Hwang Yoo-min and Kim Min-byeol are trying to rise from the KLPGA Tour’s notable rookies to the ranks of strong players who can win this season.
The two players tied for second place with a 4 under par 68 strokes side by side in the first round of the KLPGA Tour Nexen Saint Nine Masters, which is being held at the Gaya Country Club in Gimhae, Gyeongsangnam-do on the 21st. The leader is Jeong Yeon-ju, who recorded a 5-under par.
Due to strong winds from the first day of the competition, the players seemed to be having a hard time playing their own games. Only 15 players recorded under par, 12 players recorded even par, and a whopping 93 players recorded over par.
Among the top players, those who stand out are Hwang Yoo-min and Kim Min-byeol, who are creating a terrifying sensation as rookies.
Hwang Yoo-min committed two bogeys on the first day of the tournament, but caught 6 birdies and seemed to break through the wind. In particular, Hwang Yu-min, who participated in the LPGA tournament last week, boasts of steel stamina without needing to adjust to jet lag.
Hwang Yoo-min, who finished the round, said, “Today it was very windy, so there were many difficult situations. However, the shot was good, and even if a mistake was made, I came out to a place where I could recover and I was able to finish well,” he said.
From the standpoint of challenging the rookie of the year, Kim Min-byeol, who is causing a sensation at the beginning of the season, has no choice but to be concerned. Regarding this, Hwang Yu-min said, “Min Byeol is playing really well. It’s not that I’m not conscious. If Minbyeol continues to play well like now, I think I will be stimulated and work hard to do well,” he said. “We hit the ball in different styles. While I have emotional ups and downs, Minbyeol is calm and has a poker face.”
However, the rookie of the year is Hwang Yoo-min, who cannot be missed. Hwang Yu-min said, “There are so many players besides the two of us who can hit well, but I don’t know what will happen. Still, I want to say that the rookie of the year is me,메이저놀이터” he laughed.
Despite his small size, Hwang Yoo-min has been leading the driver’s distance all season. Regarding the secret, he said, “I am good at instant speed. I think I can make a distance thanks to my fast speed.”
Kim Min-byeol, who unfortunately missed the championship at the Mediheal and Hankook Ilbo Championships held last week, was more stable. Kim Min-byeol maintained consistency throughout the 18 holes with 1 bogey and 5 birdies.
After the match, Kim Min-byeol also said, “The weather was not good today, so I tried to attack with the idea of playing safely without being greedy, but I was able to finish with a good score.”
Above all, Kim Min-byeol has been staying in the championship with terrifying momentum since the beginning of the season. Regarding this, “I am getting good results in three competitions. The feeling of the shot is still good, and the feeling of putting was disappointing in the first competition, but it is improving and I think this competition is also good.”
Also, regarding the factor of his good performance, “I think I did well in field training to compensate for the parts I felt lacking after participating in the first competition last year. And he seems to be getting better as he adapts to the tour,” he said. “I practiced my short game and putt the most. And he has a high trajectory, so I practiced a lot of low trajectory shots.”
His attitude towards the rookie king was different from Hwang Yoo-min. Kim Min-byeol said, “I’m not hitting the Rookie of the Year with greed. If I work hard for my other goals, I think the Rookie of the Year will follow.” I really don’t care about the competition with Yumin Hwang. But it seems that people around me see me as a rival.”