41-Year-Old Joo Heung-cheol's Revival Secret: "I Gave Up My Desire for Distance"

Maintaining a 16-Year Seed Since Debut in 2007, Leading Fairway Accuracy Rate "Challenging for Victory with Rich Experience"

Joo Heung-chul, a 16-year veteran of the Korean Tour, aims to win the 2022 season with precision.

[Asia Economy Reporter No Woo-rae] Veteran Joo Heung-cheol (41) is the epitome of consistency.

He debuted on the Korean Professional Golf Association (KPGA) Korean Tour in 2007 and has maintained his tour card for 16 years. He has claimed three career wins: the 2014 Gunsan CC Open, the 2016 NS Home Shopping Gunsan CC Jeonbuk Open, and the Hyundai Marine & Fire Insurance Choi Kyung-ju Invitational. However, 2020 fell short of expectations, as he advanced to the final rounds only four times in 11 tournaments. Last year, after enduring hardships, he showed a different side. In 17 tournaments, he earned prize money 11 times, including one runner-up finish.

He successfully retained his tour card, ranking 28th in prize money (?167.43 million). Explaining the secret to his revival, he said, "I worked hard to find my own way to survive," adding, "I focused on training to improve accuracy rather than distance." A conversation with 'Tank' Choi Kyung-ju (52, SK Telecom) last year was also a great source of strength. The advice was, "Focus on improving accuracy rather than shot distance," "Aim for a big shot at golf courses that suit you well," and "This is a time for selection and concentration."

Last season, he concentrated on hitting straight shots. Among 118 players who completed the regulation rounds, he ranked first in fairway hit rate (83.392%). This was the first title he earned in his golf career. Utilizing his extensive experience, he also demonstrated excellent crisis recovery skills, ranking 9th in recovery rate (60.526%). Joo Heung-cheol, who said, "This year, I will be a player who competes with experience," expressed confidence, stating, "I want to show that I am still strong," and "I will prove it with a victory."

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