Tournament: Genesis Championship
Race to Dubai: Tournament 42 of 44
Back 9: Tournament 9 of 9
Venue: Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea, Incheon, South Korea
Prize Fund: US$4,000,000
Hashtag: #GenesisChampionship #DPWT
Please click here to view full player interview transcripts.
Tournament preview
Tom Kim is looking forward to teeing it up on home soil for the first time in over two years at this week’s Genesis Championship in South Korea.
The home favourite finished in a tie for fifth at The 41st GS Caltex Maekyung Open in May 2022, two months before truly announcing himself on the world stage by finishing third at the Genesis Scottish Open.
Since then, he has won three times on the PGA TOUR, played in two Presidents Cups and represented his country at this summer’s Olympic Games as his star continued to rise.
The World Number 25 is the highest-ranked player at Jack Nicklaus Golf Club this week for the first edition of the Genesis Championship since the merger between the DP World Tour’s Korea Championship and the KPGA TOUR’s Genesis Championship, and will be joined by Presidents Cup team-mate Byeong Hun An, who nine years ago made history as the first Asian winner of the prestigious BMW PGA Championship.
Having won his eighth DP World Tour title at last year’s Korea Championship, Spain’s Pablo Larrazábal will defend his title at the unified 2024 Genesis Championship against Park Sang-hyun, the winner of the Genesis Championship held at the same location in October of the same year, as 90 DP World Tour players and 30 KPGA TOUR players compete in Incheon this week.
KPGA Order of Merit leader Yubin Jang, of Korea, will look to extend his lead at the summit of the Rankings with only three events remaining, while Italy’s Guido Migliozzi, who currently sits 20th on the Race to Dubai Rankings in Partnership with Rolex, is targeting a strong week to increase his chances of earning dual membership with the PGA TOUR at the end of the season.
The Genesis Championship is the final event on the 2024 DP World Tour’s Global Schedule prior to the Play-Offs, with the top 110 players on the Race to Dubai Rankings in partnership with Rolex after this event retaining their membership for the 2025 season. With four players currently counted as “in addition” to the 110, the cut off is currently Freddy Schott of Germany in 114th position.
Player quotes
Tom Kim: “It’s going to be really fun. I don’t think I’ve played in front of a home crowd for two-and-a-half years, ever since I’ve been on the PGA TOUR with the schedule and stuff, but I’m really excited. It’s going to be really fun and I can’t wait for Thursday.
“The game feels pretty sharp but most importantly it’s about going out and taking care of my business, that’s all that matters. If I go out and shoot, 20-25 under par and I still lose and do my part, that’s all I care about.
“All I want is a chance on Sunday, I feel like that would be really cool because I haven’t been back since 2022 so hopefully I can get my game together and have a run.”
Pablo Larrazábal: “It’s awesome to be back, what a golf course.
“I had so many memories playing yesterday, I played the back nine and going through all those shots that I hit on Sunday afternoon down the stretch, it was very emotional. Playing with Ivan Cantero, who is playing for a tour card, I tried to give him those vibes that I had last year.
“They treat us so well here in Korea, everything is positive. I’m not a big fan of long golf courses. This is one but this is a shot-maker’s golf course, this is a second shot golf course, this is a golf course where if you miss shots you can recover but it’s tough. It’s tough to make up-and-downs.
“I like those kind of golf courses that make you think on the second shot, you have to be very precise to make birdies.
“It’s a beautiful thing, it’s a magnificent job that Jack did here. Everything about this golf course is just pure.”
Byeong Hun An: “I’m very much looking forward to it because I haven’t been back since 2019 at the CJ Cup and I haven’t been back to Korea since 2019 because of Covid and having kids so it’s been busy. I’m glad to be back.
“I’ve never played this golf course but I’ve played it this week. Home still means a little different than other events other than what it is but I feel very comfortable out here – maybe because of the food or something but I’m definitely having the best food so far this year.
“We want to get a lot of people out here. I wouldn’t say it adds pressure, it’s a motivation. We want to show some good golf in front of our home fans and hopefully we’ll be in contention so we can bring some people in Sunday and the weekend.”
