Korean golfer Yujun Jung surprised everyone by taking the lead after the first round of the Kolon Korea Open with a six-under-par 65. The event is being held at La Vie Est Belle Golf Club, just outside Seoul, for the first time due to renovations at its usual venue, Woo Jeong Hills.
Jung, 22, earned his place in the tournament through a 36-hole qualifier earlier this month and made the most of his familiarity with the course. He shot a bogey-free round with six birdies, the only spotless round of the day on the tough 7,423-yard layout. The course has been set up like a US Open challenge, with narrow fairways and fast greens.
“The course is tougher than during qualifying,” Jung said. “But my tee shots and putting were strong today. I feel like I’m improving.” He also noted that his driving distance has increased, now reaching up to 300 metres, which helped him on the long course.
Jung leads by two shots over Thailand’s Phachara Khongwatmai and Australia’s Jed Morgan, who both shot 67. Phachara, still looking for his second Asian Tour win after 10 runner-up finishes, was happy with his play. “I just wanted to stay relaxed and play freely,” he said. “The course is tough, but if you drive well, you can score.”
Six players are tied for fourth at three-under 68, including Thai golfer Denwit Boriboonsub, Korean amateur Minsu Kim, and Jeunghun Wang. Another group of players sits one stroke back at 69.
Defending champion Minkyu Kim had a rough start, shooting a disappointing 81.
The Korea Open is the seventh event of the Asian Tour season and is now in its 67th year. There are still three more rounds to play
About Asian Tour
The Asian Tour is the official sanctioning body for professional golf in the region and is a member of the International Federation of PGA Tours. The Tour is an affiliate of The R&A and all sanctioned events qualify for Official World Golf Ranking points.
The Tour, which was launched in 2004, is responsible for looking after the best interests of over 350 members, representing 35 countries managing a year-long schedule of events across five continents.
In 2022, The International Series was created – thanks to an exciting new partnership with LIV Golf – which saw the introduction of 10 elevated events to the Asian Tour schedule that provide a pathway to the LIV Golf League.
The Tour controls its television production and distribution through Asian Tour Media (a joint venture with IMG) which delivers live coverage to more than one billion households worldwide.
The Tour also operates the Asian Development Tour providing a pathway for the leading players to the Asian Tour.
The Asian Tour eco-system also includes the Qualifying School which attracts over 650 entrants vying for 35 cards on the Asian Tour for the following season.
In 2018, it set up Asian Tour Destinations – an affiliate network with exclusive, world-class golfing venues across the region.
The Tour is headquartered on Sentosa Island in Singapore, home to the award winning Sentosa Golf Club – a member of Asian Tour Destinations.
