'3-win Champ' Kim Woo-hyun's Resolution "Letting Go of the Desire to Win~"

Recovery Trend Since Late Last Year, Thailand Training Camp Perfectly Completed "Maintaining Peak Condition for the Opening"

Kim Woo-hyun, in his 9th year on the Korean Tour, vowed, "This year, I will let go of the desire to win and play golf for enjoyment."

[Asia Economy Reporter Noo Rae Noh] "I will let go of my greed, obsession, and burden for winning."

This is the resolution of Kim Woo-hyun (29, Bainer), a '3-time champion' on the Korean Professional Golf Association (KPGA) Korean Tour. In a recent interview with KPGA, he said, "Looking back on my tour life so far, the greater the expectations, the less the results followed," adding, "I want to achieve consistent results with steady play until the end of the season." He continued, "It is important to get rid of the burden of having to perform well," and added, "My goal this year is to make the cut in the tournaments I enter."

Kim Woo-hyun is a 9-year veteran who was a national team member for two years starting in 2007 and debuted on the Korean Tour in 2012. He collected winner's trophies at the 2014 Happiness Songhak Construction Open, Boseong CC Classic, and the 2017 Kaido Dream Open. Of his three career wins, two were secured through playoffs, earning him the nickname 'Man with a Strong Heart.' Last year, he participated in 15 tournaments and made it to the final rounds 10 times. He maintained his tour card by ranking 29th in Genesis Points and 51st in prize money rankings (75.96 million KRW).

"Until mid-season, my putting was poor, and I even thought I might have the 'yips,'" Kim Woo-hyun recalled. "After switching from a 34-inch putter to a 35-inch one, I regained my feel," he said, adding, "My stability and consistency in strokes improved, which boosted my confidence." Although his performance was inconsistent in the first half of last year, he showed strong finishing power by placing in the top 20 in five consecutive tournaments from the Busan Gyeongnam Open in August to the Genesis Championship, the final event in October.

He returned to Korea on the 15th of last month after training in Thailand since January. During the more than two months, he focused on improving shot accuracy and maintaining his putting feel. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the season opener DB Insurance Promy Open, Maekyung Open, SK Telecom Open, and KB Financial Live Championship were all postponed or canceled. The next event is the 63rd KPGA Championship, a major, scheduled for June 11. "I will maintain my best condition for the opening," he said.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.