Lee Kyoung-hoon seeks happy days ahead of Farmers Insurance Open

Korean golfer Lee Kyoung-hoon has gone back to his happy-go-lucky ways as he attempts to regain his place amongst the upper echelons on the PGA Tour after enduring a tough 2023 season.

Lee Kyoung-hoon plays his shot from the fifth tee during the first round of the Sony Open in Hawaii at Waialae Country Club on Jan. 11 in Honolulu, Hawaii. [AFP/YONHAP]

Korean star Lee Kyoung-hoon has gone back to his happy-go-lucky ways as he attempts to regain his place amongst the upper echelons on the PGA Tour and the world’s top 50.

The 32-year-old endured a difficult 2023 when he missed eight cuts in a 10-tournament stretch during a frustrating summer and failed to finish amongst the top 50 on the FedExCup points list to miss out on guaranteed starts in the lucrative Signature events this season.

A tied 30th in his first outing of the year at the Sony Open in Hawaii, followed by an equal 25th at The American Express last week have got him off on the right footing to build on a strong year ahead. He will tee up at the $9 million Farmers Insurance Open, starting on Wednesday.

"Last year, I didn't play well in the second half. I lost confidence and played a bit impatiently. I was disappointed," said Lee. "I identified what my game lacked and it was a year where I was desperate. I’m determined to do better this year. I’ve been focusing on being happy on the golf course, rather than trying to do well. Lately, I've been feeling happy playing golf again, so it feels good."

The two-time PGA Tour winner, who was ranked as high as 33rd in the world but is now No. 80, is into his sixth-straight season on the world’s premier circuit. But rather than feeling like an established star, the amiable Korean is treating this year as a new beginning. With the Paris Olympics and Presidents Cup featuring in a packed calendar, Lee knows he needs to live up to the mantra of "play better."

"I have to do well in any situation. I feel like being a rookie again, like starting all over again. It actually makes me work harder and focus better to get back into the top-50,” he said. "During the break, I worked hard. I focused on my irons because that's what I lacked last year. The past two weeks, my iron play has been better. I also need to work on my putting. Once I find the consistency, I'll be in a good position to challenge. This is an important year. I want to go to the two events (Olympics and Presidents Cup) but I think I need to get my game back on track first."

The Orlando-based Lee is also learning to accept bad days better and use those experiences as a learning ground. At La Quinta last week, he was in contention through 36 holes but a third round 74 saw him drop down the leaderboard.

"I learn more from disappointing days. In the past, when I had a bad day, I would feel disappointed and depressed. But nowadays I think about what I can improve and get better at. It's a good foundation for a better tomorrow," said Lee, who posted four top-10s last season.

"What I want to accomplish this year is to play better golf … to play the game that I want to play. If I do that, I think a win will come naturally. The goal is to be able to stop trying to accomplish something and just get back to playing the golf that I'm good at."

Max Homa, the World No. 7, is defending his Farmers Insurance Open title which starts Wednesday and runs through Saturday, against a field that includes fifth-ranked Xander Schauffele, Australia’s Jason Day and rising star Lee Min-woo, along with Asian stalwarts Im Sung-jae and Hideki Matsuyama.

Chinese Taipei’s Kevin Yu, who finished tied for third at The American Express, and China’s Carl Yuan, who was equal fourth at the Sony Open, have plenty to play for as a strong finish will cement their current fourth and fifth positions in the AON Swing 5 to qualify for the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, which is the second Signature event of the season offering $20 million in prize money.

BY CHUAH CHOO CHIANG [kjdsports@joongang.co.kr]