The Masters Tournament, the most prestigious major tournament for men's golf, called the'Master's Heat', is ending in our time today (8th) at the Augusta National Golf Course in Georgia, USA.
The Masters, which has been held in the same place in April every year, was held in November for the first time in history due to the Corona 19 incident last year, but this year it will return to its original place in just 5 months.
Last year, the Masters was held unattended due to Corona 19, but this year, a limited number of spectators are allowed.
(Masters don't call visitors'Gallery' like any other competition, they call them Patron (sponsor).)
A total of 88 players received invitations to the Masters this year.
It's a number that includes past champions and amateur players with lifetime qualifications.
Among them, there are two Korean players (Sungjae Lim and Siwoo Kim).
Last year, four Korean players, Ahn Byung-hoon and Kang Seong-hoon, played, but this time, there are only two.
Lim Seong-jae has been exhibiting for two years in a row following last year, and Kim Si-woo has been exhibiting for five consecutive years since 2017.
23-year-old Lim Seong-jae, who has emerged as a sign of Korean men's golf, achieved the highest performance ever in Asian players by taking a joint runner-up at the Masters, which made his first appearance in November last year.
On the last day, they competed for the championship with'strongest' Dustin Johnson in the Champions Group, and the final score was 5 strokes (Johnson total 20 under par, Lim Seongjae total 15 under par), but once threatened Johnson with 1 stroke, intense for golf fans around the world. Left an impression.
Im Seong-jae, who came back to Augusta after five months as a'runner in the last tournament' in'Masters Rookie', remembered the Masters in the fall of 2020 like this.
"I was so proud to have taken the Augusta National Course, which I had dreamed of since I was a child, and I especially remember playing with Dustin Johnson, the number one in the world on the last day."
“Last year, on the last day of the tournament, I followed Johnson by 1 stroke in the 5th hole, and until then, I thought,'Oh, I could really win today.' I think. After that achievement, I thought,'Ah, I think I can compete to win the majors in the future.'
“The Masters is special. It feels like the biggest match among the major competitions. So, if I can win the majors, I definitely want to play at the Masters. Everyone would be a dream, but once I win, I'll give you the right to continue for a lifetime. I think it's really special."
Im Seong-jae, who gained a great asset of self-confidence along with outstanding performance last year, is calming his mind ahead of his second masters stage in his life.
"When I first went out last year, there was no gallery, but this year there is a gallery. I heard from players with a lot of Masters experience that there is a gallery that makes me really tremble. I think this year, I'll be more nervous than last year."
"It would be nice if I could get as good as last year this year, but I would like to achieve the highest grades, such as within 10th place, similarly. First, the Masters are famous for their fast green and the slope of the green is severe, so it would be important to make it as easy as possible when it comes to attacking the green as much as possible. ."
This competition is also special for Kim Si-woo (26 years old), who has been on the Masters stage for 5 consecutive years.
Kim Si-woo, who played in the Masters as a winner of the 2017 Players Championship in a row, lost his qualifying rights to the end of last year, and won the American Express last January, and got his hands on the Masters this year.
"As Masters is recognized as one of the best golf tournaments, it's really an honor to compete. It seems like I'm dreaming of just playing with good players and on a good course. I was worried because I didn't have the right to participate this year. I was so happy to have a chance to play again after winning in January.”
Kim Si-woo failed to pass the qualifying round in 2017, when he first appeared, but passed the cut for three consecutive years from 2018.
(24th in 2018-21st in 2019-34th in 2020)
"The first year was so tense that I couldn't play at my disposal, but after that, I got more and more experience. The Augusta course is better with me than other major tournament courses, too. I think the grades were good because it seemed to be correct."
Siwoo Kim and Seongjae Lim are both close seniors and juniors at the age of 3, and are good-willed competitors who give and receive good stimulation for each other's growth.
"I think I first met Sungjae when I was 15 I am very happy to be a teammate by winning and seeing that. I feel proud of myself as a Korean player, and I feel that I can get a lot more stimulated and work harder. If not only I and Im Seong-jae, but also our Korean players all look forward to good results, It also seems to be an opportunity to develop further by being stimulated by each other."
We hope and support both players this time with good results and great competition.
Returning back to April, the 2021 Masters of'Myeongin Heat' will broadcast the entire round exclusively by SBS (terrestrial wave) and golf channel SBS Golf.
[2021 Masters Tournament SBS (terrestrial) broadcast schedule]
4/9 (Fri) 4am~.
Round 1
4/10 (Sat) 4am~.
Round 2
4/11 (Sun) 3:30 a.m.~.
Round 3
4/12 (Mon) 2:35am~.
Final round