Lee Tae-hee, 39, is a prominent player on the Korean Professional Golf Association (KPGA) Korean Tour with four wins and one grand prize.
However, the KPGA Korean Tour’s signature event, the KPGA Championship, has had a rocky history.
Especially at the par-71 A-ONE Country Club in Yangsan, Gyeongnam, which has been hosting the KPGA Championship for eight years since 2016.
In the seven years leading up to last year, he made six appearances and missed the cut three times, with his best finish being a tie for 13th in 2016. He tied for 47th in 20221 and tied for 45th last year, so his recent results have been poor.
Before the tournament switched venues to A One Country Club, he had two sixth-place finishes and one eighth-place finish.
It’s hard to understand for Lee, who has flown on more challenging and difficult courses than A One Country Club.
“Strangely, I didn’t perform well at Aiwon,” Lee admitted.
“It’s the most prestigious tournament in Korea, so I always feel good when I compete, but my performance hasn’t followed suit,” he added.
However, there are signs that this year will be different.
Lee shot a 4-under 67 in the second round of the KPGA Championship on Sept. 9.
After dropping four strokes the day before, Lee shot an 8-under-par 134 to take sole possession of the lead.
She has a chance to end her bad blood with A One Country Club and start the clock ticking on a three-year hiatus since winning the GS Caltex Mae Kyung Open in 2020.
Lee said, “The match went well. There wasn’t anything special that didn’t go right. “I made a few mistakes on short putts, but fortunately I finished well. I felt good with my shots,” he said.
Lee credited patience as the key to breaking the bad blood with A One Country Club.
“I didn’t play well here last year, so I told myself to be patient even if I didn’t make a birdie this time,” said Lee, “and it really paid off.” 스포츠토토
In the first round, he went without a birdie until the seventh hole, then birdied the eighth and ninth to get to four under par, and in the second round, which started on the 10th hole, he birdied the 13th and 14th before bogeying the 17th (par-3), but made up for it with birdies on the third and fourth holes.
“My goal was to make the cut. I’ve just accomplished my first goal,” Lee said, adding, “I’m doing better than I expected, so I’ll stay calm and focus on my game for the rest of the round.”
Last year’s runner-up Hwang Joong-gon, Heo In-ho of “Pung Un-ah” fame, and first-round co-leader Baek Seok-hyun are tied for second place (6-under par 135), one shot behind Lee Tae-hee, setting up a fierce battle for the title.
Hwang Jung-gon, the 2017 winner, shaved five strokes off his total, while Heo In-ho shot a 3-under 69. Seok Hyun Baek faltered with an even-par 72.
Defending Descente Korea Play winner Lee Jae-kyung, who is looking to win for the second straight week, cut two strokes to enter the third round five shots off the lead.
Shin Sang-hoon, who won last year after a 10-under-par third round, dropped a stroke and is seven shots behind Lee, but said, “Last year I barely made the cut, nine shots off the lead, but I’m confident because I came back in the third round. I think it’s too early to give up yet.”
Jong Deok Kim shot a 1-under 70 and made the cut at even-par 142.
Jong-Deok, who turned 62 years old four days ago, broke his own KPGA Championship record for the oldest player to make the cut (61 years, 6 days), which he set last year.
“I will challenge the record for the oldest player to make the cut on the KPGA Korean Tour,” said Jong-Deok Kim, who won the tournament in 1998 and has a lifetime exemption.
The oldest KPGA Korean Tour cut is 62 years, 4 months and 1 day, set by Choi Sang-ho (68) at the 2017 GS Caltex Mae Kyung Open.
“I can still hit 260 yards off the tee with my driver, but it’s hard to go head-to-head with the juniors. I focused when I needed to focus. I’m glad it’s less windy and the rough is shorter,” he said. “Last year I crumbled in the final round, and I’m going to make sure that doesn’t happen this year.”