25 hits for 9 holes!

Posting a link to Geoff Shackelford's site where he covers the remarkable feat on the Canadian Tour of Jamie Kureluk, who shot 25 for the back nine ( in a pro tournament) including 12 under for the final 10 holes. Now that is some playing!

Day 2 Highlights, SK Telecom Open, ONE Asia

Some brilliant golf on show in round 2 with the tyro Kim Dae-hyun leading the way heading into the weekend. Check out the highlights here

Inside the Com Box, ONE Asia

Just about to go on air for Round 2 of the SK Telecom Open, and things are set up ready to go. One monitor for the vision, one laptop for the scoring, and one each for Alan Wilkins ( partner in crime from ESPN Star) and myself to grab info off the net or from our own spreadsheets and files if someone jumps out of the pack that we need to swot on. Might ask for a bigger monitor from Santa for x-mas though.

SK Telecom Open 2010- Day 1 Highlights

Round 1 is done and dusted, with a five way tie at the head of the field. You can view the highlights package here and if in Australia, see the replay of the event on delay early in the morning on ONE HD, but check your guides for times in various states.

SK Telecom Open 2010, South Korea

The ONE Asia tour comes back to Seoul this week, at the Sky 72 Golf Club right next to Incheon airport. It is a 72 hole (four separate courses) layout and quite a contrast to Nam Seoul CC of two weeks back.

Where Nam Seoul was tree lined, Sky 72 is open, and the design is modern, perhaps some would suggest even American in style. In great condition too, so the players are going to have some fun here this week.

Note in the first picture ( player teeing off the 230m par 3 12th hole) the bum packs that I note a lot of Korean players wear during their practice rounds. This is to carry the range finders that most use, as the Korean tournaments do not have a detailed yardage book of the type that is common on major tours around the world.

It is an element that has caught a lot of the overseas players by surprise, and is certainly something that needs to be addressed for ONE Asia to establish itself as a major force in world golf moving forward.

Back to Seoul- SK Telecom Open

Off again to Korea tomorrow for the SK Telecom Open, a $US1 million tournament that is the fourth event on the ONE Asia Tour for 2010.

It is my third week on the trot for this trip, and as much as I'm looking forward to the week I can't wait to get home to the family again.

But with KJ Choi teeing it up and all the young Korean guns in the field as well it looks like being a killer week. The quality of the golf so far this year on ONE Asia has been outstanding and if this event comes anywhere near the previous Korean event for excitement then no-one will be complaining.

Pictured is the first hole at Nam Seoul CC during the final round, with the latest Korean sensation ,Kim Dae Hyun, getting ready to tee off.

Maekyung round-up

An eye opening week in a number of respects. First, we knew that there was some talent to be unearthed in Korea but frankly not the extent and depth of it.

And having gone there thinking that I had a handle of who the main protagonists in the new generation of Korean tyro's were, I came away with a new ordered hierarchy.

Somewhere in the top three I now have to find a place for Kim Dae Hyun, who was absolutely brilliant this week. He averages 304 yds off the tee but has more up his sleeve, hits it incredibly straight for a bomber, putts beautifully and hardly put a foot wrong all week. He has potential dripping out of him and has just turned 22.

Noh Seung Yul, Bae Sang Moon and Kim Kyung Tae all deserve their reputation as stars of the future but the winner this week may well turn out to be better than them all.

There were many other points of note in a busy week, but if anyone happens to be watching the broadcast tomorrow morning I'll just say to keep your eye open for a couple of rulings that take place on the 16th and 18th holes in the final round ( with the final group). Eye opening may well be the right word.

Sonic Youth

No, not the band, but the other 'band' of fresh faced troubadors currently redefining the modern era of professional golf.

What a day this has been. Rory McIlroy, 20, wins on the US PGA Tour shooting 62 around Quail Hollow, a very tough, major championship style golf course. This of course followed on from Ryo Ishikawa, 18, winning the Crowns event in Japan after shooting, wait for it, 58 in the final round ( Good thing those v grooves came in and conquered the low scoring binge, isn't it!).

Add to this Noh Seung Yul, 18, winning the Malaysian Open earlier this year and a bunch of his compatriots stepping up to the plate in recent weeks (Kim Bio, Bae Sang Moon et al) and it looks like 2010 is going to be one thing- The Year of the Kid.

I'm off to Korea this week to commentate on the Maekyung tournament in Seoul, where all the young studs will be putting their games on show. No social media blackout in Korea (at least the South, anyway) so I'll be able to blog from time to time. Till then...