Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, Hyo-joo Kim, who is playing on the KLPGA Tour in Korea instead of the LPGA Tour, which is the main stage this year, won the KB Financial Star Championship in the major tournament that ended last Sunday and recorded the second win of the season.
Following the season's average number of strokes (69.171 strokes), which was at the top of the list early on, the prize money (656 million won) and many wins (2 wins, joint lead with Park Hyeon-kyung) are leading the way, and we are ready to beat the KLPGA tour this season .
In 2014, before moving to the LPGA tour, Kim Hyo-joo was the 19-year-old at the time, and at the time, he was the winner of the KLPGA Tour.
We swept first in the season grand prize, many wins (5 wins), prize money (1.28 billion won), and average at bats (70.26 hits).
In particular, the prize money surpassed 1 billion won for the first time in history, and the gap from the second place exceeded 500 million won.
In 2014, Hyo-Joo Kim had a great year, conquering the Evian Championship, a major LPGA Tour tournament in addition to the Korean stage champion.
"Compared to that (2014) and now, I've been asked a lot of questions about which time is better. I think now is better. In 2014, if you really hit the shot straight and scored well, now the shot Even if I go to this Peto, I think the recovery is good and my short game ability improves, so I think my grades are good."
"Kim Hyo-joo in 2020? I think'Upgrade Kim Hyo-joo.' In terms of the accuracy of the shot, Kim Hyo-joo was better in 2014, but now, I think my overall abilities such as ball handling skills and course attack have improved and matured."
Kim Hyo-joo has also been'upgraded' in his physical fitness and distance this year.
Kim Hyo-joo, who gained fame as a'genius girl' from 17-year-old amateur days to 21-year-old 2016, won 10 wins on the domestic tour and 3 wins on the LPGA tour, and from 2017 to last year, he could not add 1 win for 3 years.
Among the increasing number of LPGA tour hitters, the lowest-ranked flying distance has always been a disappointment.
"If you don't have a distance, it gets too hard when you fight. It's been a little stress. I think it's been a lot."
So, Kim Hyo-joo focused on physical strength training more than any other year last winter.
As I gained muscle and gained 5 kg of weight, my flying distance increased.
"The physical training helped me a lot. First of all, the distance has definitely increased compared to last year. I think it has increased by at least 10 to 15 yards. I got more comfortable playing golf because I kept one or more clubs shorter than before. I exercised so much As I grow up, it helps me a lot to play, and I feel like I've improved overall because I gained confidence.”
Although the achievement of the crowning crown in six years since 2014 has reached the right of sight, Kim Hyo-ju says that he is not very greedy for personal titles other than the'lowest hitting award'.
As such, the goal Kim Hyo-joo wants to achieve with attachment is the season's lowest at-bats title.
<2020 season KLPGA average at-bats ranking>
1. Kim Hyo-joo 69.1714
2. Lim Hee-
jeong
69.6957
3. Choi Hye-jin 69.9286
(As of October 18) With
only 4 tournaments left this season (Kim Hyo-ju only participates in 3 tournaments), Kim Hyo-ju is currently 2nd Heejeong Lim is more than 0.5 strokes ahead of him, so the award is influential, but his goal is to change the leading digit of the record to '68' while Kim Hyo-joo was hit.
The all-time record high in women's professional golf in Korea was 69.64 hits by Park Sung-hyun in 2016.
<KLPGA tour past the minimum average bats>
1. Park Sung-hyun 69.64 Other 2016
2. Shin Ji-ae 69.72 Other 2006
3 Other yijeongeun 69.80 2017
4. Other yijeongeun 69.87 2018
(by more than 10 in a season tournament)
Hyo Joo Kim is now recorded Even if the season is finished, the record will be the lowest average at bats ever. If you enter the '68', you will leave a record that is more meaningful.
"It was very close to 68. So I think that part is the most greedy. I think I want to go down to the 68s rather than the grand prize winner."
Kim Hyo-joo did not participate in this week's tournament to recover and rest due to the symptoms of suffocation in her neck, and she plans to compete in all three tournaments remaining.
"You have to keep hitting the 60s score in the remaining competitions to go down to 68. So I think a lot about hitting the 60s every round and practice round. Of course, it's not easy to hit the 60s every round, but I'll try my best. I want to achieve my goal
How will 2020 be remembered for Kim Hyo-joo, who has completed the'One Season KLPGA Tour' that was not originally planned due to the Corona 19 crisis?
"I think it will remain in my memory very much. I think it will get stuck in my head. I prepared very hard last winter, but I felt sorry for not being able to play on the LPGA tour this year, but instead I was able to show you a good figure in Korea, and the season is not over yet. I've even won twice, so I can't forget 2020.”
"It's so fun to go on a tour with close people on the KLPGA tour, and it's definitely a lot on TV, so the fans also love it. Fans at the fan cafe,'I love watching Hyoju's pro. It's good to cheer on TV.' When you said this, I felt so good."
Kim Hyo-joo is expected to return to the LPGA tour after participating until the last KLPGA tour in mid-November. 2020, when he recharged his confidence with the'upgrade Kim Hyo-joo', seems to be an important'turning point' in the golf life of Kim Hyo-joo. .
"I think it's because I started playing golf so early when I was younger. In the past, I just thought that I should finish quickly and quit early. But as I keep playing golf, it's my favorite and fun thing to do. Going to competitions these days is, I really enjoyed going around every round, so I just changed my mind. I'll keep running as long as I can."
"I'm running on a Korean tour this year because of Corona, and I'm so grateful that I've been able to achieve good results thanks to your support for a lot. Until the end of the season, I will be able to show you a good figure until the end."
(Photo = KLPGA Tour, Getty Image Korea, Yonhap News)