“I am happy that I won a big tournament and confirmed my existence to Korean golf fans.”
Baek Seok-hyeon, the ‘unknown’, reached the top of the SK Telecom Open and recorded his first win on the Korean Tour. Seok-hyun Baek shot a 2 under par 69 in the final round of the Korean Tour SK Telecom Open held at Pinx Golf Club in Seogwipo, Jeju on the 21st. Baek Seok-hyun, who recorded a final total of 13 under par 271 strokes, beat the 2nd place by one stroke and lifted the championship cup.
After the game, Baek Seok-hyun said, “I haven’t been able to adapt to the Korean turf, and I’ve struggled with putting, but I’m grateful to those who helped me.”
Baek Seok-hyun, who moved to Thailand in middle school, made his professional debut in 2008 on the Asian Tour. He mainly played on the Asian Tour, Japan Tour and Thailand Tour. This is also the reason why he couldn’t adapt to the Korean turf, which he said during his championship speech.
Baek Seok-hyun played on the Korean Tour in earnest from 2021, but did not stand out. He narrowly maintained his seed at #60 on the money list for 2022. His best Korean Tour event was a tie for 7th at the 2022 Asiad CC Busan Open. This year, last month’s Golf Zone Open in Jeju tied for 45th place, the best result.
Baek Seok-hyun won his first Korean Tour victory on the Bent grass course, which he usually likes. Baek Seok-hyun said, “I will use this championship as a turning point in my golf life to become a better player.”
The ‘no-look putt’, where you putt without looking at the hole, was also the driving force behind the victory. “I thought about doing it without thinking, but it went well,” he said, laughing, saying, “I was so nervous during the winning putt that I only looked at my hand and hit it.”
Baek Seok-hyun, who said, “My hair turned white” the moment the championship was confirmed, said, “I will become a player who wins 2-3 instead of just 1 win as much as I won my first championship.”
By winning this tournament, he also won the Korean Tour seed until 2027. Baek Seok-hyun also expressed his aspirations, 안전놀이터“Since he has a seed of 4 years, he wants to improve his swing and become a better player.”
Baek Seok-hyun, who got married in December of last year, said, “My first goal was to get married and show a good image to my wife, mother-in-law, and father-in-law.
In addition, Baek Seok-hyun expressed his gratitude to his wife, saying, “I didn’t do well in the past, so my wife noticed me a lot. I was the one who trusted and married her, but I was so sorry that I made her notice.”