Kim Chan-woo (24, IK Buddy Plus), ‘2nd year since debut on tour’, won for the first time in his life at the Korean Men’s Professional Golf (KPGA) Biz Play Electronic News Open (total prize money of 525 million won), which was held with 36 holes for the first time in 34 years due to bad weather. won. His joy was doubled as he became the protagonist of a new record by collaborating with his older sister, who served as his caddy.
Kim Chan-woo recorded 8 under par 64 strokes in the final second round of the tournament held at Cosmos Lynx (par 72, 7,407 yards) in Yeongam-gun, Jeollanam-do on the 17th, winning the championship with a final total of 12 under par 132 strokes.스포츠토토
He got off to a good start with a 4-under par 68 in the first round. On this day, in the second round, he made birdies in the 1st to 3rd and 5th to 6th holes in the second half of the day, and eventually beat Jeon Ga-ram (28), Lee Seong-ho (36), and Korean-American Jeong Yoon (28) by one stroke and won the championship trophy. lifted up.
This Open, which was the 16th KPGA tournament this season, had many difficulties, including the course being flooded several times due to heavy rain in the southern region. The match on the 15th was canceled due to heavy rain that fell after the first round on the 14th, and when the situation did not improve on the 16th, it was decided to reduce the match to 36 holes after consultation with the tournament organizer, association, and players’ association.
It was the first time that a 36-hole match was played on the KPGA Korean Tour, following the Busan Open in August 1983 and the Pocari Sweat Open in June 1989. The total prize money was reduced to 525 million won with only 75% recognized, and the winner’s prize money also became 105 million won. The Genesis points awarded to the winner were 100% (1000P).
After winning, Kim Chan-woo said, “I’m really happy. As my first win was in Yeongam, I can’t help but talk about last year. Last year, at the 4th Woosung Construction Open, I tied for 3rd place, 1 stroke behind. As I was very disappointed, I came to this tournament and felt the same way. “It was Yeongam and I had good memories, so I came with the determination to ‘let’s get good results this time’ and I think it was a big help,” he said.
The good memories from Yeongam led to confident shots. Kim Chan-woo said, “First of all, I didn’t think there would be much difficulty in hitting the second shot on this course as long as I didn’t go into the bunker, so my first goal was to avoid the bunker. Compared to other golf courses, I felt confident on a golf course with a wide view and no out-of-bounds (OB). “I think my confidence has increased since I hit my driver tee shot confidently,” he said.
Kim Chan-woo was so close to obscurity that he never made the top 10 this year. It was difficult for him to even maintain his seed on his own. He participated in 16 competitions last year and ranked tied for 3rd at the 4th Woosung Construction Open and tied for 9th at the DGB Financial Group Open, but failed to maintain his seed on his own, recording mid- to low-ranking results in most cases, ranking 80th in Genesis Points.
Fortunately, he tied for 30th place in the Korean Tour Qualifying Tournament (QT), secured his seed, and enjoyed the joy of his first win in 33 Korean Tour competitions. He is the eighth first-time Tour winner this season, and the ninth winner in his 20s.
Kim Chan-woo said, “When I first entered the tour last year, my goal was not to win, but to maintain the seed. Even though I was in the top 10 twice, I failed to maintain the seed due to poor performance at the beginning of the season. This year, I regained my resolve by securing the seed after going through the QT again. “Preparing thoroughly was a big help. I think I was confused throughout the season. I think I was inconsistent because I kept making changes to my swing instead of pushing forward consistently,” he explained.
There must be some regret as his first win was achieved in 36 holes. However, with this win as an opportunity, I am determined to aim for the 72-hole championship as well. Kim Chan-woo said, “I have gained a lot of confidence in my shots as I won my first championship. Since there is still a long season in the competition, I think that if I play with confidence, good results will follow. I am strong in driver shots and iron shots, but I am very weak in putts. “I have been concentrating on putting practice for several months and weeks now. If I continue to practice putting more, I think I will be much closer to winning my second win,” he pledged.
The presence of his caddy and older sister, who rejoiced next to him after winning the tournament, became a hot topic. Kim Chan-woo said, “My older sister did not have a job related to golf. Last year, during the Honors K and Solarago CC Hanjang Award Invitational, my older sister took a break from work, so I asked her to try it together. Since then, her grades have gotten better and we are still together.” .
Kim Chan-woo, who cited his strengths as tee shots and second shots, aimed to add one more win for the remainder of his season. He said, “Now, the direction of my tee shot and second shot has improved a lot. I don’t think I’ll make a mistake when I address it, so I play with more confidence. Recently, I’ve tried to think of golf a little more simply. All the complicated things are gone and golf is a lot easier.” He expressed confidence, saying, “As things became simpler, the scores improved a lot from that point on.”
He continued, “Before the start of this season, I did not think of winning as my goal. Last year, I failed to maintain my seeding, so this year, after performing a little early and securing my seeding, my secondary goal was to win the championship. Since I won my first championship, I will continue to play for the rest of the season.” “I will set a goal so that I can win one more time,” he expressed his bold ambition.
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