"Korean Tour Start~"..."Top Domestic and International Stars Gathered"

Woosung General Construction Aramir CC Busan Gyeongnam Open "2020 Season Opening", 'Grand Prize' Moon Kyung-jun and 'Prize Money King' Lee Soo-min Participate, Lee Jae-kyung Defends 'Title'

'Daesang' Mungyeongjun advances toward victory at Woosung General Construction Aramir CC Busan Gyeongnam Open.

[Changwon (Gyeongnam) = Asia Economy Kim Hyunjun, Golf Specialist Reporter] "Top domestic and international stars all gathered."

The Korean Professional Golfers' Association (KPGA) Korean Tour has finally stretched its wings. The Woosung Construction Aramir CC Busan Gyeongnam Open (total prize money 500 million KRW), which kicks off the 2020 season, begins its fierce competition on the 2nd at Aramir Golf Course in Changwon City, Gyeongnam (par 72, 7,245 yards). Originally scheduled for April, it was delayed by two months due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). 'Order of Merit' winner Moon Kyung-jun (38) and 'Money List King' Lee Soo-min (27), along with overseas players, have joined the field.

Moon Kyung-jun is especially challenging for a 'back-to-back Order of Merit' title for the first time in three years since Choi Jin-ho (36) in 2016-2017. Last year, his persistence stood out with seven top-10 finishes in 15 tournaments. Although he secured a direct ticket to the European Tour, it became meaningless due to COVID-19. For now, he is seeking redemption after failing to maintain a 5-stroke lead on the final day of the Genesis Championship in October and suffering a come-from-behind defeat. "I was disappointed not to have a win," he said, "This year, I will secure a victory early."

Lee Soo-min is a player to watch. As an amateur, he caused a sensation by winning the 2013 Gunsan CC Open. Shortly after turning professional in 2015, he again claimed the Gunsan CC Open title, setting a rare record of winning the same tournament both as an amateur and a professional. In 2016, he gained 'big league' experience by winning the European Tour's Shenzhen International unexpectedly, then returned to Korea and made a name for himself by winning the Choi Kyung-ju Invitational last October.

Park Sang-hyun (37, Dong-A Pharmaceutical), Choi Ho-sung (47), Kang Kyung-nam (37), Ryu Hyun-woo (39, Korea Petroleum), and Kim Seung-hyuk (34) have returned from Japan, while Wang Jeong-hoon, Choi Jin-ho, and Lee Tae-hee (36) have come back from Europe. Park Sang-hyun is notably the 2018 Money List King. At that time, while also playing on the Japan Golf Tour Organization (JGTO), he participated in only eight tournaments, sweeping three wins including the May Maekyung Open, June KEB Hana Bank Invitational, and September Shinhan Donghae Open. It is truly a 'return of the number one.'

Lee Jae-kyung has entered the Woosung General Construction Aramir CC Busan Gyeongnam Open to defend his title.

Defending champion Lee Jae-kyung (21, CJ O Shopping) dreams of 'title defense.' He made his first win in just his 10th KPGA Tour event, showcasing 'rookie power' to the world. He immediately expressed grand ambitions by applying for the PGA Tour Korn Ferry (second-tier) Tour Qualifying (Q) School. "This time, the opening event has a special meaning," he said, burning with determination, "I think I need to shoot better than 20 under par to win."

Champions such as Jeon Ga-ram (25, Volvik), Ham Jung-woo (26, Hana Financial Group), Seo Hyung-seok (23, Shinhan Financial Group), and Seo Yo-seop (24) are also strong contenders for the title. Kim Joo-hyung (18, CJ Logistics) is a dark horse. He is the winner of the Asian (APGA) Tour Panasonic Open held in India last November at the age of 17. He will make his Korean Tour debut. Golf fans will also be pleased by the appearance of Yang Yong-eun (48), the only Korean PGA Tour major champion.

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