Heo In-hoe and Kim Hong-taek may not be the best ball-strikers among Korean male golfers, but they are undoubtedly the most popular. Heo, with his dyed-yellow hair and colorful remarks, is known as the "quirky golfer," while Kim has gained fame as a "two-way golfer" moving between the field and screen golf. Fans cheer for their distinctive personalities. The two crowd-pleasers recently met at Gunsan Country Club in North Jeolla Province. Each shared a heartfelt wish, rooted in different personal stories, to lift a trophy in front of his family.
Heo, who returned home early this month after roughly two months of training in Thailand, said, "I've refined my short game to be more precise." He added, "I've never cried during my seven career victories on tour, but if I win again this year, I think I'll probably shed tears for the first time." Why would the veteran, who debuted on tour in 2008 and is now in his 19th year, bring up "tears"?
Last year was an extremely difficult period for Heo. In the first half, he was handed a six-month suspension after unknowingly taking a painkiller containing a banned substance, and in the second half, his wife suffered a miscarriage. His winning streak that had continued through 2023 and 2024 was also broken.
"Others may not know, but last year was so hard that at one point I even felt like biting my tongue and ending it all," Heo said. "Over the winter, I emptied my mind and focused on resetting everything from scratch. Now I've regained my peace." He continued, "I drew great strength from the support of my wife and all my family. I want to show them a victory once again in front of my wife and son. If that happens, I think I'll probably cry for the first time."
His trademark banter remained intact. "By the old Korean age system, I turn 40 this year. As the first digit of my age changes, my mindset seems to be changing too," Heo said. "But people don't just change overnight, right? This year too, I'll show various forms of showmanship on the course to repay the fans for their support."
Kim, meanwhile, stayed in Korea and focused on physical conditioning. Another priority was childcare, as his wife gave birth to their second child in January. Although he lacked shot practice, his season has started well. He finished tied for 14th at the New Zealand Open in late February and tied for fifth at the Asian Tour International Series Japan, which concluded on the 5th.
"I was actually a bit worried because I hadn't practiced enough, but once I got into the tournaments, my shot feel was really good," Kim said with a smile. "I think I've received good energy from the birth of my second child." Kim has three career wins but has never lifted a trophy in front of his family. "In 2024, when my first child was one year old, my wife couldn't come to the tournament because of rain," he said. "When I won last year, my family was on an overseas trip, so I still don't have a single victory photo taken with my family." His strong determination to take a commemorative photo with his family this year came through clearly. "With the birth of my second child, I feel an even greater sense of responsibility," Kim said. "This year, I really want all four of us to take a photo together with the trophy in the middle. If possible, I'd like to win a major like the Korea Open or the KPGA Championship," he said, revealing his ambitions. He added, "I'll also compete on the Asian Tour when I can, and seek to venture overseas by the end of the year."
