All preparations are complete. ‘Korean Big Four’ Lee Kyung-hoon (32), Kim Si-woo (28), Lim Seong-jae (25), and Kim Joo-hyung (21) are excitedly awaiting the opening of the PGA Tour WM Phoenix Open. The Phoenix Open will be held at TPC Scottsdale (par 71) in Scottsdale, Arizona, USA for four days from the 9th (local time).
The Phoenix Open, the second high-end event of the PGA this year, has been nicknamed the ‘golf liberation zone’ for its free atmosphere where drinking beer or cheering loudly is allowed. In particular, in hole 16 (par 3) nicknamed ‘Colosseum’, the diamond-shaped grandstand from the teeing area to the green is like a festival. Since the golf course is located in the middle of the desert, golf fans from all over the United States come to play during the tournament. 슬롯사이트
Also, the total prize money, which was 8.2 million dollars last year, more than doubled to 20 million dollars (approximately 25.09 billion won) this year. The winning prize is 3.6 million dollars (approximately 4.5 billion won). 18 out of the top 20 players in the world rankings, including World No. 1 Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland), No. 2 Scotty Scheffler (USA), and No. 3 Jon Rahm (Spain), will participate. The only two not participating are Cameron Smith (Australia, 4th) and Will Jaratoris (USA, 8th), who transferred to LIV Golf.
As it is a tournament that attracts attention from golf fans around the world, expectations are high for the ‘Korean Big 4’. Among them, the player who draws the most attention is Kim “Tom Kim” Joo-hyeong, who is receiving the most attention on the PGA Tour in the new season. After winning his first PGA Tour victory at the Wyndham Championship in August of last year as a non-member, Kim Joo-hyung rose to stardom at once by winning two tour careers in two months at the Shriners Children’s Open in October. He recorded the second youngest win in PGA Tour history (20 years, 1 month, 17 days) and the first win in the 2000s.
In addition, Kim Joo-hyung is equipped with not only his outstanding skills but also splendid showmanship, so expectations are high on what kind of performance he will show in this competition. At the Presidents Cup in September of last year, Kim Joo-hyung, after winning a dramatic victory in a four-ball match, threw a putter and roared in an intense ceremony, drawing a lot of attention. The PGA Tour also placed Kim Joo-hyung at 12th in the power rankings prior to the opening of the tournament, expecting his new performance, saying, “If he can enjoy this week…”.
On the first day of the tournament, Kim Joo-hyung played a round with ‘defending champion’ Scotty Scheffler and Viktor Hoblan (Norway).