| ▲ Kyung-hoon Lee wears a custom-made cowboy hat and smiles following winning the AT&T Byron Nelson Tournament on the 16th (Korean time). AP Yonhap News |
With the strength of his mental strength, Lee Kyung-hoon will challenge the first major US PGA Tour tournament in his life.
Kyung-Hoon Lee will participate in the PGA Championship, the second major tournament of the PGA Tour season, which opens at the Southern Hills Country Club (par 70) in Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA on the night of the 19th (Korean time).
In the previous tournament, AT&T Byron Nelson, Lee Kyung-hoon was the first Korean player to successfully defend his PGA Tour title, passing the cut in his first major tournament and challenging the top rankings. After completing the Masters last month, Lee Kyung-hoon threw the game by replacing the caddy, swing coach, and putter, and met once more with the mental coach he had been with in the past. Then, following just one month, he achieved the result of winning, and this week, he takes on a new challenge.
Ahead of the opening of the PGA Championship, Lee Kyung-hoon said, “After two wins, it became a little easier to control my emotions. It is expected. This time, it’s worth a try.” He did not hide his confidence. Before his PGA Tour debut, Kyung-Hoon Lee competed in a total of five major tournaments, including the 2014 US Open, and missed the cut. This is the reason why Lee Kyung-hoon is more motivated this week.
Lee Kyung-hoon’s confidence is thanks to the fact that he quickly completed mental arming with Green Coaching Solution CEO Jung Green, a mental coach following completing AT&T Byron Nelson. In order to wash away the regret of failing to pass the cut by one stroke at the Masters last month, he quickly forgot the joy of winning. In a phone call with the Munhwa Ilbo, CEO Jeong said, “When the game starts, all players experience anxiety and tension, but it is important to do what they have to do even in that situation. I advise you to step out of the box. He decided to keep the ‘Let’s focus on what we can do’ mindset.”
Kyung-Hoon Lee starts the first round with Anirvan Lahiri (India) and Tim Pinstra (USA) on the 10th hole (par 4) at 2:36 am on the 20th.
Reporter Oh Hae-won
