2024-07-13 03:04:32
The Gunsan CC Open Organizing Committee announced on the 10th that, after consultation with the Korea Professional Golfers’ Association (KPGA), they will allow players to wear shorts for this tournament only. This is the first time in the 56-year history of the KPGA Tour that they have decided to allow shorts in a regular tournament.
One of the players who welcomed this the most was defending champion Jang Yu-bin (22, Shinhan Financial Group). Jang Yu-bin said with a smile, “It’s really great. But I actually didn’t bring shorts this week. When I told my mom that I could wear shorts, she said she would bring them to the venue. I’m going to wear them during the competition.” He added, “I wore shorts in the Asian Tour and at the Hangzhou Asian Games last year, where I won the gold medal.”
However, in the first round of the Gunsan CC Open held on the 11th, Jang Yu-bin wore long pants instead of shorts. Out of the 144 players participating that day, 11 wore shorts, but Jang Yu-bin was not one of them. A KPGA official said, “There are still quite a few Korean players who feel awkward wearing shorts in regular competitions held in Korea. It seems that Jang Yu-bin also did not wear them after much thought.” Jang Yu-bin shot a 6-under 66 in the first round and tied for 6th place.
And on the second day of the competition, the 12th, Jang Yu-bin finally took out the shorts that his mother had brought and put them on. On this day, 17 people, more than the previous day, participated in the ‘shorts round’, and Jang Yu-bin was one of them.
Jang Yu-bin’s mother brought five pairs of shorts to the event, which was held in the sweltering heat. She said she brought all the shorts she had at home.
Jang Yu-bin showed off her skills to the fullest wearing cool shorts on this day. Jang Yu-bin jumped to the sole lead with a total score of 14-under 130, hitting 8 birdies without a single bogey. She is 2 strokes behind 2nd place Kim Baek-jun (12-under 132).
Jang Yu-bin said after the match, “Even when I go to training camps, I always train wearing only shorts. I’m used to playing in overseas tour competitions wearing shorts,” and added, “However, it’s still awkward to wear shorts on the KPGA Tour. However, on a hot and humid day like today, shorts were so comfortable and nice.” When asked if he would wear shorts in the remaining 3rd and 4th rounds, he answered, “There’s a forecast for rain over the weekend, so I think I’ll check the weather and decide whether or not to wear them.”
Gunsan CC Open is the tournament that gave Jang Yu-bin his first KPGA Tour win. He was an amateur until this time last year, but he won his first title in this tournament after a close playoff, and immediately went on to win the gold medal at the Hangzhou Asian Games. He later turned pro.
Jang Yu-bin won the competition last year, but as an amateur, she did not receive the 100 million won prize money. The prize money went to Jeon Ga-ram, who came in second.
Exactly one year later, Jang Yu-bin is challenging for his first professional win in the same tournament. His skills are already impeccable. This season, he is ranked first in long drives, first in average strokes, and first in Genesis Target points. He has not kissed the trophy, but has been in the top 10 seven times, including three runner-up finishes.
In particular, the Bizplay Wonder Club Open that ended on the 30th of last month remains a great pain. He was in the lead by 5 strokes, but was caught by Heo In-hoe in the final round and was dragged into an extension, and he knelt down. He cried a lot on the day of the upset loss, but after taking the sole lead in this tournament, he said, “I erased the memory of the upset loss from my head. If I hadn’t done well in this tournament, it would have been a bit difficult,” and “I think I’ll do well in the remaining two days. I want to finish well until the final day at the current pace.”
This tournament is the first KPGA shorts tournament and also the first ever tournament to pay additional prize money according to the ‘prize money charity’. The total prize money of the tournament is 700 million won, and the winner’s prize money is 140 million won, but Gunsan CC decided to add gallery admission fees and food and beverage sales to the prize money. According to the KPGA’s statistics on the 12th, the total prize money increased to 871.4 million won after the first round. If this trend continues, the total prize money is expected to increase to over 1 billion won after the tournament ends. If Jang Yu-bin successfully defends her title, she can blow away all the sorrow of the past by receiving additional prize money in addition to her first winner’s prize money this year.
Reporter Lee Heon-jae [email protected]
2024-07-13 03:04:32