26/01/2022
Southwoods aces prepare for British Open
BY DANTE NAVARRO
Kim Joo Hyung and Yuto Katsuragawa will have over five months to sharpen their respective games and form and at the same time toughen up for what should be the defining moment of their young golfing careers – a stab at Open glory against the best and the brightest in the sport’s oldest championship at the very birthplace and royal seat of golf.
They clinched the coveted berths for the historic staging of the 150th (British) Open on 14-17 July at St. Andrews’ Old course by finishing joint second to Thai Sadom Kaewkanjana in the just-concluded $1.25 million Singapore Open, which staked four slots as part of The Open qualifying series.
American Sihwan Kim took the last spot by placing fourth in Singapore’s flagship championship.
Kim Joo Hyung, 19, and Katsuragawa, 23, have indeed come a long, long way since anchoring the Manila Southwoods’ numerous title romps in various Interclub championships in separate years from 2016 to 2020.
But while Katsuragawa opted to pursue his studies and head back to Japan before turning pro a couple of years ago, Kim stayed put in Manila, won the national amateur championship and another top amateur event in early 2018 then marked his pro career midway in the season with a record victory on the Philippine Golf Tour at Pueblo de Oro.
Katsuragawa also had a crack at the national championship after leading the event in the third round of the 2017 edition but faltered in the end, enabling Kaewkanjana to claim the crown.
Kim, also known as Tom Kim, also went on to become the youngest (16) winner of The Country Club Invitational in 2019 then plied his trade on the Asian Development Tour, a farm league of the Asian Tour, where he won three events, thus earning him an automatic promotion to the region’s premier circuit.
It was all upswing from there for the rising Korean star, who became the second youngest to win on the Asian Tour at 17 years in the 2019 Panasonic Open. He then ruled the recent Singapore International and placed joint second in the Singapore Open to likewise clinch the Asian Tour Order of Merit trophy.
“I didn’t know it was going to be this fast, but I think It’s still sinking in. I don’t know when it’s going to sink in. But you know, definitely very happy with it,” said Kim, who amassed a whopping $507,552 in earnings in all eight events on the schedule.
The joint runner-up effort in the Singapore Open, meanwhile, has thrilled Katsuragawa no end, the thought of being able to play at the home of golf is enough to motivate the Aichi native to get better and stronger.
After all, competing in a major championship is every pro golfer’s dream.
“This is simply amazing. I’m motivated. A place that golfers want to go once. Playing there will be a memory of my golf life,” said Katsuragawa, whose Singapore Open finish was his best in a young career marked by a previous best tied 21st effort in last year’s Japan Open.
It will also spur him to work hard and try to raise the level of his play when the Japan Golf Tour resumes in March as part of his Open buildup.
“I have never even finished in Top 10 but this result will encourage me to continue working hard and knocking on the door of a breakthrough victory,” said Katsuragawa, who launched his pro career on the ABEMA TV Tour, also in Japan before earning spots in some Japan Golf Tour events.
But the thought of playing in The Open is more than enough to give him a feeling of great excitement.
“I’m looking forward to my trip to St. Andrews. I will prepare the best I can to take on the challenging links golf course there,” he added.
But the challenge lies not just on the fabled layout but on the stellar field as well with the world’s top ranked player expected to headline the $10,750 million event.
Kim actually qualified for The Open two years ago after a fourth-place finish in Singapore but failed to make it to Royal St. George’s due to international travel restrictions related to the Covid-19 pandemic as did Juvic Pagunsan, who scored a breakthrough win in the JGT in the Mizuno Open.
“I was supposed to go to The Open last year, but because of the travel situation, I wasn’t able to go, which was so disappointing,” said Kim.
It could however turn out to be a blessing in disguise.
“I thought it would be really cool if I could have my first Open at St. Andrews and it’s happening, so you won’t catch me missing that one,” said Kim.
No one’s going to miss these two young turks’ rare stint in the coming Open. (Photo courtesy of Manila Southwoods)
IN PHOTO: Members of the Manila Southwoods team are shown after capturing the 2018 Philippine Airlines Interclub golf team championships. From left: Chepe Dulay, Yuto Katsuragawa, Taisei Shimizu, Jama Reyes, Kristoffer Arevalo, non-playing captain Thirdy Escano, Junjun Plana, Tom Kim and manager Jerome Delariarte.
