Lee Tae-hoon (33, DB Insurance) is back to winning ways after a disappointing runner-up finish last week.
Lee shot a 4-under-par 68 in the first round of the 2023 KPGA Tour’s KB Financial Livechampionship at Blackstone Icheon GC in Icheon, Gyeonggi-do, on Friday to sit tied for first place.
Lee was in superb form on the day, carding an eagle on the 18th followed by three birdies to share the lead with Lee Jae-kyung 안전놀이터.
After the first round, Lee said, “I was satisfied with everything except for a bogey on the fifth hole (par 5),” adding, “I played confidently on my favorite bentgrass grass. Blackstone Icheon GC deserves a lot of credit for not losing any shots on a challenging course. I didn’t expect to make an eagle on the 18th hole (par 5) with a 21.19-yard putt, and I hope to keep this good momentum going into tomorrow.”
On his disappointing runner-up finish last week, he added: “It was disappointing. But I’m feeling good because I got off to a good start today,” he laughed, before adding, “I tried to forget about the disappointment and focus on my play today. I played confidently on bentgrass, which is my favorite surface.”
When asked why he likes bentgrass, Lee said, “It’s very familiar. I practiced and played on bentgrass a lot in the United States. It’s much more comfortable for me to play my shots.”
