To avoid Masters curse, S. Korean Im Sung-jae takes leisurely stroll at Par 3 Contest

AUGUSTA, United States -- So hard is Im Sung-jae trying to win his Masters title this week that, when he found himself in early contention at the annual Par 3 Contest at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, on Wednesday, the South Korean player decided to stop keeping score. That's because Im was aware of the curse of the Par 3 Contest. The exhibition began in 1960, 26 years after the first Masters, and no winner of the contest has gone on to capture the Masters in the same year.

April 6, 2023

S. Korea secures 2nd seed at LPGA int'l team competition

South Korea has grabbed the second seed in an eight-country match play competition in women's golf set for May. The LPGA Tour unveiled the final standings of the eight countries that qualified for the 2023 International Crown on Monday. South Korea took the second seed behind the United States. The field of eight countries was determined by the combined world ranking positions of the top four players from each country as of Nov. 21, 2022. Those countries' seedings and their four qualif

April 4, 2023

S. Korean Im Sung-jae trying to realize dream of winning Masters

South Korean golfer Im Sung-jae grew up dreaming of winning the Masters and donning the iconic green jacket. With two top-10 finishes in three career appearances at Augusta National Golf Club, Im is hoping that dream will turn into reality this week. "I have a lot of fond memories at the Masters, and I am looking forward to this year's tournament as well," Im said in an interview with the PGA Tour on Monday. The Masters will begin Thursday in Augusta, Georgia. "Hopefully, I c

April 3, 2023

[Photo News] Back on top

Jon Rahm, winner of the 2023 Genesis Invitational, poses for a photo with Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Chung Euisun at the Riviera Country Club in California on Sunday. The Spanish golfer returned to the top spot in the Official World Golf Ranking after his third victory of the still-early PGA tour season.

Feb. 21, 2023

Tiger Woods set to return at Genesis Invitational this week

Tiger Woods is ready to make this season’s PGA Tour debut at the 2023 Genesis Invitational taking place from Thursday to Sunday at the Riviera Country Club in California. Woods, who is making a comeback to an official PGA tour after a seven-month hiatus, will be joined by 19 of the top 20 golfers in the Official World Golf Ranking, including the top-three ranked -- Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy and John Rahm. According to Hyundai Motor Group’s premium brand Genesis, a total of 132

Feb. 16, 2023

S. Korean Kim Si-woo earns fourth career PGA Tour win in Hawaii

South Korean Kim Si-woo has collected his fourth career victory on the PGA Tour in Hawaii, rallying from a three-shot deficit to find the winner's circle. Kim shot an 18-under 262 to win the Sony Open in Hawaii at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu, Hawaii, on Sunday. With a final round of six-under 64, Kim held off Hayden Buckley of the United States by one stroke. Kim, world No. 84, began the final round three shots off the lead held by Buckley. But Kim was clutch down the stretch Sunday, w

Jan. 16, 2023

S. Korean Ryu Hae-ran wins LPGA qualifying tournament

South Korean golfer Ryu Hae-ran has won the LPGA Tour qualifying tournament, earning her membership on the world's top women's tour with a flourish. Ryu finished at the top of the LPGA Q-Series, an eight-round marathon that wrapped up at Highland Oaks Golf Club in Dothan, Alabama, on Sunday (local time). She shot a combined 29-under 545, beating Bailey Tardy of the United States by two strokes. Ryu, 21, is the 2020 Korea LPGA Rookie of the Year with five career titles on her home circu

Dec. 12, 2022

[Newsmaker] S. Korean Tom Kim captures 2nd career PGA Tour win in Las Vegas

South Korean youngster Kim Joo-hyung, who goes by English name Tom Kim in the US, has found the winner's circle on the PGA Tour for the second time. Kim held off Patrick Cantlay and Matthew NeSmith, both of the United States, by three strokes at 24-under to win the Shriners Children's Open at TPC Summerlin in Las Vegas on Sunday (local time). Kim outdueled his two American playing partners with the final round score of five-under 66, for the four round total of 260 on the par-71 course. Kim did

Oct. 10, 2022

Genesis golf tournament kicks off in Songdo

A hundred and twenty golfers are competing in the Genesis Championship from Thursday through Sunday at the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club in Songdo, Incheon, for an overall purse of 1.5 billion won ($1.04 million). With one of the biggest purses on the Korean Tour, the 2022 Genesis Championship is the 19th tournament of this year’s KPGA (Korea Professional Golfers’ Association) season. The winner will take home 300 million won and a Genesis GV80, along with sponsored exemptions for the Gen

Oct. 6, 2022

After major championship cameo, LPGA great Sorenstam to cut down on schedule

INCHEON -- LPGA legend Annika Sorenstam took fans of women's golf on a trip down memory lane in June this year, when she played at the US Women's Open for her first LPGA major appearance since 2008. The tournament took place at Pine Needles Lodge and Golf Club in North Carolina, where Sorenstam had won the second of her three US Women's Open titles. Don't count on the Swede being back at next year's tournament, though. Speaking ahead of a charity event hosted by the Sout

