‘Future Groom’ Kim Hong-taek: "I Will Definitely Win Next Year~"

2017 Busan Open Champion, Challenging 2nd Win with Long Drives and 'Sokgot Iron Shots', Getting Married in March Next Year "Expect a Changed Appearance"

"Iron Man" Kim Hong-taek is determined to gift the championship trophy to his bride, who will be getting married in March next year.

[Asia Economy Reporter No Woo-rae] ‘Iron Man’ Kim Hong-taek (28, Volvik) is a ‘groom-to-be.’

He is scheduled to marry his girlfriend of five years next March. Kim Hong-taek, who said, "My fianc?e is always a great support and very considerate," stated, "Since I am starting a family, I definitely want to add a victory in the 2022 season," and added, "I will work hard to prepare for the season." He is a player known for his powerful long drives and precise ‘needle-like iron shots.’ He gained attention by winning his first title at the Dong-A Membership Group Dynamic Busan Open in 2017, his debut year on the Korea Professional Golfers' Association (KPGA) Korean Tour.

However, it is regrettable that he has not added any more trophies since then. In the 2021 season, he ranked first in greens in regulation (75.36%) and third in average driving distance (306.45 yards), but he remained ‘trophy-less.’ This year, he participated in 17 tournaments and entered the ‘top 10’ four times. His best result of the season was a tie for 4th place at the Hyundai Marine & Fire Insurance Choi Kyung-ju Invitational, and he maintained his tour card by ranking 44th in prize money (11,932,000 KRW). The problem is his somewhat inconsistent play, as he missed the cut eight times.

Above all, he was held back on the greens. His average putts per hole ranked 103rd (1.87 putts). He expressed regret, saying, "My putting did not follow well," and "I often missed at critical moments." Since he will be starting a family next year, he is approaching winter training more enthusiastically than ever. He vowed, "I will further develop my strength in long drives," and "I will put great effort into improving my short game skills, including putting."

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