“I think this year will be the busiest year. I think I will accumulate a lot of international mileage.”
On the 19th, when the name ‘Kim Min-hwi’ (31) was found on the list of players for the final match of the Asian Tour Qualifying Tournament held in Thailand, the golf world was stirred. It was because it was unimaginable for Kim Min-hwi, who was a leading player in Korean men’s golf, to participate in the Asian Tour seeding match.
Kim Min-hwi, a former national representative, won two gold medals at the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games and the 2012 Korea Professional Golf (KPGA) Korean Tour Rookie of the Year Award. With his manly appearance, sturdy physique, and sophisticated iron shot, he was once evaluated as the player who will be responsible for Korean men’s golf on the PGA Tour. Such Kim Min-hwi finished 10th in the QT that was held for 5 days and comfortably won the Asian Tour seed.
In a recent interview with E-Daily, Kim Min-hwi said lightly, “Actually, the Asian Tour seed was selected to participate in the Korn Ferry Tour (PGA 2nd division) when there was no competition.” Since the Korn Ferry Tour will be on hiatus for 5 weeks from mid-February, Kim Min-hwi tried to participate in the Asian Tour, which is actively held at this time, in preparation for a drop in performance. He explained, “Anyway, the reason the schedule is empty for five weeks is because it is burdensome for the players.” At the cautious guess that he thought it was a plan to play mainly on the Asian Tour, Kim Min-hui emphasized, “This year’s main stage is the Korn Ferry Tour.” 안전놀이터
From January, Kim Min-hwi’s clock ran fast. He trained with QT in Thailand for about a month in January, returned to Dallas, USA, where he was at his home at the end of January, and moved to Panama on the 29th without a break. He starts the season in earnest with the Korn Ferry Tour in Panama in early February, plays in Colorado, USA, and then moves to Qatar in mid-February to compete in the Asian Tour. In early March, he flies to New Zealand and Thailand to play. Later, in mid-March, he returned to the US to continue his Korn Ferry tour.
Kim Min-hwi smiled and said, “I think I’ll have to take a lot of international flights this year.” I will try to bump into it,” he said, reaffirming his determination. He explains that the Asian Tour is unfamiliar to him and he has to learn everything from event registration to hotel reservations, but everything is a process he must go through to get new opportunities. This is because becoming the Asian Tour prize money champion can open a new path, such as invitations to major tournaments and participation in the DP World Tour (formerly the European Tour).