Lee Kyung-hoon "Starts with 2 Under Par"... Knox Leads with 6 Under Par

'Autumn Series Final' Mayakoba Golf Classic Day 1 Tied 20th, 'Number 3' Thomas at 1 Over Par Tied 70th Thorny Road

Lee Kyung-hoon is teeing off at the 7th hole on the first day of the Mayakoba Golf Classic. Playa (Mexico) = Getty Images / Multibits

[Asia Economy Kim Hyun-jun, Golf Specialist Reporter] This is Kyung-hoon Lee's (29, CJ Logistics) 'niche market' strategy.

On the 4th (Korean time), at the Playa El Camaleon Golf Club in Mexico (par 71, 7,039 yards), he scored 2-under par on the first day of the PGA Tour Mayakoba Golf Classic (total prize money $7.2 million), placing him tied for 20th. This tournament is the final event of the 2020/2021 season 'Fall Series.' Although it is usually a stage where world stars take a break, this year, due to the impact of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), even world No. 3 Justin Thomas (USA) participated, creating a unique atmosphere.

Lee Kyung-hoon recorded six birdies, two bogeys, and one double bogey. Starting at the 10th hole (par 3), he made three consecutive birdies from holes 11 to 13, showing impressive performance. However, consecutive bogeys at holes 14 and 15 were regrettable. He made another birdie at the 17th hole (par 4), but a double bogey at the 2nd hole (par 4) slowed him down. Fortunately, birdies at the 5th and 7th holes served as stepping stones to finish at 2-under par. He is four strokes behind the leader Russell Knox (Scotland, 6-under par), so there is plenty of room to push for the win. His 'stingy putting' stood out with an average of 1.58 putts per hole.

Knox is a player who caused a sensation by winning the World Golf Championships (WGC) HSBC Champions in November 2015. He entered the tournament with difficulty due to J.B. Holmes (USA) withdrawing, which brought even more spotlight. He also set a remarkable record as the first Scottish player to win a WGC event. Since winning the Travelers Championship in August 2016 for his second victory, he has not won again. He is now aiming for his third career win after 4 years and 4 months.

The leading group is being chased by three players tied for second place at one stroke behind (5-under par 66): Joaquin Niemann (Chile), Emiliano Grillo (Argentina), and Tom Hoge (USA). Carlos Ortiz, playing on his home course, is tied for fifth place (4-under par 67). He achieved his first victory at the Houston Open on the 9th of last month and set a new milestone as the first Mexican champion in 42 years since Victor Regalado (1978 Quad Cities Open). This adds a revenge aspect to his performance after finishing tied for second last year.

Defending champion Brendan Todd (USA) joined the tie for fifth place, challenging to defend his title. For Korea, K.J. Choi (50, SK Telecom) and Sung Kang (33) are tied for 36th at 1-under par, and Byung-hoon An (29, CJ Logistics) is tied for 70th at 1-over par. The strongest favorite for the win, Justin Thomas, showed a 'rollercoaster' performance with three birdies, two bogeys, and one double bogey, finishing at 1-over par as his iron shots faltered. Brooks Koepka (USA), ranked No. 12, also remained tied for 56th at even par.

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