Yeoju, Gyeonggi-do, Korea: Korean- American David Lipsky will have the company of his parents for moral support as they return to Korea to cheer on their eldest son at the CJ Invitational Hosted by KJ Choi which tees off on Thursday.
Staged at the Haesley Nine Bridges Golf Club from October 4-7 with a total prize fund of US$750,000 on offer, the CJ Invitational is the first tournament to be hosted by an Asian player which is jointly sanctioned by the Asian Tour and Korean Golf Tour.
K.J. Choi, who started his career on the Asian Tour and is now an honorary member, joins the likes of Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Tiger Woods as players with their own tournaments.
In what is only his rookie season since topping the class at Qualifying School in January, Lipsky has broken through in a big way with his maiden win in Cambodia followed by four other top-10s including last week's tied-third finish in Taipei.
“My mum is from Korea and it’s an excuse for her to come back to see her family and watch me play,” said Lipsky.
“This is my second visit to Korea and I don’t really have the opportunity to come here as often as I would like to as I’m always playing golf in the summer in the States,” added Lipsky.
The 24-year-old, who is fifth on the Asian Tour Order of Merit, knows that he has to take advantage of his good form to cap a sensational season.
“I just want to take my good form, ride it out and see where it takes me. I’ve been hitting the ball a lot better since I won in Cambodia and my short game has been better. That has helped my consistency, allowed me to make five cuts in a row and secure a couple of top-fives finishes,” said Lipsky.
It is a view that is echoed by Lipsky’s mother, Na Yon-suk as she watched her son play during his practice round at the Haesley Nine Bridges Golf Club.
“I’m happy for David as he is playing well. He called me last week to tell me that the conditions were very tough in Taipei but I told him to believe in himself and try to finish six-under. Although he finished five-under, it was still good. I’ve never stopped believing that he can excel at what he does best,” said Na.
Meanwhile American Berry Hension is determined to return to his winning ways having taken the week off in Hua Hin last week.
“It was a much-needed rest and I got some really good practice in. I feel ready for the next stretch,” said Henson.
A rejuvenated Henson hopes to ace his week with another accomplished performance that has led him to one victory in the Philippines in 2011 and three top-10s this season.
“I can’t control others but I can control my week. I’m starting to play well and getting into contention on Sunday like every other week,” said Henson.
“This is an awesome golf course! It’s also what you call a second-shot golf course where once you can get it onto the fairway, you have to be really precise on your second shot and get it into the right spot,” added the American.
There will be no fewer than 30 Asian Tour winners ready for the challenge at the CJ Invitational which will feature 55 players each from the Asian Tour and Korean Golf Tour plus 10 sponsor’s invitations, making it a 120-man field.
Thailand’s Chinnarat Phadungsil is among the Tour winners ready to stake his place as the week’s best golfer at the CJ Invitational.
The three-time Asian Tour winner first wrote his place into the history books as the youngest winner on Tour when he won his first title on home soil at the age of 17 years and five days.
It has been three years since Chinnarat last tasted success. While it has been a long wait, the Thai believes that he can turn his season around, especially after enjoyed two top-10 finishes this season.
“I’ve not been getting the results that I’ve wanted since the start of the season, having missed a couple of cuts. But I’m slowly getting back to my best and hopefully I can get a result this week,” said Chinnarat.
By Indian Sports News Network