‘Veteran Gambler’ Park Sang-hyun... "A Comeback Drama Scenario"

Baeksong Holdings-Asiad CC Busan Open 2 Wins Launch
Possible to Overturn Genesis Points After Victory
Kim Seong-hyun, Hwang Joong-gon, Go Gun-taek 'Victory Race'

This is the comeback scenario of veteran clutch player Park Sang-hyun.

He will challenge for back-to-back victories at the KPGA Korean Tour Baeksong Holdings-Asiad CC Busan Open (total prize money 800 million KRW), held over four days from the 26th at the Asiad Country Club in Gijang-gun, Busan (par 71, 7,103 yards). If he claims the title at this tournament, he can complete a dramatic late-season turnaround in the Genesis Points Race. Park Sang-hyun won the Genesis money title in 2018 but has never received the Player of the Year award.

Sanghyun Park aims for back-to-back victories at the Baeksong Holdings-Asiad CC Busan Open.

After winning the DB Insurance Promy Open in April last year, Park Sang-hyun had not added any more victories until he lifted the trophy after a playoff against Im Sung-jae and Bae Yong-jun at the Genesis Championship, which concluded on the 15th. This marked his 12th career win on the Korean Tour and set a record as the first KPGA player to surpass 5 billion KRW in total prize money (5.04 billion KRW). Park Sang-hyun has laid the groundwork to capture both the Genesis Player of the Year and the money title.

Currently, Park Sang-hyun ranks 4th in the Genesis Points with 4,138.81 points, closing the gap with 1st place Ham Jeong-woo (4,861.42 points). The remaining three tournaments?the Busan Open, Golfzon-Doray Open, and LG Signature Players Championship?each award 1,000 points for a win, totaling 3,000 points. A comeback is possible depending on the number of wins or top finishes.

He cannot afford to miss the money title either. Park Sang-hyun is currently 2nd in the money rankings with 654 million KRW, just 63 million KRW behind 1st place Han Seung-soo (717 million KRW). The winner’s prize at the Busan Open is 200 million KRW, and the money rankings could change as soon as this week. In addition to the winner’s prize, the champion receives a 200 million KRW cash bonus as a special award. Park Sang-hyun is leading the average score category with 70.07 strokes. As the season nears its end, he has emerged as a player who could shake up the rankings in various award categories.

Kim Sung-hyun, who competes on the PGA Tour, has entered the field. This is his second Korean Tour appearance of the season following last month’s 39th Shinhan Donghae Open. Kim Sung-hyun said, "I am always grateful to the fans who support me. I promise to repay them with my best play." Defending champion Hwang Jung-gon is aiming for a second consecutive win. Other contenders for the title include three-time champion Ko Gun-taek, Han Seung-soo, and Ham Jeong-woo. Busan-born players such as Kim Seung-hyuk, Park Eun-shin, and Lee Jun-seok (Australia) have also joined the competition.

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