Korean men’s golf ‘Big 4’ Kim Joo-hyung (21), Lim Seong-jae (25), Kim Si-woo (28), and Lee Kyung-hoon (32) are on the hunt for the PGA Tour WM Phoenix Open championship.
The Phoenix Open, which opens on the 9th at TPC Scottsdale Stadium Course (par 71, 7261 yards) in Scottsdale, near Phoenix, Arizona, USA, is a big event with a total prize money of 20 million dollars and a prize money of 3.6 million dollars (approximately 4.5 billion won).
The Phoenix Open, also called the ‘Golf Liberation Zone’ and the ‘People’s Open’ because drinking and loud cheering in the gallery is allowed, has been upgraded to one of the 17 special events designated by the PGA Tour starting this year, transforming into a major-level tournament where almost all of the world’s best players participate. did. Last year’s total prize money was $8.2 million. The Phoenix Open, which attracts 500,000 to 600,000 spectators every year with a differentiated policy that does not restrict gallery activities, added a festive atmosphere to this year’s NFL final Super Bowl held in Glendale, a nearby city.
Unlike the Sentry Tournament of Champions (January), where participation was limited to last year’s winners, 18 of the top 20 players, including the world’s top 20, gathered as this year’s first full-field special event where cut-out is applied. Only Cameron Smith (4th, Australia), who switched to LIV golf, and Will Jaratoris (8th, USA), who is taking a break this week, are missing.
The clash between world number 1 Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland), 2nd place Scotty Scheffler (USA), and 3rd place John Rahm (Spain) is the most interesting point to watch. McIlroy, who won the DP World Tour (European Tour) Dubai Desert Classic, which won the DP World Tour (European Tour), who won the CJ Cup in October last year, and defending champion Schaeffler, and Ram, who won two victories this year, are heating up the atmosphere. . 바카라사이트
Joo-hyung Kim (#14 in the world), who played a big role in front of a large audience at the 2022 Presidents Cup, is also expected. It is of interest to see how Kim Joo-hyung, who is loved for his gestures that energize himself in front of a cloud-like gallery and attract fans’ response, will sublimate the heat of the stadium course he is experiencing for the first time. Kim Joo-hyung, who drew attention by holding practice rounds with swimming emperors Michael Phelps (USA) and John Lam while focusing on adapting to the field early on, is aiming for his second win of the season following last year’s Shriners Children’s Open (October).
Im Seong-jae, ranked 18th in the world, continues his upward trend, tied for 4th at Farmers Insurance, and Kim Si-woo (42nd) is aiming for his second win in a month after the Sony Open. Lee Gyeong-hoon (41st) brings back memories of being strong on his stadium course in this event in 2021, finishing runner-up by one stroke to Brooks Koepka (USA).