Shin Sang-hoon's Excitement "Tied 2nd, 1 Stroke Behind Hwang Joong-gon"..."Did You See the 10-Under 61?"

Major KPGA Championship Day 3 Course Record Tie, 'Top Prize Money' Kim Bi-o Tied 2nd, 'Fishing Swing' Choi Ho-seong 4th

Shin Sang-hoon is posing immediately after tying the course record with a 10-under-par 61 on the third day of the KPGA Championship. Photo by KPGA

[Asia Economy Reporter No Woo-rae] Shin Sang-hoon (24) is on a divine scoring spree.

On the 11th, at A-One Golf Course in Yangsan, Gyeongnam (par 71, 7,048 yards), during the third day of the KPGA Korean Tour Major KPGA Championship (total prize money 1.5 billion KRW), he tied the course record with a 10-under 61, instantly jumping to a tie for 2nd place (11-under 202). ‘Real Man’ Hwang Jung-gon (30) leads (12-under 201), and ‘Top Money Winner’ Kim Bi-o (32) joined the group tied for 2nd, creating a fierce battle for the championship.

Starting tied for 50th place, 9 shots behind, Shin Sang-hoon swept up 2 eagles and 6 birdies without a single bogey. After consecutive birdies on holes 10 and 11 and a birdie on hole 13 (par 5), he reduced 3 strokes in the front nine. In the back nine, he energized the round with a birdie on hole 1 (par 4) and an eagle on hole 3 (par 5). Following ‘stepping stone birdies’ on holes 5 to 7, he finished with an eagle on the final hole 9 (par 5). This matched the course record of 9-under 61 set by Choi Min-cheol (34) in 2018 when the course was par 70.

Shin Sang-hoon debuted on the Korean Tour in 2020 and is now in his third year. He was part of the national representative reserve team in 2017 and 2018. He first gained attention with a tie for 4th place at the GS Caltex Maekyung Open in August 2020, and last year achieved his personal best with a runner-up finish at the Genesis Championship in October. His prize money ranking last year was 12th (339.25 million KRW). Although he has not made a ‘top 10’ in six tournaments this year, he chased the leader by just one stroke today, seizing his first career victory opportunity.

Hwang Jung-gon is teeing off at the 3rd hole on the third day of the KPGA Championship. Photo by KPGA

Hwang Jung-gon shot 2-under to maintain his lead on the leaderboard for the second consecutive day. He struggled to reduce strokes over 16 holes but stood out with back-to-back birdies on holes 17 and 18. He is a player with two domestic wins including this tournament in 2017, and four wins on the Japan Golf Tour Organization (JGTO). After enlisting following the 2019 season, he was discharged in November last year and has qualified for the main event in all five tournaments this season. Last month, he finished tied for 10th at the GS Caltex Maekyung Open.

Kim Bi-o added 3-under to continue his hot streak with three wins this season. He swept two wins in just three tournaments this year, including the Maekyung Open in May and the SK Telecom Open on the 5th. He leads both the prize money and the points race. ‘Angler Swing’ Choi Ho-sung (49) shot 4-under to jump to 4th place (10-under 203). 2020 champion Kim Sung-hyun (24) and Bae Yong-jun (22) are tied for 5th (9-under 204), and Choi Jin-ho (38) is tied for 10th (7-under 206).

Kim Bi-o is reading the putting line on the 8th hole on the third day of the KPGA Championship. Photo by KPGA

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