These are the words engraved in the hearts of the players participating in the GS Caltex Maekyung Open (total prize money of 1.3 billion won), ‘Korea’s Masters’. Some players plan to control their minds by writing ‘Let’s be patient’ on the inside of the brim of their hats. There is a definite reason. This is because the difficulty of Namseoul CC in Seongnam, Gyeonggi-do, where the GS Caltex Maekyung Open is held, is high.
Past winners such as Bio Kim, Sang-Hyun Park, Tae-Hee Lee, and In-Hui Heo said, “To achieve satisfactory results at Nam Seoul CC, you have to wait with patience until the perfect opportunity comes.” This strong player will rise to the top.”
The GS Caltex Maekyung Open, which celebrated its 42nd anniversary this year, will be held at Namseoul CC in Seongnam, Gyeonggi-do for four days from May 4th. Namseoul CC, one of the most prestigious golf courses in Korea, is ready to transform into a ‘golf battlefield’ again this year.
As in previous years, the most noteworthy is the glass plate green. The players are preparing thoroughly as Namseoul CC predicted the highest green speed of 4m this year. The most important thing is the iron shot that attacks the pin. As it is important to leave an uphill putt, he is putting special effort into setting up an iron shot strategy.
There are 3 holes you have to pass safely to get to the top. The 16th, 17th, and 18th holes make you clench your fist if you record a par. The difficulty of the three holes can also be seen through the performance of the players last year. The 16th hole was 4.58 strokes, the 17th hole was 3.21 strokes, and the 18th hole was 4.36 strokes. Hole 16, which normally operates as a par 5 hole but transforms into a par 4 during the GS Caltex Maekyung Open, was considered the most difficult hole in the men’s professional golf tournament held in Korea last year. The reason why professional golfers find the 16th hole difficult is that it is long and the fairway is narrow.
Looking at the fairway from the teeing ground, you can see two wide and deep bunkers. Players feel a lot of pressure before hitting a tee shot as they have to hit a bunker shot that exceeds 2m in height once the ball goes into the bunker. It’s too early to be relieved even if you hit the second shot from the fairway. The greens are fast and hard.ㅋㅋㅋ벳
Also, it is not easy to catch deep-sea waves up to the slope of the green. Last year, there were only 16 birdies in four days at this tournament. There were 189 bogeys and 33 double bogies or more.
The par 3 17th hole and the par 4 18th hole were also ranked as the fourth and second most difficult holes last year. In particular, the 18th hole, where the winner was born, was played with such difficulty that nine players recorded more than a triple bogey. Some players honed their draw skills to achieve good results on the 18th hole. This is Bae Yong-joon, who won the Korea Professional Golf (KPGA) Korean Tour Rookie Award last year. “As there is a big tree to the left of the 18th hole teeing ground, it is disadvantageous for players who use fade pitches,” he said. It’s okay, so this year, I’m going to try for a birdie on the 18th hole.”