'18-Year-Old Young Gun' Kim Juhyung's Record-Breaking Achievement: "Have You Seen the Youngest Winner on the Korean Tour?"

KPGA Gunsan CC Open Champion '18 Years 21 Days', Advances to Prize Money and Grand Prize Points No.1, Kim Min-gyu 2nd Place

Kim Juhyung is holding the trophy and posing for a commemorative photo immediately after winning the KPGA Gunsan CC Open. Photo by KPGA

[Asia Economy Kim Hyun-jun, Golf Specialist Reporter] "The youngest winner in the Korean Tour."

The '18-year-old young gun' Kim Joo-hyung (18, CJ Logistics) made history in Korean professional golf (KPGA) by winning the KPGA Gunsan CC Open (total prize money 500 million KRW) held on the 12th at Gunsan Golf Club Lead & Lake Course (par 71, 7,130 yards) in Gunsan City, Jeonbuk. At 18 years and 21 days old, he broke the youngest winner record previously held by Lee Sang-hee (28), who won the 2011 NH Nonghyup Open at 19 years, 6 months, and 10 days. He also shortened the shortest time from joining the tour record held by Kim Kyung-tae (34) by 109 days, achieving it in just 3 months and 17 days.

Kim Joo-hyung caused a sensation last November by winning the Asian (APGA) Tour Panasonic Open at just 17 years old. Born in Seoul, he moved to China at the age of two, and later lived in the Philippines, Australia, and Thailand. This explains his fluency in various languages including English, Chinese, and Thai. Interestingly, he learned Korean through TV dramas. Thanks to his performance on the APGA Tour, his world ranking has already risen to 113th, the highest among the players participating in this tournament.

For Kim Joo-hyung, the runner-up finish at the Woosung Construction Aramir CC Busan Gyeongnam Open on the 5th, where he participated as a top-ranked player in the world rankings, was rather disappointing. He made a dramatic playoff by scoring an eagle with a '2-on 1-putt' on the final 18th hole (par 5), but had to swallow his tears as Lee Ji-hoon730 (34) won with a birdie. Starting the day as the leader by one stroke, he added 2 under par to complete a two-stroke victory (16 under par 268 strokes), recording 3 birdies and 1 bogey.

His start was shaky with a bogey on the 2nd hole (par 5). After a tedious parade of pars, Kim Joo-hyung’s persistence was remarkable as he changed the momentum with consecutive birdies on the 9th and 10th holes. He eventually secured the win with a birdie on the 15th hole (par 4). The highlight was the 'big par' on the 16th hole (par 4). After his tee shot landed in the water and he took a one-stroke penalty, he landed his third shot 4.8 meters from the hole and managed to save par. Kim Min-gyu (19) finished second (14 under par 270 strokes), and Han Seung-soo (USA), who was chasing by one stroke, dropped to third (13 under par 271 strokes) after a double bogey on the 18th hole (par 4).

It is noteworthy that with the winner’s prize of 100 million KRW, Kim Joo-hyung instantly took the top spot in the prize money rankings (150 million KRW). He is also first in the Rookie of the Year and Genesis Award points. With this victory, he secured a three-year tour card and has emerged as the hottest 'promotional card' for the 2020 season. He cheered, "The birdie on the 15th hole and the par save on the 16th hole were the driving forces behind the victory," adding, "I really wanted to win in Korea, and being the youngest winner adds a very special meaning."

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