Korean Chanmin Jung completed a shock wire-to-wire victory in the Maekyung Open on Sunday, establishing him as one of his country’s stars of the future.

He shot a final-round five-under 66 for a tournament total of 16-under and a commanding six-shot victory at Namseoul Country Club, in Seoul.

Korea’s Minhyuk Song, an amateur, and Junghwan Lee tied for second following rounds of 64 and 70 respectively, in an event reduced to 54 holes after Saturday’s third round was cancelled because of poor weather and a waterlogged course.

Their compatriots Jaekyeong Lee (66) and Eunshin Park (67) tied for fourth, one shot back, while defending champion Bio Kim, also from Korea, finished in a tie for sixth, an additional stroke behind, following a 70.

Until this week, Jung was best known as one of the biggest hitters in Korea — he topped the driving distance stats on the Korean PGA Tour last year — and had only finished in the top 10 twice in domestic events since turning professional three years ago.

That all changed this week with an inspired and unexpected victory, that has helped him live up to his nickname the ‘Korean Hulk’.

He led after the opening day with a 63 and had a two-shot advantage after his second round 68, which he started Sunday’s round with after Saturday was washed out.

A brilliant front nine of five-under, with an eagle — the result of holing his bunker shot on the par-five fourth — and three birdies, put him six ahead at the turn, before he stylishly closed out the event with nine straight pars on the second half.

“I won a big tournament wire to wire, so I feel good,” said the 23 year old, who won $222,222.

“I sensed the victory with an eagle on the fourth hole. After that, I felt at ease. I used my driver on nine holes today, I used it often because I was confident.

“My putting has changed a lot, I had a lot of worries before, but it’s solved, the anxiety is gone.”

The next event on the Asian Tour will also be staged in the Land of Morning Calm, with the Kolon Korea Open to be played at Woo Jeong Hills Country Club, from June 22-25.

The post ‘Korean Hulk’ Chanmin Jung produces superhero performance to win Maekyung Open appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

The third and now final round will re-start on Sunday at 7.50 am local time.

Only a handful of groups teed off on Saturday when play eventually started at 11.30am, before the round was cancelled just 40 minutes later.

Chokchai Boonprasert, Tournament Director, Asian Tour, said: “Because we have had rain since last night, the bunkers and the fairways are full of water, so after discussing the situation with the Korean Golf Association we decided the course is unplayable. We will start round three on Sunday and we will complete the tournament in 54 holes.”

Unheralded Korean Chanmin Jung currently leads the tournament after two rounds. He is 11-under, two ahead of Korea’s Junghwan Lee and four ahead of his compatriots Yubin Jang, an amateur, Taeyang Jung, and Bio Kim – the defending champion.

This is only the second time in its history that the event — first played in 1982 — has been reduced to three rounds. The other occasion was in 1998 when Hong Kong’s Scott Rowe triumphed at Lakeview.

Just six weeks ago Hong Kong’s Taichi Kho, who surprisingly missed the cut this week, won the World City Championship at the Hong Kong Golf Club after the tournament was reduced to 54 holes due to inclement weather.

The post Maekyung Open reduced to 54 holes due to water-logged course appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Korean Chanmin Jung said his aim was to win this week at the Maekyung Open after taking the first-round lead with an eight-under-par 63.

On Friday, he showed he has every intention of doing just that after recovering from double-bogey on the first hole to card a 68 to retain the lead — on a gloomy and rainy day at Namseoul Country Club, on the south-east side Seoul.

He’s 11-under for the Asian Tour event, two ahead of compatriot Junghwan Lee, who carded a 66, and four ahead of Yubin Jang (64), an amateur, Taeyang Jung (65), and Bio Kim (68), the defending champion and expert navigator of Namseoul.

How it stands after Round 2 of the GS Caltex Maekyung Open??https://t.co/QQChqRrghk #MaekyungOpen #whereitsAT pic.twitter.com/TIkWYMPMLP

— Asian Tour (@asiantourgolf) May 5, 2023

Unheralded Chanmin Jung, aged 23, has only been a professional for three years and in that time has recorded two top 10s on the Korean PGA Tour.

However, his unrivalled power off the tee — he was ranked first in driving distance in Korea last year and is known as the ‘Korean Hulk’, also because he is a big unit — has made him a potential star of the future and he is starting to show that this week.   

He dropped one more shot after his poor opening hole but made six birdies, including on the infamous par-four 18th, where the tee shot is tight, and the green requires maximum concentration.

Said the Korean: “I hooked my tee shot badly to the left on the first hole, so I started with a double-bogey and tried to settle my mind. Fortunately, I had birdies on the fourth and seventh hole and it led to a good result.

“The secret to finishing three-under today was not to use the driver as much as possible. I hit fairway woods and irons off the tee, when I could. I’m trying to play smart golf now, not only hit the ball a long distance.

“I’m looking forward to seeing the gallery on the weekend; I actually like to get the attention and I’ll have a good time with the golf fans on the weekend. My strategy this weekend is to persevere and wait for an opportunity.”

Lee’s round was very much a tale of two halves: he began on the 10th and went out in one-over, but danced round the next nine in six-under, thanks to six birdies in his last seven.

“The beginning didn’t go well,” he said. “But I was able to relax later and get the putter going.”

The prospect of more bad weather at the weekend does not concern him.

