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[이데일리 스타in 주영로 기자] ‘Pass the crisis, save the opportunity.’
Kim Hyo-joo (26) is one step closer to winning the SK Networks Seoul Economic Classic (total prize money of 800 million won) on the Korea Women’s Professional Golf (KLPGA) tour with a flawless game that puts the standard play of golf at the fore.
In the third round of the tournament held at Pinx Golf Club (par 72) in Seogwipo-si, Jeju on the 30th, Kim Hyo-ju picked five birdies without bogey and hit a 5-under 67. Kim Hyo-joo, who reduced five more strokes on this day alone, posted a total of 10-under-par 206 for three days, placing her name at the top of the leaderboard. Dabin Huh (23) finished second by one stroke and Yoo Hae-ran (20) finished third (8-under 208 strokes), competing for the championship with Kim Hyo-joo on the last day.
Kim Hyo-ju, who won the LPGA Tour HSBC Women’s Championship for the first time in five years and three months in May, won the OK Savings Bank Se-ri Pak Invitational in September, enjoying the joy of winning both in the United States and Korea this year.
After breaking the long-standing silence on the LPGA Tour, Kim Hyo-joo’s golf was much different from before. As with the performance, there was a big change in the expression of the game.
After the second round, Kim Hyo-joo said, “I feel more comfortable making mistakes. Even when mistakes are made, I can play comfortably without being nervous.”
It was the same day in Gyeonggi-do. Kim Hyo-joo, who started the second half by catching two birdies in the first half, continued the upward trend by catching birdies on the 11th and 12th holes in a row. But then came the crisis on the 15th hole (par 4). The second hit lands on the rough left of the green. He tried to birdie off the green, but the putt didn’t reach the hole, leaving a difficult par putt about 4.2m away. Missing the par could break the uptrend, but Kim Hyo-joo calmly put this putt and overcame the crisis. As Kim Hyo-joo said, mistakes were made, but because I wasn’t nervous, the game went well.
Kim Hyo-joo, who took the lead by one stroke by catching a birdie on the 17th hole (par 3), faced a crisis again on the last 18th hole (par 4). The tee shot went well into the fairway, but he tried to layup 185 yards to the hole. There is a stream in front of the green, so I chose a safe attack rather than an unreasonable attack. After about 110 yards on his second shot, his third shot from about 75 yards stopped at 3m on the hole. It was a formidable distance, but Kim Hyo-joo put this putt into the hole and finished 18 holes in a bogey-free game. It was a day that showed the essence of golf by overcoming the crisis and taking advantage of the opportunity to reduce the number of strokes.
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