"Putting Trouble? Got the Hang of It" Hwang In-chun Leads at Gunsan CC Open

20-Year Veteran, 9 Under Par in Round 1 of Gunsan CC Open
2006 Shinhan Donghae Open 'Personal Best Score' Tie
Kang Kyungnam & Kwon Osang, 1 Stroke Behind in 'Tied 2nd Place' Chase

Hwang In-chun is taking his second shot on the 2nd hole during the first day of the Bodyfriend Phantom Robo Gunsan CC Open. Photo by KPGA

[Asia Economy Reporter Jang Hee-jun] Veteran Hwang In-chun (48) has laid the groundwork for his 6th career win on the Korean Professional Golfers' Association (KPGA) Korean Tour.

On the 25th, Hwang In-chun took the lead on the first day of the Bodyfriend Phantom Robo Gunsan CC Open (total prize money 500 million KRW) held at Gunsan CC Lead & Lake Course (par 72) in Jeonbuk. He recorded a 9-under-par 63 with 9 birdies and no bogeys.

He got off to a smooth start. Hwang In-chun made consecutive birdies on holes 1 and 2, then added birdies on holes 4 and 5, hole 7 (par 4), and hole 9 (par 5), reducing his score by 6 strokes in the front nine. In the back nine, he added 3 more birdies on holes 11 and 16 (both par 5), and hole 17 (par 3) to finish the first round.

Hwang In-chun debuted on the Korean Tour in 2003. True to his veteran status with 5 career wins, he showcased excellent shot-making skills and matched his personal best score achieved at the 2006 Shinhan Donghae Open.

The reason behind his 9-under-par performance on the first day of the tournament was the recovery of his putting touch. Despite struggling with putting this season and making the cut only 3 times in 11 tournaments, Hwang’s putting on the greens was sharp and precise that day.

Hwang In-chun said, "The reed fields that were a symbol of Gunsan CC have all disappeared and stone walls have been built, so the course feels visually more open, making it easier to play. My shots were not bad today, and especially my putting was good, allowing me to make 9 birdies."

Approaching the age of 50, Hwang In-chun is still thirsty for victory. He smiled and said, "I feel confident in my stamina to the point where I wish there were more tournaments. I will prepare well for the remaining rounds so that I don’t lose focus until the end."

Kang Kyung-nam (39) and Kwon Oh-sang (27) closely chased Hwang In-chun by just one stroke. Kang Kyung-nam recorded 8 birdies without any bogeys for an 8-under-par 64. Having narrowly missed winning in a playoff at the recent Woosung Construction Open, Kang aims for his first win of the season and his 12th career Korean Tour victory in this tournament.

Kwon Oh-sang finished the first round with 1 eagle on hole 16 (par 5) and 6 birdies. This is his chance to erase the pain of last month’s loss in a playoff at the Asiad CC Busan Open.

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