Yang Ji-ho, 37, of Miko Group, and Ham Jung-woo, 32, of Hana Financial Group, will compete in the 154th Open Championship, which opens on the 16th (Korea time). It marks the first Open appearance for both players.
Yang secured his Open berth by winning the Kolon 68th Korea Open wire-to-wire, an event he entered through qualifying in May. "This is the Open I have dreamed of playing in. I'm very excited, and I think it will be an unforgettable memory with my family," Yang said. "I have concerns because it's a course I've never experienced. Since strong winds are expected, I will prepare hard by setting up my strategy well without being greedy."
He added, "My first goal is to make the cut. I'll try to play until the end while enjoying it without stress and without being too greedy. It will be a good experience and will greatly help my golf career."
Ham earned his qualification by lifting the trophy at the Asian Tour International Series Singapore Open, which he competed in April.
"Just competing in the oldest major tournament gives me great pride, and rather than pressure, I feel far more excitement and anticipation. I want to fully enjoy playing in the Open without dwelling on the result," Ham said. He added, "What I hope for is to make the cut, but my biggest goal is to give my best without regret. I want to gain a lot of experience competing alongside the world's best players and make it a great asset for my future career as a player."
Ham, who said "the key is to adapt to the venue as quickly as possible," explained, "I have experience playing on links courses, so I'm not too worried. But because they have completely different characteristics from ordinary courses, it is really important to learn firsthand how the ball bounces and rolls on the firm ground and what shot to choose depending on the wind."
In addition to Yang and Ham, who belong to the Korea Professional Golfers' Association (KPGA) Tour, five Korean players will compete in the Open, including PGA Tour members Im Sung-jae, Kim Si-woo and Kim Joo-hyung. The best result ever recorded by a Korean player at the Open is a tie for second, achieved by Kim Joo-hyung in 2023.
