'Hansotbap' Seo Yoseop and Jang Heemin Compete for Victory in Korean Tour Season Opener (Comprehensive)

KPGA DB Insurance Promise Open 1R Leader

It is a rivalry between seniors and juniors who share the same team. Seo Yo-seop, who won two Korean Professional Golf Association (KPGA) Korean Tour titles last year, and Jang Hee-min, in his second year on the tour, have started competing for the championship at the main sponsor-hosted tournament.

Seo Yoseop is greeting the gallery after successfully making a birdie putt in the first round of the 2023 Korean Professional Golfers' Association (KPGA) Korean Tour opening event, the 18th DB Insurance Promy Open (total prize money 700 million KRW), held on the 13th at the Ravie Belle Country Club Old Course (Par 72) in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province.
[Photo by KPGA]

On the 13th, Seo Yo-seop and Jang Hee-min both shot 5-under-par 67 in the first round of the 2023 KPGA Korean Tour season opener, the 18th DB Insurance Promy Open (total prize money of 700 million KRW), held at the Old Course (par 72) of La Vie Belle Country Club in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province. Along with them, Ko Gun-taek, Kim Seung-hyuk, and Bae Yong-jun are tied for the lead.

Seo Yo-seop made seven birdies and two bogeys that day. He said, "The accuracy of my tee shots was high, so I was able to keep the fairway well and send the ball where I wanted," but added, "I am disappointed that I couldn't reduce my strokes much despite hitting good tee shots on the par 5 holes." He also mentioned, "The green slopes are quite tricky, so I think I need to be careful about that during the game," and added, "Iron shots will be very important in the remaining rounds."

Last year, Seo Yo-seop achieved back-to-back wins at the 'Bodyfriend Phantom Robo Gunsan CC Open' and the 'LX Championship.' He led the Genesis Points ranking until the tournament before the final but finished the season in second place after tying for 15th at the last event, the 'LG SIGNATURE Players Championship.' He said, "Although I did not win the Genesis Award, looking back, I had a satisfying year," and vowed, "Since the ending was disappointing, I will make sure there are no regrets at the end of this season." Specifically, he set a goal to surpass the two wins he achieved in 2021 and last year by aiming for three wins.

Jang Hee-min, who also receives sponsorship from DB Insurance, the main sponsor of this tournament, recorded seven birdies and two bogeys on the day. He smiled and said, "It was my first time playing in a tournament hosted by the main sponsor, so I wasn't nervous but felt some pressure." Reflecting on his round, he said, "My putting felt better than I expected, and my iron shots were sharp," and added, "My tee shots also hit the fairway well, creating many good opportunities."

Jang Hee-min debuted on the Korean Tour last year and won his second tournament, the Woori Financial Championship, in May. Although he started well, he struggled after his first victory, being eliminated in the second round of a match play event and missing the cut eight times in the following ten tournaments. He identified neglecting physical conditioning as a problem.

Jang Heemin is teeing off at the 10th hole during the first round of the KPGA Korean Tour season opener, the DB Insurance Promy Open, held on the 13th at the Raviebel Country Club Old Course in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province.
[Photo by KPGA]

This year, to address this, he has intensified strength training and increased his weight by about 4 kg. Through training camp in Thailand, he focused on shot practice to utilize his entire body during the swing. He also concentrated on identifying the causes of mistakes after practice rounds to avoid repeating them. He said, "I want to become the best player in Korea," and expressed his determination, "I want to win three tournaments: the main sponsor's event, the title defense at the Woori Financial Championship, and the Genesis Championship."

Meanwhile, defending champion Park Sang-hyun finished the first round with 2-under-par 70, including one eagle, three birdies, and three bogeys. Kim Kyung-tae, who holds a lifetime exemption and returned to the Korean Tour this year, withdrew due to back pain. The first round started 20 minutes late in the morning due to frost, and nine players could not complete their rounds before sunset, so the remaining matches will be played on the 14th.

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