Sept. 27, 2022

S. Korean rookie sparks Internationals' charge at Presidents Cup

South Korean rookie Kim Joo-hyung helped lead a late push by the International Team on the penultimate day of the Presidents Cup, putting pressure on the United States as the match play golf competition heads into the final stretch. Kim, the youngest player in the event at 20, teamed up with countryman Kim Si-woo to defeat Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele 1-up in their afternoon fourball match at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Saturday (local time). It was one of three v

Sept. 25, 2022

[Graphic News] Global golfers aim to ‘shock the world’ at Presidents Cup

　An American squad with 11 of the world's 18 top-ranked players is ready for the Presidents Cup, which begins on Thursday (local time), as huge favorites for a ninth consecutive victory over a depleted Internationals line-up. 　Top-ranked Masters champion Scottie Scheffler, No. 4 Patrick Cantlay, fifth-ranked Tokyo Olympic champion Xander Schauffele and multiple major winners Justin Thomas, Jordan Spieth and Collin Morikawa lead the 12-man US team into Quail Hollow. 　They face an International

Sept. 22, 2022

S. Korean Kim Joo-hyung nominated for PGA Tour's top rookie prize

South Korea's Kim Joo-hyung is up for the top rookie award on the PGA Tour, on the strength of a stunning victory in August. The PGA Tour announced three nominees for its Rookie of the Year honor, dubbed the Arnold Palmer Award, on Monday (US time). Kim, 20, has been shortlisted alongside two Americans, Cameron Young and Sahith Theegala. The winner will be determined by votes from PGA Tour members who played in at least 15 official tournaments during the 2021-2022 season. The voting will cl

Sept. 6, 2022

S. Korean rookies blow lead in bid for maiden LPGA win

Having frittered away their final round lead in Canada, South Korean LPGA rookies Choi Hye-jin and An Narin will have to wait longer for their maiden victory. Choi finished tied for second at the CP Women's Open at Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club in Ottawa on Sunday (local time), while An ended in a tie for sixth. The two had shared the 54-hole lead at 16-under, but Choi shot a two-under 69 to end at 18-under 266, allowing Paula Reto of South Africa to zip past her for a one-stroke victory with a

Aug. 29, 2022

[Newsmaker] S. Korean Im Sung-jae finishes runner-up at PGA Tour season finale

South Korean Im Sung-jae has just missed out on PGA Tour history, finishing runner-up in the season finale in a bid to become the first Asian champion of the FedEx Cup. Despite a strong late push, Im ended in a tie for second place at the Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta on Sunday (local time) at 20-under, one behind the champion, Rory McIlroy. The winner of the Tour Championship, which followed three playoff tournaments, is also crowned the FedEx Cup champion. McIlroy took ho

Aug. 29, 2022

Young veteran on PGA Tour pushed by rising star

For the past couple of years, Im Sung-jae has been hands down the best South Korean player on the PGA Tour, a consistent workhorse hanging around the top 20 in the world rankings with no countryman nearby. Today, Im has company: the 20-year-old sensation Kim Joo-hyung. Last week, Kim, on the heels of his first PGA Tour win at the Wyndham Championship, reached a career-high No. 19 in the world rankings to supplant Im, who stayed at No. 20, as the top South Korean. The two golfers traded places th

Aug. 25, 2022

LPGA major runner-up Chun In-gee reaches No. 10 in world rankings

South Korean LPGA player Chun In-gee has cracked the top 10 in the world rankings for the first time in over four years, on the heels of a runner-up finish at the season's final major championship. Chun climbed a spot to reach No. 10 in the latest world rankings released Tuesday. The last time she had ranked inside the top 10 was in March 2018, when she was No. 8. Chun sat as high as No. 3 on different occasions in late 2016 and early 2017. Chun began this year ranked 35th. On Sunday in Sco

Aug. 9, 2022

[Newsmaker] S. Korean Kim Joo-hyung captures 1st PGA Tour title

  Powered by an impressive birdie flurry, South Korean phenom Kim Joo-hyung has seized his first career PGA Tour title. Kim shot a blistering final round of nine-under 61 to capture the Wyndham Championship by five shots over countryman Im Sung-jae and Korean-American John Huh at Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, North Carolina, on Sunday (local time). Kim finished at 20-under 260 and cashed in a winner's check of US$1,314,000. Kim jumped 13 spots in the world rankings to reach a caree

Aug. 8, 2022

S. Korean Chun In-gee finishes runner-up at final LPGA major of '22

South Korean LPGA star Chun In-gee has finished in second place at the final major of the season in Scotland, losing out on a chance to make history and join an exclusive company. Chun lost to Ashleigh Buhai of South Africa on the fourth playoff hole at the AIG Women's Open at Muirfield in East Lothian, Scotland, on Sunday (local time). After finishing regulation knotted at 10-under 274, the two players played the par-four 18th hole four times in the sudden-death playoff. They matched each

Aug. 8, 2022

S. Korean players taking season's last shot at LPGA major in Scotland

Eighteen players from South Korea, including four winners this year, will take their season's last shot at an LPGA major in Scotland this week. The AIG Women's Open will tee off at the historic Muirfield in East Lothian, Scotland, on Thursday, as the fifth and final major of the 2022 LPGA season. The par-71, 6,728-yard course will host world No. 1 from South Korea, Ko Jin-young, and champions from the four previous majors this season: Jennifer Kupcho of the United States, Minjee Lee of

Aug. 3, 2022