Baek Seok-hyun, 6-Under Par Excitement... 'Daepyonim and ChaChaCha'

KPGA Championship 1R Lee Cheol-ho as Husem CEO Caddy
Lee Hyeong-jun Tied for Lead, Chance for 7th Korean Tour Win

Baek Seok-hyun is on a march toward his second victory.

On the 8th, Baek Seok-hyun shot a 6-under-par 65 in the first round of the KPGA Championship (total prize money 1.5 billion KRW) held at A-One Country Club in Yangsan, Gyeongnam (par 71, 7,138 yards). Baek Seok-hyun recorded one eagle and four birdies. On the 9th hole (par 5), after hitting a 315-yard tee shot onto the fairway, he hit the ball from 261 yards left to land 2.5 meters from the hole, making an eagle.

Baek Seok-hyun (right) is discussing hole strategy with Lee Cheol-ho, CEO of Hussem, who served as his caddie at the 15th hole of the first round of the KPGA Championship.
[Photo by KPGA]

Baek Seok-hyun attracted attention by bringing Lee Cheol-ho, CEO of his sponsor Husem, as his caddie that day. Lee, who often caddies for sponsored players, also carried Baek Seok-hyun’s bag at the GS Caltex Maekyung Open last April. Baek Seok-hyun won his first career title at the SK Telecom Open last month. Just three weeks after his first win, he has a chance to aim for his second title.

Baek Seok-hyun said, "After winning, I gained confidence. As I became more certain about my golf, my fear of Korean grass disappeared." When he won his first title, he drew attention for his ‘no-look putt,’ where he looked at the hole instead of the ball during short putts. He confessed, "Actually, even these days, when my putting isn’t going well, I sometimes putt without looking at the ball." Baek Seok-hyun expressed his determination, saying, "Rather than setting a goal based on results, I will definitely seize any chance that comes during the tournament."

Lee Hyung-jun joined the co-leader group with one eagle, six birdies, and two bogeys. This marks his seventh career win since winning the Hyundai Marine & Fire Insurance Choi Kyung-ju Invitational last October. Lee Hyung-jun explained, "My tee shots kept going off course, which was frustrating. I’m satisfied to record an under-par score after a long time."

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