Chanmin Jung, a strapping big hitter appropriately known as the ‘Korean Hulk,’ came close to matching the 22 year-old course record at Namseoul Country Club in the KS 1,300,000,000 GS Caltex Maekyung Open today after taking the lead with a stunning eight under par 63, the ninth event on the 2023 Asian Tour International Schedule.
The eye-catching performance gave him the first-round lead in the Asian Tour’s first visit of the year to Korea and was just two shy of the record set by Chinese-Taipei’s Chung Chun-hsing in 2001.
His countryman Kyongjun Moon, the winner here in 2015, ended the day in second after a 65 while Argentina’s Miguel Carballo also made relatively light work of the famous Namseoul track shooting a 66.
Defending champion Bio Kim from Korea was in a group of seven players tied for fourth after 67s.
Jung, just 23 years old and playing in what is one the nation’s most prestigious events for the first time as a professional, finished in a blaze of glory by eagling the par-five ninth, having started his round on 10. He hit a seven iron over 200 yards to seven feet to make a three, having earlier carded seven birdies and a bogey.
‘It’s a good day! It ended unexpectedly well, I am surprised,’ said the Korean, a professional for three years, having been part of Korea’s national amateur team.
‘The green speed certainly wasn’t slow, I was nervous over the putts and had to be careful. Fortunately, the putter and shot making were working well today.’
He is looking for his first good result on Tour.
Dubai based Jeev Milkha Singh shot an opening level par round of 71 with three birdies and three bogeys to be in tied 56th place. Shiv Kapur shot a 73. Milkha Singh told GULF NEWS, I played well today, but I need to improve my putting, hitting 10 greens in regulation and taking 30 putts. It is great to be playing on this classic golf course – I first played here in 1995, probably before of lot of the field were even born, but let’s not go there today, as I remain positive.’
Moon birdied four of the last five holes to make a fine start to an event that means so much to him.
Veteran Carballo, aged 44, is relishing being among the frontrunners, having missed five out of eight cuts this season, although he played well in the International Series Qatar in February when he tied for eighth.
69 players in the field shot par or better with nine of the top 10 players on the leaderboard playing under the South Korean flag.
