PGA highlights Kim Joo-hyung as a prominent under-24 player

Kim Joo-hyung (21), the new driving force in Korean men's golf, has been selected as one of the under-24 players to watch in 2024.

The PGA Tour spotlighted players under 24 to watch on their website on Friday, listing Kim's name at the top among 24 individuals. The PGA Tour noted, "He’s still just 21 but already owns three PGA TOUR titles, nine worldwide wins, and finished in the top 10 in 2023’s final two majors” and “some growing pains weren’t a surprise, but Kim has emerged from them as an even better player.” This year, Kim tied for 8th at the U.S. Open and 2nd at The Open. "I thought my first two wins came too quickly, but it took longer to achieve my third win,” Kim said. “However, it was very sweet."

Following Kim, Danish prodigy Nicolai Højgaard (22) was introduced as the second. Højgaard has topped three times this season on the DP World Tour, including the final tournament. Højgaard, set to become a full PGA Tour member next year, is recognized as 'the second Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland)' for his combination of driving power and short-game skills.

The youngest among the 24 is 15-year-old Miles Russell of the U.S. Russell received the 'Player of the Year' award from the American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) this year. Russell and golf legend Tiger Woods (48) are the only players to have won this award before turning 16.


hun@donga.com