‘Lucky Man’ Kim Bi-o: “Eagle, OB Crisis, Opponent’s Mistake”

Eagle in FR 18th Hole Decides LX Championship Extension
Cart Path Escape, Hwang Jung-gon’s Tee Shot OB
Hunting 9th Win "Aiming for 10 Wins and Overseas Challenge"

Winning a professional tournament requires both skill and a bit of ‘help from the heavens.’ This is the story of Kim Bi-o, a leading star of the Korean Professional Golfers' Association (KPGA) Korean Tour.

On the 3rd, at The Haven Country Club (par 72, 7,293 yards) in Daebudo, Ansan-si, Gyeonggi-do, Kim shot 5 under par in the fourth round of the LX Championship (total prize money 600 million KRW), tying with Hwang Jung-gon at 21 under par 267. He then secured the winning par on the second hole of the playoff at the 18th hole (par 5). This marked his ninth career victory, coming one year and three months after his win at the SK Telecom Open in June last year, with a winner’s prize of 120 million KRW. He maintained the top spot on the leaderboard throughout the four days, achieving a ‘wire-to-wire’ victory.

Kim Bi-o is roaring after making an eagle on the final 18th hole of the 4th round at the LX Championship.
[Photo by KPGA]

It was a dramatic win. Kim played well, reducing his score by three strokes up to the 17th hole (par 4) on the final day, but he was still two strokes behind the leader Hwang Jung-gon, making victory seem unlikely. However, at the 18th hole, after a tee shot of 300.61 yards, he hit his second shot to within 2.16 meters of the hole and made an eagle. In the first playoff, his tee shot with a 3-wood headed toward the out-of-bounds (OB) area but bounced off the cart path and back onto the fairway, a stroke of luck. The second playoff ended quickly when Hwang Jung-gon’s tee shot went OB.

Kim said, “I had never won wire-to-wire before, so I really wanted to achieve it. It was one of the items on my bucket list,” expressing his joy. Regarding the eagle, he said, “Even when I was behind, I kept telling myself it wasn’t over yet and that I could do it.” He added, “I thought I was one stroke behind, but my caddie told me it was two strokes, so I grabbed my driver and went for it. When the eagle putt went in, I couldn’t help but cheer loudly,” smiling brightly.

Kim was lucky at the 18th hole throughout the tournament. In the third round, his tee shot drifted right but hit a gallery member and bounced back onto the fairway. During the first playoff, he benefited from the cart path’s ‘assistance.’ He recalled the nerve-wracking moment, saying, “I thought I was OB and that it was over.”

Kim Bi-o is smiling brightly while holding the trophy immediately after winning the LX Championship in a playoff.
[Photo by KPGA]

Kim Bi-o’s performance in the first half of this year was somewhat below expectations. Out of 10 tournaments, his best result was a tie for third place at the SK Telecom Open in May. He explained the reason for his slump, saying, “Since the second half of last year, I put too much tension in my shoulders and pushed myself too hard, which brought about poor results. After the first half, during my break, I reviewed the basics with coach Lee Jae-hyuk and started correcting my swing.”

Kim’s next goal is to achieve 10 wins on the Korean Tour. He said, “There are many big tournaments in the second half of the year, so I will enjoy today’s victory only for now and start working hard from tomorrow.” Showing his ambition, he added, “Since I have nine wins, I want to reach double digits.” He also revealed his future overseas strategy, saying, “If I perform well in domestic tournaments, I will have opportunities to challenge the DP World Tour (formerly the European Tour) or the PGA Tour’s Korn Ferry Tour (second-tier).”

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