Joo-hyung Kim (21), who is called the “next-generation Woods” of the American Professional Golf (PGA), expressed his impressions of meeting Tiger Woods (48, USA) in a tournament. 안전놀이터
On the 16th (Korean time), the day before the opening of the PGA Tour Genesis Invitational, Kim Joo-hyung took part in a pro-am match held at the Riviera Country Club in Palisades, California, where the tournament will be held.
Kim Joo-hyung, who won two wins in his debut season on the PGA Tour last year, is also famous as a big fan of Woods. In an official interview held after his pro-am, he said, “It is special and good to play with Tiger. When Tiger participates, the atmosphere seems to change. I’m a player too, but I love to watch him play. We are happy that Tiger is back,” he said.
Woods will return to the tour event after 7 months of participating in this tournament. Woods suffered a major car accident in February 2021, and until the end of last year, he had difficulty playing due to plantar fasciitis pain. Woods, who raised concerns about whether he would be able to play normally this time, proved his fitness by going around the course on foot rather than riding a cart at the Pro-Am on the 16th.
On the day of the pro-am, the temperature fell below 10 degrees Celsius, and Woods was dressed tightly in winter clothes, a fur hat, and a scarf. Local media reported that Woods walked all the way to the 16th hole and her gait looked much more natural than last year. She added that her swing seemed comfortable.
Kim Joo-hyung first participated in the Genesis Invitational, where only the top players in the world rankings are invited. He said, “I watched this competition outside the ropes before, but it’s amazing and nice that I can compete.”
“I went to the practice range yesterday and there were a ton of people around just one player. ‘Who is it?’ But it was a tiger. Inwardly, ‘Yes. Of course I thought,” he laughed.
Kim Joo-hyung set a new record (20 years and 3 months) as the youngest player in PGA Tour history last year (20 years and 3 months), 6 months earlier than Woods, who was the main character of the previous record. He said, “It is very special. I set a record, but Tiger holds a lot of records. It’s hard to compare, but it means a lot to be able to share his name with him.”
On the other hand, Kim Joo-hyung said about his goal for this season, “I wish I could win one every year, but I am learning now. I want to continue to learn and experience and become a great player. I want to improve little by little every year,” he said.