[New Challenge] Overseas Expansion Fighter Gotaek "I Even Postponed My Military Enlistment"

Hanil Wins Shinhan Donghae Open, Secures Asian Tour Card
Departing Bangkok, Plans Korean Winter Tour and Training
Competing in Malaysia and Oman in February, Japan in March
"One Win Each on Three Tours, Stepping Stone to US Entry"

Life is unpredictable.

This is the story of Korean Tour's top winner, Go Gun-taek. He had planned to enlist this year. After winning the season opener last year, he intended to complete his military service without worrying about his tour card. However, the Shinhan Donghae Open in September last year changed his fate. The tournament was co-hosted by the Korean Professional Golfers' Association (KPGA) Korean Tour, the Japan Golf Tour Organization (JGTO), and the Asian Tour. He secured tour cards for all three tours by pulling off a surprise victory on this "premier stage." In an interview with Asia Economy on the 15th, Go Gun-taek said, "I had never received overseas tour cards before, so I postponed my enlistment," adding, "I plan to work hard for about two years."

Gogun Taek, who secured three tour seeds, expressed strong confidence, saying, "I will increase my driving distance and bring news of victory."

Go Gun-taek is from Jeju Island. After representing the national team in 2016, he debuted on the Korean Tour in 2020. Although his performance on the regular tour was decent, he had no wins. The year 2023 was his prime. In April last year, he recorded his first career win at the season opener, the DB Insurance Promy Open, and in July, he edged out Lim Ye-taek in a playoff at the Owners K·Solago CC Han Jang-sang Invitational, the first tournament of the second half of the season.

The Shinhan Donghae Open was the highlight. He defeated Patchara Kongwatmai (Thailand) on the first playoff hole, defending the pride of Korean golf. He became the first player in five years since Park Sang-hyun in 2018 to win three titles in a single Korean Tour season. He earned five-year Korean Tour status and two-year cards for both the JGTO and Asian Tour. Just days before the Shinhan Donghae Open began, he immediately canceled his application to enlist as an Army technical administrative soldier. He said, "The Shinhan Donghae Open is the most memorable," and expressed excitement, "I will be playing golf overseas."

Go Gun-taek’s skills improved dramatically last year. His average driver shot distance reached 293 yards (48th), about 15 yards longer than before. For the first time since his debut, he ranked within the top 50 in driving distance. His average putts per hole were 1.77 (16th). He jumped from 35th place in the 2022 prize money rankings (18.805 million KRW) to 4th place last year (62.58 million KRW). He received the Most Improved Player award selected by golf journalists, winning nearly unanimous votes. He smiled, saying, "I feel good to be recognized for my improvement. It’s an honor and very meaningful." He analyzed, "Changing my swing and grip paid off. It led to more accurate shots. My driving distance also increased. I think the ball flying straighter helped it go farther."

Gogun Taek is cheering immediately after winning the Shinhan Donghae Open in a playoff last year.

Go Gun-taek is starting a new challenge. He will be competing on three tours simultaneously, a demanding schedule. That’s why he is currently sweating it out in Jeju. "I think I will be really busy this year," he said, adding, "I have about a month to prepare for the tours, so I need to practice hard." Regarding areas for improvement, he added, "I still need to increase my distance and improve shot accuracy." He has also completed preparations for the new tours. "I have a local manager in Japan, so I’m not too worried. The Asian Tour provides good guidance, so I don’t expect difficulties. I’ve hired a new caddie and plan to have them accompany me on overseas tours."

His schedule is truly busy. On the 21st, he will depart for Bangkok, Thailand. He will compete in the 1st (January 23?26) and 2nd (January 30?February 2) events of the Golf T Korean Winter Tour held at Phoenix Golf Bangkok Golf Club. This will serve as both training and competition. In February, he will play Asian Tour events in Malaysia and Oman. After a brief return to Korea, he will participate in the JGTO season opener, the Dogen Homemate Cup, starting March 28. In April, he will defend his title at the DB Insurance Promy Open. He acknowledged, "There might be physical challenges," and vowed, "I will prepare more thoroughly."

Go Gun-taek’s goal for this year is to win on all three tours. He aims to steadily collect trophies and establish a foothold for his ultimate goal of joining the U.S. PGA Tour. He said, "I learned a lot competing on the Asian Tour and Japan Tour. The strategy of hitting straight and long while targeting the hole stood out. The level seems similar to the domestic tour. I believe I am competitive enough." He added, "My shots were really good last year. I want to improve even more this year. I plan to approach the overseas tours with confidence rather than pressure. I also want to win the Genesis Award. It won’t be easy, but I will work hard for the dream of winning on all three tours."

Gogun Taek is smiling brightly while holding the Shinhan Donghae Open championship trophy from last year.

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