'Top Winner' Kim Hanbyeol: "This Time's Target is Prize Money No. 1"... What About Lee Taehee?

At the Shinhan Donghae Open Opening on the 10th, Kim Seonghyun and Lee Taehee Compete for Individual Title in Pursuit of Consecutive Wins

[Asia Economy Kim Hyun-jun, Golf Specialist Reporter] "This time, the target is the top prize money holder."

'Order of Merit leader' Kim Han-byeol (22, photo) is challenging a 'second consecutive win' at the KPGA Shinhan Donghae Open (total prize money 1.4 billion KRW), which opens on the 10th at Bears Best Cheongna Golf Club in Incheon (par 71, 7,238 yards). After securing his first Korean Tour victory in a sudden-death playoff on the final day of the Hazzy's Golf KPGA Open on the 30th of last month, he quickly rose to 3rd place in the prize money rankings. "It's a stage I only watched on TV since my amateur days," he said, burning with determination to "challenge for a win in my first appearance."

Kim Han-byeol is a next-generation prospect who served as a national team standby player for four years starting in 2015. He passed the 2018 Korean Tour Qualifying Tournament (QT) in 5th place and successfully settled in last year by reaching the main event nine times out of eleven tournaments, finishing 34th in the prize money rankings. In July at the KPGA Open, he was frustrated after losing in a three-man playoff against Lee Soo-min (27) and Kim Min-gyu (19, CJ Logistics). He has now avenged that loss in just three tournaments.

Since Park Sang-hyun (37, Dong-A Pharmaceutical) won back-to-back titles at the Vainer-Pine Ridge Open in August 2014 and the KJ Invitational in October 2014, a remarkable record of 'two consecutive tournament wins' in 5 years and 11 months awaits. The path to victory is not easy. Defending champion JB Kruger (South Africa) cannot defend his title due to COVID-19, but Kim Sung-hyun (22), who leads the prize money rankings, and Lee Tae-hee (36), who ranks second in both the Order of Merit and prize money, are competing for individual titles.

It is worth noting that the winner's prize money for this tournament is a whopping 252 million KRW, which is more than Kim Sung-hyun's current total earnings of 200 million KRW. This means anyone can rise to the top of the prize money rankings. Opening champion Lee Ji-hoon730 (34) and KPGA Open winner Lee Soo-min are competing for 'two wins,' while past champions such as Park Sang-hyun (37) in 2018 and Lee Tae-hoon (Canada) in 2017 dream of reclaiming the top spot. Overseas players like Noh Seung-yeol (29) and Wang Jeong-hoon (25) have also joined the fray.

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