Lee Kyoung-hoon looks to go three-in-a-row at AT&T Byron Nelson

Golf

Published: 10 May. 2023, 16:20 Updated: 10 May. 2023, 18:02

Lee Kyoung-hoon looks to go three-in-a-row at AT&T Byron Nelson

Lee Kyoung-hoon plays a shot on the 16th hole during the final round of the AT&T Byron Nelson at TPC Craig Ranch in McKinney, Texas on May 15, 2022. [AFP/YONHAP]

Lee Kyoung-hoon is looking to pick up a third consecutive AT&T Byron Nelson trophy at TPC Craig Ranch in McKinney, Texas on Thursday as he faces a competitive field including a number of other former champions.

The 31-year-old has seen the most success at the Byron Nelson, which remains the only PGA Tour event he has won and the only one where he has defended his title — in 2021 and 2022.

Two other Korean golfers — Bae Sang-moon in 2013 and Kang Sung-hoon in 2019 — have won the event.

Both are competing again this year for their second Byron Nelson trophy in a competitive 156-strong field.

The venue, however, is different to when the two former champions won the tournament, as it moved from Trinity Forest Golf Club in Dallas, Texas, to TPC Craig Ranch in 2021, where Lee won was crowned champion twice. That makes Lee the only golfer ever to have won the AT&T Byron Nelson at TPC Craig Ranch, twice.

“I feel like I’ve made good putts here,” Lee said during a video news conference with Korean media on Wednesday. “It is also important that a course’s green suits me well and it does work well for me.”

Despite good memories at TPC Craig Ranch, Lee is wary of the 16th hole, which he sees is the most challenging hole.

“It is not really a difficult hole if the wind is blowing from the back, but it feels very long when there is a headwind,” Lee said. “The green there is very curvy, so my iron shot has to be accurate.”

Lee, ranked at No. 44 on the official world golf ranking, will compete alongside higher-ranked golfers including No. 2 Scottie Scheffler and No. 10 Jordan Spieth of the United States.

2018 champion Aaron Wise is also looking to reclaim his title.

“All 156 golfers here are competent enough to win the event,” Lee said. “Higher-ranked golfers will obviously do well and since they all have potential, I haven’t really thought about which golfer I should look out for.

“I am just trying to be better than myself last year.”

Byron Nelson first started in 1944 and only two golfers have won the tournament more than twice — the legendary Sam Snead won it three times in 1945, 1957 and 1958 and Tom Watson with four times in 1975, 1978, 1979 and 1980.

Snead passed away in 2002, while Watson retired from the sport in 2019.

“It would make no sense if a third consecutive victory was not desirable,” Lee said. “I really want to manage it, but I don’t want that pressure to hinder my performance or anything, so I will be thankful for this opportunity and focus on myself.”

Lee was photographed with then-pregnant wife Yu Joo-yeon after he won the event in 2021, and was photographed with his wife and then 10-month-old daughter Yuna when he defended the title last year.

Lee Kyoung-hoon, left, poses for a photo with his wife Yu Joo-yeon and daughter Yuna after winning the AT&T Byron Nelson trophy at TPC Craig Ranch in McKinney, Texas on May 15, 2022. [PGA]

“Yuna walks and runs now, so I would be so happy if she ran at me and hugged me after I manage a winning putt,” Lee said.

Byron Nelson is also an opportunity for Lee to manage his first PGA win this season.

“My objective is to finish this season with a win,” Lee said. “I will work hard to manage a win for the rest of this season.”

James Hahn of the United States, paired with Henrik Norlander of Sweden and Noh Seung-yul will be the first to tee off on the first hole at 6:50 a.m., the same time 2013 champion Bae starts with Aaron Baddeley of Australia and C.T. Pan of Chinese Taipei on the 10th hole.

Lee will then tee off on the first hole alongside No. 2 Scheffler and Jason Day at 12:44 p.m.

BY PAIK JI-HWAN [paik.jihwan@joongang.co.kr]