How Iron Heads GC landed Korean Tour’s best player
Iron Heads Land Korean Star Yubin Jang, Bolstering Roster for 2025 LIV Golf Season
Table of Contents
- Iron Heads Land Korean Star Yubin Jang, Bolstering Roster for 2025 LIV Golf Season
- Korean Golf Star K.J. Choi Recruits Rising Talent for LIV Golf
- Korean Prodigy Joins LIV Golf’s Iron Heads, Sparking Hopes for First Team Win
- korea’s next generation takes aim at LIV golf: an exclusive interview with kevin Na
Las Vegas, NV – kevin Na’s late-night scouting sessions have paid off. The Iron Heads GC captain has secured the signature of rising Korean star Yubin Jang, adding a dynamic young talent to his team’s roster for the 2025 LIV Golf season.
Na, who has spent countless hours watching Jang compete on the Korean Tour, believes the 22-year-old has the potential to be the next big name in korean golf.
“He’s going to be the next best Korean golfer,” Na saeid. “That’s how much I believe in him. Adn I told him that,too.”
Jang’s impressive 2024 season,which saw him capture two victories,five runner-up finishes,and four other top-10s,earned him the Korean Tour’s player of the Year award. He becomes the first full-time player from the Korean Tour to join LIV Golf.
Jang joins a growing contingent of Asian talent on the Iron Heads, including Korean-born Na and Danny Lee, as well as Japan’s Jinichiro Kozuma.
The signing of Jang marks a significant moment for the Iron Heads, who have struggled to find consistent success since the inaugural LIV Golf season.
The team’s recent momentum, however, suggests a brighter future. Their tie for second at the Dallas Team Championship – their best-ever tournament result – was followed by the announcement that LIV Golf will make its Korean debut in 2025. Earlier this week, the Iron Heads also secured the re-signing of Kozuma and Lee.
Na, who has openly expressed his frustration with the team’s past performance, is now brimming with optimism.
“It’s been frustrating at times, and believe me, I can talk all about the frustration,” Na said. “But right now, we’re talking about all the positives – and there’s a lot of positives.”
Na’s dedication to recruiting Jang, which began a year ago when Jang was still an amateur, highlights his commitment to building a competitive team.Jang’s impressive amateur resume, which included a victory at the Korean Tour’s gunsan Open and a team gold medal at the Asian Games, caught Na’s eye.
Jang continued to impress in 2024,racking up four top-6 finishes in a five-week stretch early in the season. After two missed cuts, he bounced back with a string of impressive results, including two runner-up finishes and a triumphant defense of his Gunsan Open title.
His playoff victory at the Busan Open in October cemented his status as one of the most exciting young players in Korean golf.
Jang’s arrival in LIV Golf is a major coup for the Iron Heads and a testament to Na’s vision for the team. With a roster now brimming with talent and experience, the Iron Heads are poised to make a serious run at the LIV Golf championship in 2025.
Korean Golf Star K.J. Choi Recruits Rising Talent for LIV Golf
K.J. Choi, a veteran of the PGA Tour and a golfing icon in South Korea, has successfully recruited rising star Joohyung “Tom” Kim to join LIV Golf. Choi, who has been a vocal supporter of the Saudi-backed league, sees Kim as a future star and believes LIV Golf is the perfect platform for him to develop his game.
Choi’s recruitment of Kim wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment decision. He had been watching Kim’s progress for over a year, impressed by his talent and potential.
“It’s not just, oh, he won the money title this year, I’m going after him,” Choi said. “I’ve been watching him for more than a year. I’ve been watching a lot of guys. Obviously, I no all the guys on the PGA Tour and I’m friends with all the guys. But I had one recruit, and I put all my eggs in one basket. And that was him.”
Convincing Kim to join LIV Golf required more than just highlighting his potential. Choi, with his 23 years of experience on the PGA Tour and deep connections within the Korean golf community, presented a compelling case.
“I just told him this is the right move for him,” Choi recalled. “He obviously had thoughts of going to the U.S. tour and I said,‘There’s nothing wrong with that,but there’s no guarantee you’re going straight to the top level and playing. It takes a few years, maybe on the Korn Ferry Tour, maybe a year. And then it’ll take maybe another year or two to get to the elevated events.”‘Or you can come straight here, get a multi-year deal, you’re going to play against the best in the world, and the best fields in golf. Majors? Well, it’s coming, don’t worry.’”
Kim was receptive to Choi’s advice, seeing him as a role model and mentor.
“He liked everything I had to say, and obviously he looks up to me as a fellow Korean and he wanted to follow what I’m doing out here,” Choi said. “He’s probably going to end up moving near me in Vegas. I convinced him that he needs to have a base in the U.S.as he’s going to become a world-class player and playing at that world level. So, he wants to be near me and kind of shadow me a little bit.I’m more than happy to mentor him.”
