a single bogey. Kim Jaeho commented, "It was one of those days when everything just worked," and added, "Lately, my tee shots have been tending to go left, so I aimed a little to the right, and that strategy paid off."
Kim Jaeho is teeing off at the 18th hole during the first round of the Dong-A Membership Group Open. Photo by KPGA
Kim Jaeho is an 18-year veteran who debuted in 2008. Before this tournament, he had participated in 204 events but had never won. His best result was finishing second at the 2019 season opener, the DB Insurance Promy Open.
Last year, he suffered a serious injury with a fractured elbow and took a year off for medical leave. He was badly injured after falling on the stairs at home just two weeks before the season opener in March. He said, "Since I had already fallen, I decided to take a proper break," and added, "I also took care of all the minor injuries I had accumulated throughout my career."
Kim Jaeho is the son of Kim Yonghee, the development team manager for the Lotte Giants and a veteran of professional baseball. He said with a laugh, "Since Lotte's results haven't been good lately, I haven't been calling my father much." He added, "I'm going to clear my mind as much as possible and focus on playing. I need to strategize wisely on the course. I hope I can play tomorrow just like I did today," he said with a smile.
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