'Return of the Power Hitter' Kim Bong-seop "8-Under Par Storm Shots"... What About Prize Money Leader Kim Joo-hyung?

Woosung Construction Aramir CC Busan Gyeongnam Open Day 1: Choi Jang-ho 7 Under Par 2nd Place, Defending Champion Lee Ji-hoon 1 Under Par Tied 58th

Kim Bong-seop is teeing off at the 16th hole on the first day of the Woosung General Construction Aramir CC Busan Gyeongnam Open. Photo by KPGA

[Asia Economy Golf Specialist Reporter Kim Hyun-jun] "The Return of the Long Hitter."

‘Korean DeChambeau’ Kim Bong-seop (38) made a strong start. On the first day of the KPGA Woosung Construction Aramir CC Busan-Gyeongnam Open (total prize money 500 million KRW) held on the 8th at Aramir Golf Course in Changwon, Gyeongnam (par 71, 7,206 yards), he shot 8 under par to take a one-stroke lead. Choi Jang-ho (26) is in second place (7 under par, 64 strokes), while Jeon Jae-han (31), Park Seung (25), and Park Jun-won (35) are tied for third place (6 under par, 65 strokes) in pursuit.

Kim Bong-seop debuted on the Korean Tour in 2008 but has yet to win a tournament. Interestingly, he was the long drive champion three times?in 2012, 2017, and 2018. He is known for his muscular physique, with thighs roughly the size of an average adult woman’s waist. The issue has been consistency. He has been among the leaders in rounds 1 and 2 and competed for the win through round 3, but has lacked the final ‘2%’ to close out. His best career finish is a tie for second at the Shinhan Donghae Open in November 2014.

However, on this day, he racked up eight birdies. He started strong with consecutive birdies on holes 10 and 11, followed by ‘stepping stone birdies’ on holes 14 and 16, and then another pair of consecutive birdies from hole 18 to the first hole of the back nine, creating momentum. He added two more birdies on holes 7 and 9 late in the round. It is worth noting that Kim Bong-seop deployed his ‘needle-like iron shots’ with a maximum drive of 305.1 yards and a green hit rate of 88.89%. He said, "My shot feel is good this season," and vowed, "I will focus on my own play."

While some players’ rounds were postponed due to bad weather, defending champion Lee Ji-hoon (35) sits tied for 58th at 1 under par. He completed 16 holes with two birdies and one bogey. Major champion Lee Jun-seok (Australia), who won the Kolon Korean Open on the 27th of last month, joined this group. Kim Joo-hyung (19, CJ Logistics), ranked first in prize money, is struggling with just one bogey over 15 holes, sitting at 1 over par. The second round has become even more crucial.

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