Lee Kyung-hoon "Revenge Match at Golf Liberation Zone"... What About World No.1 Jon Rahm?

On the Night of the 10th, Brooks Koepka Reattempts Victory at Phoenix Open, Defends Title, Joined by 'Number 3' Viktor Hovland

Lee Kyung-hoon took on the challenge of avenging his runner-up finish last year at the Waste Management Phoenix Open.

[Asia Economy Golf Specialist Reporter Kim Hyun-jun] It is Lee Kyung-hoon's (31) 'revenge match.'

The Waste Management Phoenix Open (total prize money $8.2 million), opening on the night of the 10th (Korean time) at Scottsdale TPC in Arizona, USA (par 71, 7,261 yards), is the stage where he narrowly missed victory by one stroke last year, finishing second. Defending champion Brooks Koepka (USA) is aiming to defend his title, and world No. 1 Jon Rahm (Spain) has declared his participation, heating up the atmosphere even more. No. 3 Viktor Hovland (Norway) has also joined the field.

Lee Kyung-hoon won twice on the Japan Golf Tour (JGTO), including the 2012 Nagashima Shigeo and the 2015 Honma Tour World Cup, and achieved back-to-back Korean Open major titles on the Korean Professional Golf (KPGA) Korean Tour in 2016 and 2017. In 2018, he ranked 5th on the Korn Ferry (second-tier) Tour money list, moved to the U.S. in 2019, finished runner-up at this tournament last year, and finally claimed his first PGA Tour championship at the AT&T Byron Nelson in May. He is the eighth Korean winner in history.

In the 2022 season, he has yet to break into the 'top 10' in eight tournaments, fueling his determination. For Lee Kyung-hoon, tuning his competitive shot sense is urgent. This tournament is especially known as the only 'golf liberation zone' in the global golf world where alcohol consumption is allowed. The attendance restriction, which was limited to 5,000 people last year due to COVID-19, has been lifted, and more than 100,000 galleries are expected to flood in daily. The Korean contingent includes Kim Si-woo (27), Kang Sung-hoon (35), and Noh Seung-yul (32).

Koepka recalls the thrilling memory of making two eagles on the 3rd hole (par 5) and the 17th hole (par 4) on the final day last year. Including 2015, he is already aiming for his third win. Tom Hoge, who succeeded on his 203rd attempt out of 202 starts at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am that ended on the 7th, is challenging for 'back-to-back wins.' Jordan Spieth (both USA) is preparing for a 'return match.' He was held back by a bogey on the 17th hole (par 3) late in the 4th round of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and finished second.

World No. 1 Jon Rahm challenges for his first win of the 2022 season at the Phoenix Open.

Rahm is the 'top favorite' to win. Last June, he became the first Spanish player to win the US Open, but with two second-place finishes and three third-place finishes, his number of wins seems somewhat lacking. This year, he has already finished second at the Sentry Tournament and tied for third at the Farmers Insurance Open, indicating his warm-up is complete. Although he is from Barrika, Spain, it is noteworthy that he graduated from the prestigious golf school Arizona State University in the U.S. Scottsdale TPC is practically his home course.

Hovland is no pushover. He has three PGA Tour wins: the Puerto Rico Open in February 2020, the Mayakoba Classic in December 2020, and the Worldwide Technology Championship (Mayakoba Classic) in November 2021. He also added two DP World Tour (European Tour) wins last year: the BMW International in June and the Dubai Desert Classic on the 31st. Experts have added 'playoff (PO) champion' Patrick Cantlay and Justin Thomas (both USA), as well as Hideki Matsuyama (Japan), to the list of contenders.

'Number 3' Viktor Hovland is heading to the Phoenix Open after completing his 'Dubai expedition'.

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