Missed making his Open Championship debut last July because of Covid-19 travel restrictions, but wasted no time in booking himself another chance – and will be at St Andrews as the second youngest winner of the Asian Tour Order of Merit.
Missed making his Open Championship debut last July because of Covid-19 travel restrictions, but wasted no time in booking himself another chance – making it to St Andrews as the second youngest winner of the Asian Tour Order of Merit.
That was clinched at January’s SMBC Singapore Open, where four spots were on offer as part of The Open Qualifying Series and where he finished joint runner-up to Thailand’s Sadom Kaewkanjana a week after winning the Singapore International.
Was still a teenager at the time and just a month older than fellow South Korean Seung-yul Noh was when he lifted the money list crown in 2010. It was at the same event in 2020 that he earned a place at Sandwich, finishing fourth behind the already exempt Matt Kuchar, Justin Rose and Jazz Janewatananond
It lifted him to a career-high 130th in the world following a season – his first full one as a professional - in which he won three times on the Asian Development Tour to achieve instant promotion to their main circuit. Then, in on only his third start there in November 2019, he became the second-youngest holder of an Asian Tour title by capturing the Panasonic Open India by one with a closing 65.