'Number 4' Park Sang-hyun "Marching Toward 2 Consecutive Wins"..."Modified Stableford?"

Yamaha and Owners K Open Launch, Top 5 Including Kim Juhyung and Lee Junseok All Out, JPGA Championship Champ Kim Sunghyun Joins

Sanghyun Park challenges for 'consecutive wins in 2 tournaments' at the YAMAHA and HONORS K Open.

[Asia Economy Kim Hyun-jun, Golf Specialist Reporter] ‘Number 4’ Park Sang-hyun (38, Dong-A Pharmaceutical) is on a two-win streak.

The Yamaha Owners K Open (total prize money 500 million KRW) of the Korean Professional Golf Association (KPGA) Korean Tour, opening on the 22nd at Solago Golf Club in Taean, Chungnam (par 72, 7,264 yards), is a fierce battleground. Defending champion Lee Soo-min (28) has enlisted in the military, and Kim Min-gyu (19) and Kim Han-byul (25, SK Telecom), who lost in a playoff last year, are seeking revenge. The ‘Top 5’ including prize money ranking No. 1 Kim Joo-hyung (19, CJ Logistics), Lee Joon-seok (Australia), Heo In-hoe (34), and Moon Kyung-jun (39, NH Nonghyup Bank) all gathered.

Park Sang-hyun won the Woosung Construction Aramir CC Busan Gyeongnam Open on the 11th, marking his 9th career victory after a long 2 years and 10 months since winning the Shinhan Donghae Open in September 2018. It is interesting that this tournament uses the ‘Modified Stableford’ scoring system. Points are awarded as follows: albatross 8 points, eagle 5 points, birdie 2 points, par 0 points, bogey -1 point, double bogey or worse -3 points, and the total points earned at each hole are summed. This is why players adopt an aggressive play style aiming for birdies or better.

Park Sang-hyun also fully mastered the strategy during his tied 5th place finish last year. The strongest favorite to win is Kim Joo-hyung. He currently ranks first in prize money, average score (69.76), and target points (3462.06). In eight appearances, he has achieved remarkable results including winning the SK Telecom Open, two runner-ups, one third place, and one tied sixth place. This time, he aims to secure his second win and solidify his No. 1 position in individual titles, pursuing ‘two rabbits with one shot.’

Kim Sung-hyun (23) is a player to watch. He made big news by winning the JPGA Championship, a major on the Japan Golf Tour Organization (JGTO), on the 5th. Following his KPGA Championship victory last August, he has built a golden record as the champion of both Korean and Japanese national tournaments. Lee Hyung-jun (29), the 2018 Player of the Year, is returning after completing his military service. The appearance of invited player Park Chan-ho (49) is an off-course topic. He was cut off after finishing last (29 over par, 171 strokes) at the Gunsan CC Open in April.

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