“Dongsoo, let’s meet after we finish.”
Lee Seung-min (26, Hana Financial Group), who is called ‘Woo Young-woo in the golf world’, says the most during the round. Lee Seung-min, who has autistic developmental disorder, shouts “let’s meet after it’s over” and holds his heart so as not to lose concentration while rounding 18 holes.
Lee Seung-min, who met at the GS Caltex Maekyung Open held at Namseoul CC in Seongnam, Gyeonggi-do on the 4th, said, “To play satisfactory golf, you have to concentrate. I want to meet Dong-soo after this tournament.” I will try to pass the cut at the GS Caltex Maekyung Open, where I will participate for the third time,” he said with a laugh. On this day, Lee Seung-min was tied for 70th with a 1-over-par 72 stroke.
The Dong-soo Lee Seung-min refers to is a fictional character. Just like Woo Young-woo in the drama ‘Mysterious Lawyer Woo Young-woo’ likes whales, Lee Seung-min likes talking with Dong-soo. The reason he keeps saying “I can” during games is because he wants to play his best. Lee Seung-min said, “Passing the cut in this tournament is one of the goals I want to achieve the most this year. I will see,” he said.
Lee Seung-min, who cited winning the U.S. Open for the disabled last year as the best moment in his golf life, recently received a special gift that he will never forget. Lee Seung-min said, “I was surprised to receive an official membership card at the Korea Professional Golf (KPGA) Korean Tour Golf Zone Open last month.” He couldn’t hide his joy.
Along with passing the GS Caltex Maekyung Open cut, Lee Seung-min has two more goals he wants to achieve this year. The first is to successfully defend the title at the US Open for the disabled, and the second is to obtain the right to participate in the Korean Tour regular tour. Lee Seung-min said, “I want to taste the thrill of last year’s championship once again. If I get the right to participate in all Korean Tour tournaments, it will be great.”
He is also looking forward to meeting golf fans at the GS Caltex Maekyung Open. Lee Seung-min raised his voice, saying, “When someone calls my name, I gain strength. I will do my best to show a great image in front of golf fans.”
There is a 2nd year middle school student who is attracting attention at the ‘Korean Masters’ GS Caltex Maekyung Open. This is Ahn Seong-hyun, who is active as the youngest national representative. Ahn Seong-hyun, born in 2009, is a top-notch prospect who holds several records as the youngest Korean male golfer to pass the cut (13 years and 4 months) as the youngest in the Korean Professional Golf Association (KPGA) Korean Tour.
Ahn Seong-hyun, who tied for 25th place (2 under par 69 strokes) in the first round of the GS Caltex Maekyung Open held at Namseoul CC in Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do on the 4th, was full of smiles. Ahn Seong-hyun, who said, “It’s an honor to participate in the best tournament in Korea,” said, “The atmosphere is incomparably different from that of amateur competitions.”
Is there any pressure to have the youngest person behind the name? Ahn Seong-hyun said, “I feel burdened. But it also motivates me to work harder.”
Ahn Seong-hyun’s strength is his precise shot. He doesn’t just hit straight. Ahn Seong-hyun, who inherited the DNA of his father, a former national judo champion, easily lands 270m from the teeing ground. Ahn Seong-hyun emphasized, “I am still lacking, but I have the confidence to send drivers and iron shots to where I want to go.”ㅋㅋㅋ벳
The goal Ahn Seong-hyun set in his GS Caltex Maekyung Open debut was to become the best amateur. Ahn Seong-hyun said, “I hope my name goes up on the list of the best amateurs of all time. I made up my mind to do well by going around practice rounds with the national team members.”
If Ahn Seong-hyun goes beyond the best amateur and reaches the top, he will become the youngest and third amateur winner in the history of the GS Caltex Maekyung Open. In the first GS Caltex Maekyung Open, Korean-Japanese Kim Joo-heon won the trophy, and in 2002, Korean New Zealander Seung-ryong Lee beat his seniors to become the champion at the age of 19.
Ahn Seong-hyun, who set the US Professional Golf (PGA) Tour as his ultimate goal, revealed that he wants to become a consistently good player. He said, “I want to raise Korea’s status on the PGA Tour and become a player recognized by everyone, just like Lim Seong-jae and Kim Joo-hyung.