Lee sets the pace on a familiar course
SEONGNAM: Korean Lee Dong-Min, drawing on the experience of playing in the prestigious event on many occasions, took the first-round lead with a six-under-par 65 at the Maekyung Open yesterday.
His compatriot Lee Hyung-Joon came in with a 66 at Namseoul Country Club — in an event which marks the first time that the Asian Tour has been to Korea since 2019.
“I have a lot of experience on this course, so I know exactly where I shouldn’t go and where I should go,” said the 36-year-old Lee Dong-Min.
“A first day six under par round is great. I hope I can play the rest of the tournament this well. It’s my best score in this course. Namseoul is difficult, but I played aggressively, and things worked out well.”
Lee Dong-Min is a two-time winner on the Korean PGA Tour, including last year’s Descente Korea Munsingwear Match Play.
He began his round early in the morning on hole 10 and could be forgiven for starting with a bogey as conditions were very cold before bright sunny weather started to warm things up.
He ended up shooting eight birdies including on the last three holes and dropped just two shots.
Lee Hyung-Joon finished joint second in the Korean PGA Tour’s season opening DB Insurance Life tournament last month and picked up where he left off with an equally impressive round yesterday, which also started on the back nine, made up of six birdies and one bogey.
The Korean is a five-time winner in Korea but like Lee Dong-Min he is looking for his maiden title on the Asian Tour.
Korean Kim Bi-O, winner of this event in 2012 when it was not on the Asian Tour schedule, and Hwang JungGon, a four-time winner in Japan, fired 67s.
Thailand’s Natipong Srithong carded a 68 along with Asian Tour Qualifying School graduates Neil Schietekat from South Africa and Ireland’s Kevin Phelan, as well as India’s Khalin Joshi, Canadian Richard T Lee and Koreans Mun Doyeob, Lee Jung-Hwan, and Yoon Chung.