“I’m really strong on grass”
This is what Baek Seok-hyun said in his post-tournament interview in Jeju. “I know the next tournament, Blackstone, is also on grass. I just need to be able to hit clean shots without worrying about it. I’m actually looking forward to (winning),” he said proudly. He has been playing golf in Thailand since he was in middle school and has played on the Asian Professional Golf Tour as an adult.
When the Asian Tour was sharply curtailed by the COVID-19 pandemic, he moved to the Korean stage. As such, Baek struggled with the Korean grass. 스포츠토토 Jeju Finks Golf Club, where he won his first title at the SK Telecom Open, planted bent grass in the fairways. As a result, his shots were unusually stable, and his putts, which had been pointed out as a weakness, improved considerably. The same was true for his approach shots.
Then came the good news. Blackstone Golf Club (Par 72) in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province, where the Korea Professional Golf Association (KPGA) Korean Tour’s KB Financial Live Championship (total prize money of 700 million won) will be held from the 25th to the 4th, has also installed fescue grass on the fairways. It’s a little different because it’s Kentucky blue grass instead of bent, but it’s the same because it’s mowed short so there’s not much grass between the ball and the club. If he wins again, he’ll go straight to the top of the Genesis Points standings.
The tournament will feature some of the best male professional golfers in Korea, and the competition will be fierce.
First up will be Korea’s ‘Yonram’ Chung Chan-min (24), who is currently the hottest name in the game after topping the money list and Genesis Points this season, and will be looking for his second win of the season with a ‘400-yard long hit’. He won his first career title last year, boasting a fantastic partnership with his caddie wife.
Defending champion Yang Ji-ho (34) will be looking for his second consecutive title after struggling this season. Veteran Kim Bi-Oh (32), who has eight career Korean Tour professional victories, and Genesis Point runner-up Kang Kyung-Nam (40) are also in contention for the title.
Meanwhile, KB Financial will provide an opportunity for family-friendly galleries to experience KB Financial Group’s “No. 1 Financial Platform” at the tournament. In addition, various giveaways will be organized to increase the excitement of the galleries at the stadium.