admin‘Monster’ Kim Kyung-tae (37, Shinhan Financial Group), who won 14 wins on the Japan Golf Tour (JGTO), will return to the Korea Professional Golf (KPGA) Korean Tour with a permanent seed.
KPGA changed the criteria for obtaining permanent seed rights this year. The entry barrier was lowered from 25 wins or more to “20 wins and 4 major championship winners”. Kim Gyeong-tae met the criteria for 20 wins in total and obtained a permanent seed. There were only four permanent seed holders for the Korean Tour: Choi Sang-ho (68), Choi Gyeong-ju (53, SK Telecom), Han Jang-sang (83), Park Nam-shin (64), and Yang Yong-eun (51). Kim Kyung-tae, who secured a permanent seed for the fifth time in history, won 6 wins on the Korean Tour and 14 wins in Japan.
He said, “It is an honor. He received many congratulations from his family, acquaintances, and seniors and juniors. He is proud and rewarding,” he said. “I think it will be a motivation for touring. I also have a new goal.” Kim Kyung-tae, who entered the 17th year of the tour, said, “In the beginning, seniors active in the senior tour, such as Park Nam-shin, Kang Uk-soon, and Shin Yong-jin, dominated the Korean tour. A lot of time has passed and I have a special feeling,” he said. “I am happy that I have done something that will remain in my name for the rest of my life.”
Kim Gyeong-tae, who wore the Taegeuk mark in 2003, earned the nickname ‘monster’ by winning two consecutive Japanese amateur championships from 2005, when he was a national representative. He competed as an amateur and reached the top in the 2006 Pocari Energen Open and Samsung Benest Open. He jumped into the Korean tour after winning the gold medal in the individual and team events at the Doha Asian Games.
The momentum of the ‘monster rookie’ overwhelmed the outstanding seniors. He won the Tomato Savings Bank Open in 2007, his Korean Tour debut season, and left his name as the first player ever to win a debut match. This record remains as an ‘immortal record’ that will not be broken even after 16 years have passed.
Even before his first win was over, he won consecutive championships at the GS Caltex Maekyung Open, climbed to the top of the Apple City Open with three wins, and won three wins in his rookie season, monopolizing the prize money Wang Deok Chun Award. That’s why they call him a ‘monster’.
Kim Kyung-tae said, “There was a lot of pressure in my debut season. He received a lot of attention since he was an amateur, and his decision to turn pro was delayed, and he was worried ‘would he be able to do well’. He thought the beginning of the season was important, but he was fortunate that it turned out well,” he lowered his stance.
Having won the rookie of the year and the grand prize at the same time, in 2008 he expanded the scope of his activities to Japan and Asian tours. In 2010, he won 3 wins on the Japanese tour and became the first Korean prize money king, and in 2015, he won 5 wins and won the grand prize and prize money king at the same time, establishing himself as a national golfer. “He got married, changed his caddy, and changed his swing. It was a big adventure, but he turned out to be a success, making 2015 a particularly memorable year.” 먹튀검증
Kim Kyung-tae, who was unable to wear a jacket after winning the Casio World Open in 2019, said, “I have suffered a lot because of my back for the past two years. He is recovering well now. “I plan to focus on the Korean tour this year,” he said. I’m excited because it’s the first tour in Korea since 2007 in 16 years.”
Kim Kyung-tae said, “There has been no Korean Tour victory since 2011. It is because of his impatience and excessive greed,” he said. “The goal is to lift the Korean Tour championship trophy at least once before his retirement. I hope to win the Shinhan Donghae Open at least in order to repay Shinhan Financial Group, which continues the record of single sponsorship for the longest period of time in history.”