'Rookie Sensation' Jang Heemin "Going for Match King While I'm at It"... 'Prize Money Leader' Kim Bio and 'Grand Prize Leader' Park Sanghyun Absent

Jang Heemin Wins Woori Financial Championship in Just 2 Korean Tour Events, Marches Toward 2 Consecutive Wins; Lee Dongmin Defends Title

'Woori Financial Champ' Jang Heemin challenges the 'Match King' at the Munsingwear Match Play.

[Asia Economy Kim Hyun-jun, Golf Specialist Reporter] "I will forget last week's victory."

The 'rookie sensation' Jang Hee-min (20) is pushing forward to challenge the 'Match King.' The Descent Korea Munsingwear Match Play (total prize money 800 million KRW) of the Korea Professional Golf Association (KPGA) will be held on the 19th at De Beach Golf Course in Geoje City, Gyeongnam (par 72, 7,216 yards), a fierce battleground. Defending champion Lee Dong-min (37) is aiming to defend his title, and last year's runner-up Lee Tae-hoon (Canada) shares the dream of revenge. Top seed Ham Jeong-woo (28, Hana Financial Group) has also joined the competition for the championship.

Jang Hee-min achieved a commanding 4-stroke victory at the Woori Financial Championship (total prize money 1.3 billion KRW) which ended on the 16th. He debuted on the Korean Tour this year after finishing tied for 10th in the Qualifying Tournament (QT), and after finishing tied for 17th at last month's DB Insurance Promy Open, he reached the top in just two tournaments, drawing even more spotlight. His unique background is interesting, having gone to study golf in the UK from the second year of middle school until the third year of high school, and having played on the European third-tier tour.

Jang Hee-min is pleased that strong players such as 'top money winner' Kim Bi-o (32), 'top award winner' Park Sang-hyun (39, Dong-A Pharmaceutical), and the 2015 and 2019 champion of this tournament Lee Hyeong-jun (30) are all absent. This is a great opportunity for him to claim not only multiple wins but also the top spots in both prize money and awards with this victory. Kim Bi-o is participating in the PGA Championship, a major on the US PGA Tour, as an invited player, while Park Sang-hyun and Lee Hyeong-jun are adjusting their conditions. "I will try to maintain this good momentum," he said with determination.

Other contenders for the title include Kim Min-gyu (21, CJ Logistics), Lee Jae-kyung (23), Kim Han-byeol (26, SK Telecom), and Heo In-hoe (35). Kim Min-gyu, in particular, was disappointed to finish second after a fierce battle with Jang Hee-min for the championship at the Woori Financial Championship. The tournament format is unconventional: after the round of 64 and 32, the round of 16 is divided into four groups, where players compete in a 'group league' of three matches. The top player in each group advances to the final and the third-place match based on points, which is worth noting.

Depending on the group composition, it is possible to be eliminated even after winning three matches. For example, Park Sang-hyun won three consecutive matches in 2016 to top Group B but did not advance to the final. He had 7 points, losing out to Hwang In-chun (3 wins, 10 points) of Group C and Lee Sang-yeop (3 wins, 8 points) of Group A. On the other hand, Kim Min-hwi (29) won the championship in 2018 after earning a final ticket with 2 wins and 1 loss. This somewhat diminishes the 'sudden death' nature unique to match play. Players must aim for a big victory margin in the group league to maximize hole difference.

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