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| Kim Si-woo plays a tee shot from the 12th hole during a practice round of the men's golf event at Kasumigaseki Country Club in Kawagoe, Japan. AP-Yonhap |
Korean duo seeks podium finish
By Kang Seung-woo
Golf has returned to the Summer Games for the second straight time, with the men's tournament set to begin today.
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| Im Sung-jae participates in a practice round of the men's golf tournament at Kasumigaseki Country Club in Kawagoe, Japan, Tuesday. Yonhap |
So far, LPGA Hall of Famer Park In-bee has won gold in the women's tournament, while Korean duo Im Sung-jae and Kim Si-woo are seeking to emulate her achievement on the men's field, which features some of the game's best players. At the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, An Byeong-hun and Wang Jeung-hun represented the men's national team, tying for 11th and 43rd, respectively.
A total of 60 golfers will be competing in a stroke-play, four-round, no-cut event on the East Course of the Kasumigaseki Country Club in Saitama, northwest of Tokyo.
Although the men's tournament has lost two of the game's biggest stars ― world No.1 Jon Rahm of Spain and American big hitter Bryson DeChambeau ― to COVID-19, the field still shows off a heap of high-profile golfers, including Ireland's Rory McIlroy, Americans Justin Thomas and Collin Morikawa and hometown favorite Hideki Matsuyama.
Im and Kim have focused on the Olympic tournament, skipping the Open Championship, one of the four majors of the PGA Tour. Any podium finish can exempt them from the mandatory military service.
The 23-year-old Im, the first Asian to become the PGA Tour Rookie of the Year in the 2018-2019 season, triumphed at the Honda Classic in March 2020 and finished second in the proceeding Masters in November of 2020.
"This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I'd love to become the first Korean male player to win a medal in Olympic golf," Im said in an interview with the PGA Tour earlier this month. "That'd be the greatest accomplishment of my career. I know it won't be easy to win a medal, but I want to represent my country well and do the best I can. I may not get another chance to play at the Olympics."
The fact that Im played on the Japanese tour for two years is also expected to work to his advantage.
Kim Si-woo, a three-time PGA Tour winner ― including the prestigious Players Championship in 2017 ― is also seeking to make a splash at the Summer Olympics in Tokyo. The Players Championship is also known as golf's unofficial "fifth major."
"It is my honor to represent Korea in the Olympic Games," Kim said during a press conference, Wednesday. "I plan to compete in the tournament responsibly."
Im will tee off at 10:25 a.m., paired with McIlroy and Morikawa, while Kim is grouped with Rasmus Hojgaard of Denmark and Romain Langasque of France to begin the tournament at 10:03 a.m.
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| Ireland's Rory McIlroy practices with his chip during a practice session of the men's golf event at the Tokyo Olympics at Kasumigaseki Country Club in Kawagoe, Japan, Tuesday. AP-Yonhap |
McIlroy is a 19-time PGA Tour winner, while Morikawa is an up-and-coming player on the tour following his wins in the PGA Championship and the Open Championship, both of which were achieved during his major debuts.
According to the Associated Press, Im is predicted to win the bronze, while McIlroy and American Xander Schauffele are expected to win the gold and silver, respectively. However, the PGA Tour expects Im to finish sixth.
"Determined Im and Kim are building up their form, so I can safely say that they could win a medal," said Choi Kyung-joo, head coach of the men's national team.
The women's tournament begins Aug. 4, in which four Korean women ― defending champion Park In-bee, world No. 2 Ko Jin-young, Kim Sei-young and No. 6 Kim Hyo-joo ― will compete.
