Jang Igeun "First European Victory GO"... Host Willet's 'Declaration of Challenge'

Lucky Waitlist Spot at British Masters: World No.1 Kaymer and 7-Time Champion Visberger Join

Jang Igeun challenges for his first European stage victory at the British Masters.

[Asia Economy Reporter No Woo-rae] Jang I-geun (28) is heading to England.

The European Tour British Masters (total prize money 1.85 million pounds), opening on the 12th (Korean time) at Belfry Golf Club in Sutton Coldfield, England (par 72, 7,232 yards), is a fierce battleground. Danny Willett (England), the 2016 Masters champion, is hosting the event. Along with Willett, world number one Martin Kaymer (Germany) and two-time Omega Series champion Bernd Wiesberger (Austria) are joining the race for the title.

Jang I-geun is the champion who won the Korean Open, the Korean Professional Golf Association (KPGA) National Title, in June 2017. In September, at the GSwing Mega Open, he set the Korean Tour record for the most under par over 72 holes (28 under par, 260 strokes), achieving his second victory and earning Rookie of the Year honors. In September 2019, he won the Asian (APGA) Tour Yangde Tournament Players Championship and secured a European Tour card as an APGA Tour cardholder.

He made his European Tour debut at the 2016 Thailand Classic. Although he has played in a total of 32 tournaments, he has yet to win. He gained attention by finishing tied for 7th at the South African Open co-hosted by the European Tour and APGA Tour in December 2018. He performed well with a tied 6th place finish at the Tenerife Open held recently at Golf Costa Adeje in Tenerife, Spain. It was unfortunate that he missed the cut at the Canary Islands Championship held on the same course last week.

He got lucky after being on the waiting list for this tournament. Jang I-geun is playing under harsh conditions, undergoing COVID-19 tests three times a week. "My goal this year is to achieve my first win and finish within the top 115 in the Race to Dubai rankings," he said, adding, "I will focus on securing a full European Tour card for next year." He plans to participate in the final qualifying round of the US Open next month and compete in the Shinhan Donghae Open held domestically in September.

Martin Kaymer (right) and Bernd Wiesberger are strong contenders for the British Masters title. Photo by European Tour website

The appearance of Kaymer, winner of the 2010 PGA Championship and 2014 US Open, is a hot topic. It is a crucial time as he needs points to participate in the Ryder Cup. "This course holds many good memories," he said, "I want to win and represent Europe at the Ryder Cup." Bernd Wiesberger, a seven-time European Tour champion, is a dark horse. He recalls finishing runner-up at this tournament in 2016. "I am determined to achieve another good result at this historic venue," he said.

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