"PGA Tour Debut" Kim Tae-hoon 2 Under Par "Hole-in-One and Shot Eagle" (Summary)

Genesis Invitational Day 1 Tied 19th Start, Burns Leads at 7 Under Par, 'Number 1' Johnson at 3 Under Par 12th

Kim Tae-hoon is teeing off on the 18th hole on the first day of the Genesis Invitational. Pacific Palisades, California, USA = Getty Images / Multibits Photo by Multibits

[Asia Economy Kim Hyun-jun, Golf Specialist Reporter] "Hole-in-one + bunker shot eagle."

‘Korea’s No. 1’ Kim Tae-hoon (36, Webcash Group) caused a stir by finishing tied for 19th at 2-under par on the first day of the PGA Tour Genesis Invitational (total prize money $9.3 million), which opened on the 19th (Korean time) at the Riviera Golf Club in Pacific Palisades, California (par 71, 7,322 yards). Sam Burns (USA) leads unexpectedly at 7-under par, with Matthew Fitzpatrick (England) and Max Homa (USA) chasing at 5-under par, tied for second.

Kim Tae-hoon first drew more spotlight when he made his PGA Tour debut last October as the Korean Tour Genesis Championship champion, sponsored by Hyundai Motor Company. Starting at the 10th hole (par 4), he immediately made a birdie, and at the 11th hole (par 5), he recorded an eagle with an 8-meter greenside bunker shot. Although he missed the green at the 14th hole (par 3) and made his first bogey, he regained momentum with a hole-in-one at the 16th hole (par 3), followed by a birdie at the back nine 10th hole (par 4).

It is rather unfortunate that a double bogey at the 2nd hole (par 4) slowed him down. He made consecutive bogeys at the 3rd and 4th holes but fortunately changed the atmosphere with a birdie at the 8th hole (par 4). For Kim Tae-hoon, this tournament is an important special match featuring world stars such as world No. 1 Dustin Johnson (USA) and No. 2 Jon Rahm (Spain). It is an opportunity to glimpse his potential in the big leagues. He confidently declared, "I will focus on advancing to the main rounds first, and if I make it to the 3rd and 4th rounds, I will challenge the top ranks."

Dustin Johnson is examining the putting line on the 2nd hole during the first day of the Genesis Invitational. Pacific Palisades, California, USA = Getty Images / Multibits

Johnson is smoothly progressing, tied for 12th at 3-under par. With 4 wins including 3 in the 2020 season and 1 in the 2021 season, he is truly the ‘new golf emperor.’ In the 3 playoff (PO) tournaments from August to September, he achieved remarkable results of ‘win-second place-win.’ The highlight was his November ‘Fall Masters’ record lowest score victory (20-under par 268 strokes). This year, he demonstrated his ‘No. 1 power’ to the world by winning the European Tour Saudi International, which ended on the 7th.

‘Phoenix Open champion’ Brooks Koepka (USA) joined tied 12th aiming for his 2nd win, and defending champion Adam Scott (Australia) is rushing to defend his title at tied 19th. Rahm is tied for 34th at 1-under par, while No. 3 Justin Thomas (USA) fell back to 117th at 6-over par. Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland) is tied for 85th at 2-over par, and ‘Hulk’ Bryson DeChambeau (USA) is also struggling at tied 105th at 4-over par.

Korea’s Lee Kyung-hoon (30) is looking for an opportunity tied for 34th. He proudly raised his personal best with a runner-up finish at the Waste Management Phoenix Open, which ended on the 8th. After ranking 5th on the 2018 Korn Ferry (2nd tier) Tour money list, he advanced to the PGA Tour in 2019 and has maintained his card for two consecutive years, gradually approaching the winning circle. ‘American Express champion’ Kim Si-woo (26) and Kang Sung-hoon (34, both CJ Logistics) remained tied for 47th at even par.

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