– This Thursday marks the start of the last regular tournament of the DP World Tour. It is the Genesis Championship in South Korea. The venue is the Woo Jeong Hills Country Club. It is the first time the European Tour stops at this venue. Debut. The 460th different course in the history of the Tour. There was anticipation after the last two years at Jack Nicklaus, a course that left a sensational impression among the players. At first glance, it’s not the same. The new course doesn’t excite almost anyone.
– The main concern is the greens. They are not in great shape. So much so that they have had to paint some to ensure the television image isn’t too bad. They are hard and, above all, large and very undulating. They have many micro breaks, so adapting to them will be crucial this week. It’s time to subscribe to Brooks Koepka‘s theory. That everyone complains about the greens, I say they are the best I’ve played in my life. It’s not a bad strategy. Convince yourself of it. There are ten-metre putts that can have up to four different breaks.
– From the tee, it is a rather wide course, although it has three dangerous tee shots with out of bounds very close. These are the 8th, 9th, and 18th. It’s not so much that the fairways are wide, which they really are generous, but that the miss is not dramatic, except on the wrong side on those three specific holes. Many tee shots require hitting a fade (left-to-right shot for a right-hander).
– Another point that doesn’t quite excite is the grass. It’s a type of Bermuda grass, known as pool grass. It’s quite hard and treacherous, both around the green, as it’s not easy to know how it will respond, and even from the fairway, where we shouldn’t rule out seeing some ‘flyer’. The greens mostly receive downhill, another aspect to consider when choosing the landing area.
– There is also quite a temperature difference between the early hours of the day and the afternoon. It goes from quite cold to warm. The ball flies differently. This must be taken into account when calculating distances. There can be a club or more of separation between one moment and another.
– This is the third edition of the Genesis Championship. The first two were played at Jack Nicklaus. They say from Korea that the change of venue is due to the emergence of LIV Golf. The Saudi circuit has chosen precisely the Golden Bear course for its tournament in Korea and has offered money. They asked the DP World Tour and they were not willing to pay. That’s why an alternative course was sought.
– There is a seven-hour time difference with Korea, so the first tee-off will take place tonight at midnight in mainland Spain. The last match will tee off around six in the morning. There are eleven Spaniards in the field: Ángel Hidalgo, Eugenio Chacarra, Ángel Ayora, Alfredo García Heredia, Alex del Rey, Nacho Elvira, Manu Elvira, Rafa Cabrera Bello, Jorge Campillo, Pablo Larrazábal, and Iván Cantero.
– A curiosity. There are two par 3s that give away cars to those who manage to make a hole-in-one. They are the 13th and the 16th. The curious thing is that on the 13th, two will be given, one for the player and another for the caddie.
– And another incentive: the prize for the first player to match or break the course record this week will receive 80,000 euros from Nexo. Not bad at all…
