Kim Tae-hoon vs Kim Han-byeol 'The Final Duel'... Who Takes the Top Prize?

Korean Tour '2020 Season Final' Title Competition at LG Signature Players Championship, Lee Jae-kyung Joins

'Winner' Kim Tae-hoon (left) and runner-up Kim Han-byeol will face off in a head-to-head battle at the LG Signature Players Championship.

[Asia Economy Kim Hyun-jun, Golf Specialist Reporter] "Only a 5.5-point difference."

It is the 'final duel' between Kim Tae-hoon (35) and Kim Han-byeol (24). The LG Signature Players Championship (total prize money 1 billion KRW), which kicks off on the 5th at Seowon Valley Golf Club in Paju, Gyeonggi Province (par 72, 7,010 yards), is the final event of the 2020 Korean Professional Golf Association (KPGA) Korean Tour season. This year, due to the impact of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), the season started early with the Woosung Construction Aramir CC Busan Gyeongnam Open in July and will conclude ahead of schedule.

Kim Tae-hoon is especially chasing 'two rabbits' by maintaining first place in both the Player of the Year points (2,980.5 points) and prize money (474.79 million KRW). He rose to the top of the prize money rankings by winning the Genesis Championship, which boasts the largest prize money in Korea, on the 11th of last month, and secured first place in the Player of the Year standings with a tie for 32nd at the Bizplay Electronic Times Open on the 25th. Interestingly, he even gave up his spot in the PGA Tour's The CJ Cup. He is aiming for various rewards including a direct ticket to the European Tour next year, a 50 million KRW bonus, and a Genesis car.

Kim Han-sol is in second place (2,975 points). After winning two titles?the Hazys Golf KPGA Open in August and the Shinhan Donghae Open in September?he led the standings before participating in The CJ Cup and is currently staying in Pyeongchang, Gangwon Province. His prize money is also second (417.75 million KRW), and the 200 million KRW winner's prize from this tournament is a driving force to overturn the 57.04 million KRW gap. The 'two-week self-quarantine' is a variable. He will move to the course and have a practice round immediately after the quarantine lifts at noon on the 4th. He expressed his fighting spirit, saying, "I will do my best."

Lee Jae-kyung (21, CJ O Shopping) is in third place (2,754.35 points), and Lee Chang-woo (27) is watching for an opportunity in fourth place (2,706.58 points). The champion group including Lee Soo-min (27) and Lee Tae-hee (36) are also contenders for the title. Lee Won-jun (Australia) is challenging for 'back-to-back wins' in two consecutive tournaments. Motivated by being first in rookie points (1,680 points) and aiming to surpass Seok Jong-yul (then 31 years old) in 2000 to become the oldest rookie of the year at 35. Kim Sung-hyun (22), who won the KPGA Championship in August, is making a tough chase from second place (1,008 points).

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