Lee Tae-hee 7 Under Par "I Ate Health Food Because I Was Not Feeling Well"

New Tournament Lexus Masters 1R Exciting Start
1 Approach Eagle, 6 Birdies, 1 Bogey
"Played with a Simple Mindset"

‘Dad Golfer’ Lee Taehee showcased his ability to make a strong finish.

Lee Taehee is teeing off at the 3rd hole of the 1st round of the Lexus Masters.
[Photo by KPGA]

On the 29th, at A-One CC (par 72, 7,121 yards) in Yangsan, Gyeongnam, Lee Taehee surged to the top of the leaderboard with a 7-under-par 65 in the first round of the newly established Korean Professional Golfers' Association (KPGA) Tour event, the Lexus Masters (total prize money 1 billion KRW). He recorded one eagle and six birdies (with one bogey). Starting with a birdie on the first hole, the 10th hole (par 4), he made an eagle on the 13th hole (par 5) with a 25.93-yard approach shot. He then fired three consecutive birdies from the 14th to the 16th holes and back-to-back birdies on the 6th and 7th holes, creating great momentum. However, the only blemish was a bogey on the 8th hole (par 4), where he struggled in the bunker and rough after a flawless performance. Below is a Q&A with Lee Taehee.

- You finished the first round as the leader.

▲ My play went better than I expected. There were a few moments of crisis, but I didn’t overdo it and managed to finish well.

- Tell us about the eagle on the 13th hole (par 5).

▲ My tee shot landed on the fairway, and my second shot with a 3-wood landed about 25 yards from the pin. I’m very confident and comfortable with short approach shots, so I executed it as planned. The ball rolled in from about 3 yards away from the pin. It was a really well-executed shot.

- Overall, you played cleanly without mistakes.

▲ My putting went better than I thought. After finishing the first half of the season, I had a rest period during which my back wasn’t in good condition, so I couldn’t practice much. I also couldn’t practice putting or short game, so I didn’t come into this tournament with high expectations. I tried to keep my mindset simple and just play.

- How did you spend your rest period?

▲ I usually also play overseas tours, but since my body wasn’t in good shape, I focused more on childcare than golf. I ate all kinds of nutritious health foods without hesitation. I’m not sure if that’s why I’m feeling better now. This week, rather than thinking about results, I just hope to finish the tournament without injury.

- Do you have any goals for the remaining three days?

▲ My current condition isn’t good. Today’s good result was partly due to luck. Although I didn’t make mistakes, luck was definitely on my side. Since there are many tournaments left in the second half of the year, my goal is to finish every tournament without injury and perform well until the end. I will forget today’s round and hope to do everything I can in rounds 2 to 4 and come out strong.

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