Players who play in the big water from the Korea Championship to the Woori Financial Group Championship, what is different

 “It’s definitely different.”

Golf fans who have watched players active on the American Professional Golf (PGA) tour unanimously say, “It’s because they play in the big water, so their shots are different.” Most of the players playing on the Korean Tour of the Korea Professional Golf Association (KPGA) show their exciting driver shots. However, the so-called ‘recovery’ play around the green is very different from Korean Tour players.

It was the same for Lim Seong-jae, who participated in the Korean Tour Woori Financial Group Championship, which ended on the 14th at the Ferrum Club (par 72, 7232 yards) in Yeoju, Gyeonggi-do. He entered the final round with 5 strokes behind the leader, but won a miraculous come-from-behind victory. He proved why he is the best golfer among Koreans by ranking 18th in the world. In the final round, it seemed to be far from the championship with 2 early bogeys, but rebounded with 1 eagle and 4 birdies, resulting in a dramatic come-from-behind victory. After writing a come-from-behind drama by 7 strokes at the 2019 Genesis Championship, he participated in the Korean Tour 3 years and 7 months later and won another come-from-behind championship, leaving his name as the winner of two consecutive tournaments.

Ahead of this tournament, Lim Seong-jae revealed the reason why he had one less wedge club than other players. “As I gained experience on the PGA Tour, I realized that the most important thing is not to miss the fairway with a tee shot. Adjusting the distance of your iron shot is also very important. He decided that it would be efficient to put one more mid- and long-distance club in the bag because a single mistake could put him out of contention for the title.”

World-class players do not miss the green. For this reason, choosing an iron club according to the distance of the second shot is much more important than the wedge. Kim Si-woo’s signature shot, which hits the green with a driver when the ball stops on the cart road, is in the same context. Around the green, you can often see players who use a hybrid or wood running approach to get a birdie opportunity or aim for a par save. The secret of the best players on the PGA Tour is to break down the formula of a tee shot with a driver and a second shot with an iron (par 4 hole standard) in more detail.

Players who played together also said, “The various technical shots depending on the situation were impressive.” After playing on various courses and on various grasses, adapting to the time difference due to movement and the climate 안전놀이터difference according to the characteristics of the country, you can survive in the jungle-like PGA Tour only if you are equipped with a ‘shot appropriate to the situation’.

Pablo Larazabal of the DP World Tour, who participated in the Korea Championship, shoots a bunker. Photo courtesy | KPGA

It is in the same context that players who live a slightly more barren DP World Tour have risen to the top in the Korea Championship. Since golf scores are proportional to experience, the range of experiences that can be played in Korea, which is mostly for recreational golfers, is limited. Players who do not perform well on the big stage should also look at the diversity of experience to reach the top ranks on the Korean Tour.

Players active on the PGA Tour or LPGA Tour unanimously say, “Korean players have the qualities to grow into world-class players.” “I don’t want you to hesitate to challenge yourself on a bigger stage. If you come to the US tour, you can feel the infinity of golf with your whole body.” It is time to seriously think about the Korean Tour or the Korean Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Tour. The reason why the wind of K-golf, which surprised the world, has calmed down is also due to the limited environment for players to advance overseas. The most necessary thing to secure the competitiveness of the tour is to continuously produce world-class players and constantly create new challengers.