Kyung-Hoon Lee 4-Under Par 8th Place "Good Mock Test Score"... '442-Yard Power Hitter' Matthews? (Summary)

Ahead of Next Week's AT&T Byron Nelson Title Defense, 'Warming Up' at Wells Fargo Championship, Day 7 Under Par Leads, McIlroy Tied 17th at 3 Under Par

Lee Kyung-hoon is making a chip shot on the 18th hole on the first day of the Wells Fargo Championship. Potomac, USA = Getty Images/Multibits

[Asia Economy Kim Hyun-jun, Golf Specialist Reporter] Lee Kyung-hoon (31, CJ Logistics) is showing good results in his 'mock test.'

On the 6th (Korean time), at Potomac TPC in Maryland, USA (Par 70, 7,107 yards), the first day of the PGA Tour Wells Fargo Championship (total prize money $9 million), he scored 4 under par and stood tied for 8th place. 2018 champion Jason Day (Australia) took the lead at 7 under par, Joel Dahmen was one stroke behind in 2nd place (6 under par, 64 strokes), and 'twist swing' Matthew Wolff (both from the USA) was tied for 3rd place, two strokes behind (5 under par, 65 strokes), chasing the leaders.

It is noteworthy that Lee Kyung-hoon achieved his first PGA Tour victory at the AT&T Byron Nelson in May last year. He qualified for the 2019 season in the United States by ranking 5th on the 2018 Korn Ferry (2nd tier) Tour money list and became the 8th Korean champion in history after just 80 events. He has also won twice on the Japan Golf Tour (JGTO), including the Nagashima Shigeo in 2012 and the Honma Tour World Cup in 2015, and achieved back-to-back victories at the Korean Open, known as 'Korea's national title,' in 2016 and 2017.

It is surprising that he has not shown much presence since then. He was cut in the last three consecutive tournaments, and above all, ahead of defending his title next week, tuning his winning shot feel is urgent. Fortunately, on this day, he relied on an average of 1.50 putts per hole, making 7 birdies and 3 bogeys. Although he made a bogey on the first hole (par 4), he gained momentum with consecutive birdies on holes 3, 6, and 9-10, and recovered from a bogey on the 11th hole (par 4) with a birdie on the 12th hole (par 3).

He added 'stepping stone birdies' on the late 14th and 16th holes. Missing a 1.3m par putt on the 18th hole (par 4) left some regret. Lee Kyung-hoon said, "My iron shots came alive, creating many birdie opportunities," and "Today, my mid-to-long distance putting went in well, which boosted my confidence." He added, "Since the beginning of this year, I tried to change my swing and was too greedy to do well, which led to a slump. This time, I will play with the old feeling."

Rory McIlroy is making an iron tee shot on the 3rd hole on the first day of the Wells Fargo Championship. Potomac, USA - Photo by Getty Images/Multivitz

Day impressed with a maximum drive of 323 yards and a fairway hit rate of 85.71%, showing 'solid shots.' Locally, the big news is world No. 7 Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland) aiming for a 'second consecutive win.' He is defending his title on a 'winning ground' where he has claimed 3 of his 20 PGA Tour victories. He is tied for 17th place (3 under par, 67 strokes). Korean player Kim Si-woo (27) joined this group, while Kang Sung-hoon (35) was tied for 106th place (1 over par, 71 strokes).

'442-yard bomber' Brandon Matthews (USA) is another point of interest. Standing 193 cm tall and weighing 95 kg, with long arms, he has a large swing arc. On the 2nd day of the Korn Ferry Tour Club Car Championship on the 1st, he drew attention with a massive 442-yard drive, and as an invited player today, he demonstrated his power again with a 357-yard drive on the 15th hole (par 4). With 2 birdies and 2 bogeys, he is currently tied for 80th place (even par, 70 strokes), looking forward to the second day.

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