Kim Hong-taek (30, Volvik), a long hitter, won a ticket to participate in the 65th Kolon Korea Open.
Kim Hong-taek rose to the top of the leaderboard with a total of 9 under par and 133 strokes in the second round in the Kolon Korea Open qualifying round held at Woojeong Hills Country Club (par 71, 7328 yards) on the 13th. In the two-day preliminary round from the last 12th, he only scored 1 under par on the first day, but in the second round, he reduced 8 strokes by changing 9 birdies and 1 bogey. Kim Woo-hyeon also competed in the Korea Open with a 5-under-par 66 and finished second in the qualifying round (7-under par).
Starting on May 30, a total of 126 players, including players who passed the first round of qualifying, took part in the final qualifying match, and the rankings were counted using the back count method. Five players, including Park Hyung-wook, hit a total of 6 under par on two days, and 15 players including 2017 runner-up Kim Ki-hwan, who hit 1 under par that day, earned the right to participate with a final total of 3 under par and 139 strokes.스포츠토토
The Korea Golf Association (KGA) and the Asian Tour co-hosted the national title Kolon Korea Open this year, which marks the 65th, with a total prize money of 1.4 billion won, an increase of 50 million won from last year. The increased prize money this time focused on the champion with a prize money of 500 million won.
The Kolon Korea Open inherits the tradition of honoring the champion as the best in Korea every year. In 2017, which marked the 60th anniversary, two tickets to the Open, the world’s oldest major, were presented to the winner and runner-up. Between 2021 and 3 years, the winning prize money increased by 200 million won. In addition, it boasts the largest championship privilege among domestic men’s and women’s golf tournaments, which give the Korea Professional Golf (KPGA) Korean Tour a 5-year ticket.
The repeated increase in the prize money following last year came from the idea that the winner should be given the highest honor commensurate with the authority of the tournament as an open tournament open to amateur players. This motivates the players positively, leads the gallery to the field through dramatic championship competition, and, of course, maximizes the excitement of a single shot in a golf game.
As a result of setting the winning prize money high, the process of creating champions in all of the last five competitions was exciting. In 2017, Lee Geun Jang and Ki Hwan Kim had a thrilling competition for the championship in the 3-hole overtime. In 2018, Choi Min-cheol, who had experienced the preliminary round, won the championship, and in 2019 and 2021, Thai new jazz Jane Wattananond and Australian Korean Lee Jun-seok won by one stroke.
Last year, Min-gyu Kim and Min-gyu Cho’s 3-hole overtime match vividly conveyed the deep emotion of the last day and the excitement of the golf game. In particular, Kim Min-kyu is the youngest player to qualify for the 2017 Korea Open qualifying round.
The largest prize money in Korea also corresponds to the status of a national title event that gives the right to participate in the Open. In addition, by inducing and encouraging fierce competition to win the championship, it has had the effect of arousing public interest in the golf tournament. Recently, LIV Golf, which drastically reduces the number of players on the world tour, and the US Professional Golf (PGA) Tour also reflected the trend of focusing on competition for astronomical prize money.
The Kolon Korea Open, which started in 1958, has steadily developed into a representative event for men’s golf. In 2014, the total prize money was raised to 1.2 billion won after the introduction of the preliminary round system. In the 63rd tournament in 2021, held after Corona 19, the total prize money was increased by 100 million won, with a total prize money of 1.3 billion won and a winning prize of 400 million won. Last year, the total prize money was 1.35 billion won and the winning prize was 450 million won.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the event held at Woojeong Hills CC. Woojung Hills has grown into Korea’s representative tournament course setting every year to identify the subtle skill gaps of growing players. This year, the golf course is preparing a variety of events and attractions, such as opening the Korea Open Memorial Hall and holding events for family visitors, especially for galleries freed from Corona 19 and visiting the venue.
