After a successful comeback from injury, ‘Big Star’ Kim Han-byul (27) is looking to make a big comeback in the second half of the year.
Kim Han-byul will play his second tournament of the year at the Korea Men’s Professional Golf (KPGA) Gunsan CC Open at Gunsan CC in Gunsan, Jeollabuk-do, starting on April 24. After returning to the field last month after a two-month injury layoff, he will be looking for his fourth career win in his first tournament of the second half of the year.
After making her KPGA Korean Tour debut in 2019, Kim emerged as a “big star” on the KPGA Korean Tour with top finishes at the Hedges Golf KPGA Open with Ildong Lake Golf Club in 2020, the 36th Shinhan Donghae Open and the YAMAHA-HONORS K Open with Solago CC in 2021.
This year, however, she was hampered by injuries. In May, Kim suffered a torn ligament in her left ankle after the first round of the Woori Financial Championship. After undergoing surgery, Kim was sidelined for about two months as she focused on rehabilitation. The injury came at a time when she was cruising through the cuts in all of her previous competitions.
This is the first time Kim has been out of action for more than two months. “I was very disappointed that I couldn’t play on the tour due to my injury. I missed golf a lot,” she said, “I felt like I was resting and cherishing it. It was an opportunity for my love for golf to grow even more.”
Kim made a successful comeback with a tie for 15th place at the Honors K and Solago CC Hanjangsang Invitational, which concluded on March 23. With her aggressive play, she recorded a ‘daily best’ of nine birdies without a bogey in the final round.
Kim said, “I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to play as well as I did in my comeback. I probably should have taken more rest, but I wanted to compete as soon as possible,” Kim recalled. “I felt more relaxed than impatient on the field after a long absence. As I performed well in my comeback match, I will find my game step by step.”
Kim has her sights set on the second half of the season. Kim has been strong in the second half of the year, as all three of her KPGA Korean Tour wins came in the second half of the year. In the second half of last year, she had one runner-up finish and four top-10s in nine events. She also has good memories of making the cut in every second half event she has competed in since 2021.
“When you enter the second half of the year, you feel more confident,” Kim said, adding, “Every year I crave a win, but this year I will wait calmly. I will approach the second half of the year with no greed, aiming for the top 10 in every tournament.”안전놀이터
Kim’s first tournament of the second half of the year will be the KPGA Gunsan CC Open on the 24th. Kim finished tied for seventh at last year’s BodyFrend Phantom Robo Gunsan CC Open. Kim will start her first round at 12:35 p.m. on the 1st hole. He is in Group 30, along with Kim Bi-Oh (33), who won two titles last year, and Kim Dong-min (25), this season’s KB Financial Live Championship champion.