Lee Jun-seok looks to go two in a row at Kolon Korea Open

Golf

Published: 22 Jun. 2022, 16:00

Lee Jun-seok looks to go two in a row at Kolon Korea Open

Lee Jun-seok plays his iron at the 12th hole of the second round of the Hana Bank Invitational at Nam Chuncheon Country Club in Chuncheon, Gangwon, on Friday. [KPGA]

Korean-born Australian golfer Lee Jun-seok will look to defend his national title as he tees off Thursday at the 64th edition of the Kolon Korea Open Golf Championship at Woo Jeong Hills Country Club in Cheonan, South Chungcheong.

Lee last year won his first-ever title at the Kolon Korea Open Golf Championship, pulling off a wire-to-wire win.

Lee’s 2021 national title was won after a fierce three-man competition between Lee, Park Eun-shin and Kim Joo-hyung. Lee and Park were looking for their first-ever trophy while Kim came back from winning the SK Telecom Open held from June 10 to June 13, looking for his third career win.

Lee was first, Kim second and Park third going into the final round, but the three found themselves tied for the lead on the par-4, 14th.

But with Kim crashing out of the contention for the trophy with a tee shot blunder on the last hole and Park missing his last birdie putt on the last par-5, 18th, Lee slotted his last birdie putt to win his first-ever title with 8-under-par, 276.

Lee Jun-seok reacts after sinking his birdie putt to win his first-ever trophy and national title at the Kolon Korea Open Golf Championship on June 27, 2021 at the Woo Jeong Hills Country Club in Cheonan, South Chungcheong. [KOLON KOREA OPEN ORGANIZING COMMITTEE]

The Kolon Korea Open had been held annually since 1958. The 2020 edition was canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Though 2019 champion Jazz Janewattananond of Thailand sits out the tournament this year, 2018 champion Choi Min-chel and 2017 champion Chang Yi-keun will be looking to repeat their past success alongside Lee.

In 2017 and 2018, the top two were eligible to compete in The Open Championship, also known as the British Open, the oldest and one of the most prestigious golf tournaments.

However, Lee was not eligible to play at the 2021 Open Championship because the Open had to forgo the 2020 edition due to Covid-19 and had decided to give the players who were eligible in 2020 a chance to compete in 2021.

This year, the top two finishers of the Korea Open will once again be able to compete in the 150th edition of The Open Championship that is scheduled to run from July 14 to July 17.

If Lee does win the Korea Open this weekend, he will not only defend his national title but also be winning two titles in a row, and his third-ever title.

Last week, Lee won the Hana Bank Invitational at Nam Chuncheon Country Club in Chuncheon, Gangwon, carding a 21-under-par, 267, to clinch his second trophy ever, one stroke over Lee Gyu-min who was looking for his first ever title on the Tour.

Lee will also become the fifth-ever golfer to have multiple wins at the Korea Open. The king of Korean golf K.J. Choi won in 1996 and 1999, Yang Yong-eun won in 2006 and 2010, Bae Sang-moon won in 2008 and 2009, and Lee Kyoung-hoon, who is currently competing on the PGA Tour under the name K. H. Lee, defended his 2015 title in 2016.

On Thursday, the Korea Open will be open to spectators for the first time in three years as the 2019 edition was canceled due to the spread of Covid-19 and the 2020 edition was held without an audience.

BY YUN SO-HYANG [yun.sohyang@joongang.co.kr]