
Kim Joo-hyung (22, Nike Golf) had a great ‘Olympic debut’. The 22-year-old said he felt the atmosphere was very different from other competitions, and he has his sights set firmly on gold.
Kim carded five birdies and no bogeys for a 5-under-par 66 in the first round of the men’s golf competition at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on Monday (Aug. 1) at Le Golf National (Par 71) in Guiancourt, France.
He is tied for fourth place at 10:55 p.m. as the afternoon’s play enters its final round. He is three shots behind leader Hideki Matsuyama (JPN), who finished with an 8-under-par 63.
“I’m happy with my overall performance,” said Kim in the joint press area after the match, “I had some crises, but I handled them well and had a good flow. I think I can play better in the remaining three days,” he said, showing confidence.
For Kim, who has been a “golf nomad” since childhood, traveling to various countries, this is his first Olympics as a “national team member,” so playing under the Korean flag is special.
“The atmosphere is definitely different. Korean fans support me a lot in my normal matches, but they are even more passionate at the Olympics, and that helped me feel comfortable,” he says.
“Before the competition, I set my sights on gold rather than silver or bronze,” he said, “I wanted to be on the top step of the podium and hear the national anthem.” He remained calm.
Despite this, he remained calm. “We’ve had a good 안전한 파워볼사이트 start, but there are still a lot of bumps in the road. I shouldn’t get too excited. I will rest well and continue the flow,” he said.
Le Golf National is a course that Kim experienced last year at the DP World Tour French Open. He finished in a tie for sixth place after a strong showing that included a share of the lead on the first day.
“The difference is that it was raining last year and the weather was so nice today, but the experience definitely helped me a lot,” Kim said, explaining that he had a sense of how to play the course.
“The course is not long, but it’s not easy by any means. It requires precision from the tee to the second shot, so you can’t lose focus.”
On the 16th hole (par-4), he had a major crisis. His tee shot shanked and went wide right.
“It was my first shanked shot since my professional debut. “I didn’t think I could make par, but I rolled the putt confidently and it went in, so I was able to overcome the crisis,” he said of the 16th hole.