Bae Yong-joon and Lee Jung-hyun "This Time, Let's Go for 2 Consecutive Wins at Songam Cup~"

Bae Yong-joon (left) poses for a commemorative photo with Woo Ki-jung, Chairman of the Songam Foundation, immediately after winning the Songam Cup last year. On the right is the women's division champion Lee Jung-hyun.

[Asia Economy Golf Specialist Reporter Kim Hyun-jun] 'Marching toward a 2nd consecutive victory.'

National representatives Bae Yong-jun (20, Korea National Sport University) and Lee Jung-hyun (14, Uncheon Middle School) began their title defense at the 27th Songam Cup Amateur Golf Championship, which opened on the 18th at Daegu Golf Course's Central and East Courses in Gyeongsan, Gyeongbuk (Par 72, 7,378 yards). This tournament was established in 1994 to honor the late Songam Woo Je-bong, who greatly contributed to the development of Korean golf. This year, considering the COVID-19 pandemic, the event is held over three rounds with a strong focus on thorough quarantine measures.

Past champions such as Noh Seung-yul (29), Park In-bi (32, KB Financial Group), Choi Hye-jin (21, Lotte), and Park Hyun-kyung (20, Korea Land Trust) are all leading stars representing Korea. Park Hyun-kyung especially drew the spotlight by setting a course record of 11-under par on the third day in 2017 and achieving a massive victory with a 16-stroke lead over second place (29-under par 259 strokes). In April, she also won the KLPGA Championship, a major on the Korean Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Tour, making headlines as the first worldwide winner after the COVID-19 outbreak.

Bae Yong-jun is the strongest favorite to win in the men's division. He recalls the perfect harmony with the course where he shot 7-under par on the final day last year to complete a 2-stroke come-from-behind victory. Lee Jung-hyun was promoted from the reserve team to the national team this year, establishing an even stronger status. The event also serves as the Korea Golf Association (KGA) national team evaluation, bringing together the next generation of stars. Representatives from each city and province, as well as overseas regions including the United States and Japan, and players who passed the qualifiers have joined the competition.

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