Kim Gyeong-tae, Yang Yong-eun, Vijay Singh Assigned to Same Group

Rising rookie Korean pro golfer Kim Gyeong-tae and Korean European PGA Tour player Yang Yong-eun will vie against each other and American star golfer Vijay Singh in the same group.

They were assigned to the same group in the first and second round of the 50th Kolon-Hana Bank Championship, which starts today at the Woo Jung Hills Country Club (par 71) in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province.

Each of them has a different career background, and their grouping is attracting attention from fans.

It will be a valuable opportunity for Kim, who aims at starting an international career. Watching the other two pro golfers from foreign tours will offer him opportunities to learn from them.

“I think I can learn a lot,” said Kim.

Kim just started his pro career this year. But his short career path seems to stretch beyond the Korean pro tour. He won first three tournaments this season with a highest aggregate total of prize money in Korea.

In the last four tournaments, however, he suffered from tapering stamina and failed to win any of them. In one, he failed to make the cut. In another, he lost the lead in the last round. He regained his pace during the long Korean Chuseok holiday, and promised to turn around his sluggish pace.

The prize money of this tourney amounts to $300,000. If he wins it, his aggregate total will top the Korean list once again.

Yang and Singh boast of 300-yard plus tee-shot range, while Kim is a master of sophisticated putts. Kim is familiar with the club, since he trained there more than 40 times as a national team member. Some course holes have longer field lengths. The 16th hole, for example, is par-3, but is 248 yards long.

“I am well aware of the long lengths. I won’t try too hard in the in-course, and will concentrate on the out course, which has shorter holes. I promise to give my best play to my fans,” said Kim.

kjs0123@donga.com