Siwoo Kim Cards Eagle on 8th Hole... "Aiming for Victory in Front of My Son"

A 2-Under Start at the Genesis Championship
First KPGA Tour Appearance in 8 Years Since 2016
"The Eagle Helped Me Finish Well"

Siwoo Kim had a steady first day during his rare appearance on home soil.

On October 23, at Woojeong Hills Country Club (par 71, 7,367 yards) in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province, Kim played the first round of the Genesis Championship (total prize money: 4 million dollars), co-hosted by the Korea Professional Golfers' Association (KPGA) Tour and the DP World Tour. He carded one eagle, two birdies, and two bogeys, finishing the day with a 2-under-par 69.

Siwoo Kim is teeing off at the 18th hole of the first round of the Genesis Championship. Provided by KPGA

Kim is a four-time winner on the PGA Tour. This tournament marks his first appearance at a KPGA Tour event in Korea in eight years, since the Choi Kyungju Invitational in October 2016. Kim reflected, "Starting early in the morning on the 10th hole made things a bit challenging. My driver shots were fine, but my iron shots didn't go as well as I expected, so it was tough. I just wanted to stay under par, and the eagle on the 8th hole helped me finish well."

He added with a laugh, "It's been a while since I played in Korea, so I really wanted to do well. There are fans here seeing my game in person for the first time, so I practiced even harder to show them my best, but ironically, my shots weren't as good as I hoped."

Kim married Oh Jihyun, a seven-time winner on the KLPGA Tour, in December 2022. Just a month later, in January 2023, he claimed victory at the PGA Tour's Sony Open with his wife watching. Since then, he has not added another trophy. With his son Taeo, born in February last year, Kim is eager to show him a win. Kim emphasized, "Now, when my son sees me on TV, he recognizes me. That's why my goal is to win and lift the trophy with him on the final hole."

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