Seo Yoseop "Back-to-Back Wins in Sight"... "Did You See 9 Birdies?"

'Gunsan CC Open Champ' Seo Yoseop Leads LX Championship First Day
Kim Hongtaek 2nd, Choi Jinho and Kim Seunghyuk Tied 3rd, Ok Taehun Tied 7th
'2-Win Champ' Kim Bio Tied 48th, 'Golf World Woo Youngwoo' Lee Seungmin Tied 84th

Seo Yoseop is reading the putting line on the 8th hole on the first day of the LX Championship. Photo by KPGA

[Asia Economy Reporter No Woo-rae] Seo Yoseop (26) has laid the groundwork for a second consecutive victory.

On the 1st, Seo Yoseop fired a 9-under-par round on the first day of the KPGA Korean Tour LX Championship (total prize money 600 million won) held at Island CC in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province (par 72, 7,269 yards), taking the top spot on the leaderboard. It was a perfect play with 9 birdies and no bogeys.

Seo Yoseop is a player who achieved his fourth career win last week at the Bodyfriend Phantom Robo Gunsan CC Open (total prize money 500 million won). If he wins this tournament as well, he will become the first player in two years to achieve back-to-back victories since Kim Han-byeol (26), who won the Hazys Golf KPGA Open and Shinhan Donghae Open consecutively in September 2020.

Seo Yoseop said, "The game went well as I thought, and sinking a few long putts early on was also a key point." He added, "With a typhoon approaching, the wind will be a variable factor in rounds 3 and 4. If I work hard on each hole like today, I think good results will come."

Kim Hong-taek (29) is chasing in second place (8-under-par 64) with 8 birdies, just one stroke behind. Choi Jin-ho (38) and Kim Seung-hyuk (36) are tied for third place (7-under-par 65), and Ok Tae-hoon (24) is tied for seventh place (5-under-par 67). Two-time champion Kim Bi-o (32) finished the first round tied for 48th place (1-under-par 71).

Lee Seung-min is teeing off at the 2nd hole on the first day of the LX Championship. Photo by KPGA

Lee Seung-min (25), who won the July Disabled US Open Golf Tournament, recorded 1 birdie and 2 bogeys. He is tied for 84th place (1-over-par 73). He passed the KPGA Tour Pro Qualifying in 2017, and this tournament marks his 20th Korean Tour appearance. Lee Seung-min said, "My driver and iron shots went as I wanted, but my putting was not as good as I thought, which is disappointing," and added, "I am grateful to Joo Heung-chul (41) and Moon Do-yeop (31), who played with me and made me feel comfortable."

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