Jiho Yang is on the cusp of registering the biggest upset victory in the 68-year history of the KOLON Korea Open after opening up a huge seven-shot third-round lead today.
He continued on with his head-turning performance carding his second successive four-under-par 67 at Woo Jeong Hills Country Club to stay in front for the third straight day. He is a remarkable 14-under for the Asian Tour event.
Sweden’s Charlie Lindh is next best placed following a 68, while Yang has the comfort of Mexico’s Abraham Ancer sitting a whopping nine shots back in third. Ancer fired a 70 while Korean Jeunghun Wang carded a 68 and is fourth, another stroke behind.
Yang is attempting to become the first pre-qualifier to win the tournament and his task is helped by the fact he can do very little wrong at the moment.
Four ahead at the start of the day, he was seven ahead by the turn, thanks to a moment of genius. He holed a 50-yard wedge shot on the par-five fifth for eagle, which was sandwiched between two birdies, before he made another birdie on eight. Bogeys on the first and nine gave the chasing pack hope, although Yang made another birdie on 10 to move eight ahead.
Lindh, playing in the penultimate flight, did his best to catch the runaway Korean pacesetter by making birdies on 11 and 12 while Yang dropped a shot on 11. It meant the gap was reduced to five, but it finished at seven after Lindh bogeyed 15 and Yang birdied the last.
Lindh and Abraham, who will play in LIV Golf Korea next week, are seeking to become the first non-Asian winner since American Rickie Fowler triumphed in 2011, also at this week’s venue.
They will have their work cut out tomorrow with Yang so far ahead and very much in the moment.
“I shot a bogey early, but I had a bit of a cushion, so I didn’t let it bother me. I was actually pretty nervous playing alongside great players, but the atmosphere was great, which helped me finish strong,” said the 41-year-old Yang, who has been brandishing his broom handle putter to great effect.
“I don’t think I played aggressively a single day this week. I was actually just trying to play safe, but the putts just happened to drop. It just goes to show once again that Woo Jeong Hills is not a course you can overpower with just distance.”
He has won twice before on the Korean PGA Tour at the 2022 KB Financial Liv Championship and the following year at the Hana Bank Invitational – an event joint sanctioned with the Japan Tour, where he also spent time playing.
However, his brilliant performance this week is incomparable with what has come before during his nearly 20 years as a professional.
His best finish in his national open is joint 20th in 2019 while he finished in 18th place in the pre-qualifier for this week’s event last month.
On his eagle, he said: “I pushed my second shot and the ball ended up in some deep rough where I didn’t have much room for anything. I talked it over with my caddie, and we agreed just to get the ball out safely and try to save it for a par. But the shot ended up hitting the pin and dropping in. If it hadn’t hit the pin, it wouldn’t have gone in, so I got really lucky hitting it dead centre. That shot gave me a huge momentum and energy.”
Lindh’s game has been trending since the end of last year and he is on track to complete his finest performance on the Asian Tour with a good round tomorrow.
“I mean, again, solid,” said 28-year-old.
“I hit a lot of greens, and on the difficult putts I was able to hit them close enough to make the second one, at least, and also made a few nice putts out there.
“Obviously, if you hit the ball where you’re looking on these greens, it’s gonna go where you’re looking as well. Because they’re rolling so pure, it’s just that the holes are cut in very difficult hole locations. But as long as you’re on the right side, you got a good chance of making a putt.”
With green speed up to 14 on the Stimpmetre today compared with 12 on the first two days competitors had their work cut out.
On that Lindh added: “You could definitely tell the difference, especially playing very early yesterday, where there was a little fog. Now they dried up this afternoon, and it got super quick. Just got to be careful out there on the greens. It’s a long way to go – you can shoot big numbers on this course too.”
Should things go his way tomorrow he would become only the second European to win this event after Spain’s Sergio Garcia in 2002.
Ancer was full of praise for his playing partner Yang.
“He made everything,” said the Mexican.
“I mean, he played really well. Whenever he made a mistake, he got up and down. I mean, he played incredible golf, which obviously I gotta respect that. It was, really cool to watch. And it’ll be interesting tomorrow, we’ll see.
“I mean, it’s gonna be weird being in the final group and being so far behind. But I mean, they told me this morning, I don’t know who told me, that Y.E. Yang won this tournament, and he was 10 strokes back going to the last round. Which I mean, this is a golf course that anything can happen, it really is.”
Korean Minkyu Kim’s attempt to win this event for a third time came to an end today when he was disqualified for signing an incorrect scorecard.