He added: “It’s not just one person who’s struggling, it’s hard for every player. I think I can play calmly without losing my concentration. I like difficult conditions more than easy ones. I’m not used to it, but I just like it. I think it’s good to be in the lead under those conditions.”

Bio Kim, despite not being at his best this season, is once again in contention here in an event he also won in 2012 and has been close to winning on many other occasions — including in 2007 when, in his in debut on the Asian Tour, he tied for fourth as an amateur.

“You know it is a good result and I did shoot a good number,” said the 32-year-old, who finished second on last year’s Asian Tour Order of Merit.

“However, I was playing very well going into No. 4, which is my 13th hole, but from there I was just missing all my good opportunities. I just really couldn’t get something going on my back nine, but I finished with a birdie on the last, so hopefully that good momentum is still going for the weekend.”

Unlike Lee, he is not looking forward to the bad weather.

He said: “I’m not very comfortable, you know, because it’s already a tough golf course. And wind, chilly conditions and rain doesn’t really help the players, but you know, it is what it is and just got to get through it. Hopefully, I stay warm and drain some putts.”

Jang, winner of five amateur events including last year’s World University Golf Championships in Italy, impressively made nine birdies today for the joint lowest round of the day, with Australian Kevin Yuan.

“This is my third Maekyung Open appearance, and I’m glad I did well,” said the amateur star.

“I started well in 2021, but I collapsed in the third and final rounds. I want to show a different side of me this time.”

The post Playing ‘smart golf’ helps big-hitting Chanmin Jung lead Maekyung Open appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Bio moved to seven-under alongside compatriots Dongmin Lee, the first-round leader, and young amateur Minhyuk Song.

Bio has already won this title in 2012, and looked good to repeat the feat thanks to a three-under-par 68, while veteran Dongmin carded a 70 and Song, only 17, an impressive 66.

India’s Viraj Madappa, inspired by a hole in one, shot a 65 to sit a shot back with Korean Jiho Yang, who returned a 67.

The 31-year-old Bio was quickly into his stride thanks to three birdies on the front nine. He made an unexpected double-bogey on the 13th but confidently bounced back with birdies on the next two holes.

“I felt comfortable out there today and it was certainly inspiring to play in front of such big crowds. We haven’t done that in a long time,” he said.

“It’s great to still be playing at the same level I have been this year and put myself into a good position into the weekend.”

Little-known Song is enjoying playing the finest tournament of his young career. And he is loving it.

“I am now tied first,” he said. “I feel like I’ve been given a whole new opportunity,” he added, referring to a herniated disk last year.

More
Sergio Garcia ‘can’t wait to quit PGA Tour’
LIV Golf: Bland’s British Masters title defence takes a twist
Dubai Golf Trophy is back!
Westwood and ‘many more’ request release to play LIV Golf Invitational Series
Look: Phil Mickelson spotted on golf course
Tiger Woods plays Southern Hills ahead of PGA Championship
LIV Golf Invitational Series continues to take shape
Trump to host LIV finale
Greg Norman rejected by R&A for Open Championship
Report: First PGA Tour player request to play LIV Golf events

The post Asian Tour: Bio Kim rises to the challenge at Maekyung Open in South Korea appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Matt Smith
South Korean home favourite Dongmin Lee ensured experience counted as he shot a six-under 65 to take command of the Maekyung Open at Namseoul Country Club.

Dongmin holds a one-shot lead over compatriot Hyungjoon Lee, and he drew on the experience of having played this event many times — as the Asian Tour returned to Korea for the first time since 2019.

“I have a lot of experience on this course, so I know exactly where I shouldn’t go and where I should go,” said Dongmin, 36, a two-time winner on the Korean PGA Tour and a professional for 20 years.

“A first-day six-under is great. I hope I can play the rest of the tournament this well. It’s my best score in this course. Namseoul is difficult, but I played aggressively, and things worked out well.”

Hyungjoon added: “I teed up early in the morning on the back nine. There was no wind really until the second [11th] and third [12th] holes. It was easy to make a birdie. I felt confident.

“I had about a three-week break after the season opening tournament and I spent a lot of time practising my putting to get ready for Namseoul. I really wanted to work on my feel and touch. I practised at quite a lot of different venues and came to Namseoul four times.”

Bio Kim, winner of this event in 2012, and Junggon Hwang, a four-time winner in Japan, fired 67s.

Thailand’s Natipong Srithong carded a 68 along with Asian Tour Qualifying School graduates Neil Schietekat from South Africa and Ireland’s Kevin Phelan, as well as India’s Khalin Joshi, Canadian Richard Lee and Koreans Doyeob Mun, Junghwan Lee and Yoon Chung.

More
LIV Golf: Bland’s British Masters title defence takes a twist
Premier League Golf’s ‘call to action’ toward PGA Tour
Dubai Golf Trophy is back!
Westwood and ‘many more’ request release to play LIV Golf Invitational Series
Look: Phil Mickelson spotted on golf course
Tiger Woods plays Southern Hills ahead of PGA Championship
Morikawa to play Scottish Open ahead of Open Championship defence
LIV Golf Invitational Series continues to take shape
Trump to host LIV finale
R&A set for record crowds at St Andrews after more than 1.3 million apply for tickets
Greg Norman rejected by R&A for Open Championship
Report: First PGA Tour player request to play LIV Golf events

The post Asian Tour: South Korean veteran Dongmin Lee makes experience count at Maekyung Open appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.