The recruitment process involved careful negotiations and assurances from both sides. Choi needed to be sure Kim was fully committed, while Kim needed to know there was a guaranteed spot for him on the LIV Golf roster.
“I said, ‘Once you commit to me, there’s no backing out. You keep your word and we’re going all the way,’” Choi said.“He’s vrey mature. He didn’t give me an answer right away. He goes, ‘Can you give me a few days to think about it?’ I said, I’ll give you a week. He called me back and said, ‘I’m in.’ I said, ‘No backing out. we’re going all the way.’ He said, ‘You got it.’”
The partnership between Choi and Kim was on full display at the recent PIF Saudi International. The two played the first two rounds together,with Choi’s experience proving valuable to the young Kim.
Choi’s successful recruitment of Kim is a significant win for LIV Golf. It demonstrates the league’s growing appeal to young, talented golfers and its ability to attract top players from around the world.
Korean Prodigy Joins LIV Golf’s Iron Heads, Sparking Hopes for First Team Win
riyadh, Saudi Arabia – The LIV Golf League is known for its big names and even bigger purses, but for the Iron Heads, the recent signing of Korean golf sensation Joohyung “Tom” kim might be the biggest win yet.
Kim, a two-time PGA Tour winner, joined the Iron Heads last week in Riyadh, injecting a wave of youthful energy and talent into the team.
“I liked everything I saw,” said veteran Iron Heads captain K.J. Choi.”He’s a good ball-striker, good build, hits it a long way, and he’s very modest, but I know deep down inside, he’s not scared.He’s going to be a world-class player.”
The Iron Heads have yet to taste victory in the LIV Golf format. While individual member Sihwan Kim secured a playoff win in Tucson in 2023, the team itself has struggled to find its footing. They finished last in the regular season points standings in 2024 before a late surge in Dallas.
But with the addition of Tom Kim, optimism is high.
“I’m pretty confident that we have the capability to win once or maybe multiple times,” Choi said. “But four guys have got to get together and put up a number, and sometimes it’s not easy.”
Kim’s arrival brings a fresh dynamic to the team, injecting a youthful hunger for success.
“It should be easier, though, with the whizz kid from Korea,” Choi added with a smile.
The Iron Heads will be looking to capitalize on Kim’s talent and momentum as they head into the 2025 season, hoping to finally break through and claim their first LIV Golf victory.
korea’s next generation takes aim at LIV golf: an exclusive interview with kevin Na
By: [Your Name], NewsDirectroy3 Golf Correspondent
Las Vegas, NV – A new wave of Korean talent is poised to make a splash in LIV Golf, and at the forefront of this movement is none other than Kevin Na.
Captain of the Iron Heads, Na has consistently championed his belief in the immense potential of Korean golfers, and his tireless scouting efforts have paid off with the signing of rising star Yubin Jang for the 2025 season.
In an exclusive interview with NewsDirectroy3, Na spoke candidly about his vision for the Iron Heads and the significance of Jang’s arrival.
ND3: Kevin, congratulations on securing Yubin Jang! You’ve been vocal about wanting young talent on the team, and Jang certainly fits the bill. What made him the perfect target?
Na: Yubin is special. I’ve been watching him on the Korean Tour for a while now, even before he turned pro. He’s got this unbelievable drive, this hunger to win that reminds me of myself.When you see a player with that kind of talent and dedication, you have to go after him.
ND3: Jang’s achievement of Player of the Year on the Korean Tour and two victories this season are remarkable. What are your expectations for him in LIV Golf?
Na: Look, he’s the future of Korean golf, in my opinion. I genuinely believe he’ll be one of the best in the world. LIV Golf is the perfect platform for him to showcase his skills on a global stage and compete against the best players. That’s what he needs to grow as a golfer.
ND3: Does Jang’s signing signal a major shift in strategy for the Iron Heads moving forward?
Na: It’s not a complete shift, but it’s definitely a step in the right direction. We want to build a team for the future, a team that can compete for the LIV Golf championship for years to come. Having a young, talented core likeJang, along with experienced players like Danny Lee and Jinichiro Kozuma, gives us the perfect blend.
ND3: Combining Jang’s signing with the re-signings of Lee and Kozuma, and also the recent success at the Dallas team Championship, it seems like the Iron Heads are on an upward trajectory.
Na: Absolutely. It’s been a frustrating couple of years, but we’ve kept working, kept believing. This team has so much potential, and I’m more optimistic now than ever.This is a new chapter for the Iron Heads, and I can’t wait to see what we can achieve.
The Iron Heads’ acquisition of Jang comes at a pivotal time for LIV Golf.With K.J. Choi also actively recruiting young talent like Joohyung “tom” Kim, LIV is attracting a new generation of Korean stars, setting the stage for a potentially dynamic rivalry in the coming years.
Keep your eyes on the Iron Heads and the Korean contingent in LIV Golf. The future looks luminous.