Ham Jeong-woo, Lee Su-min chase third title at Choi Kyung-ju Invitational

The KPGA Tour's Hyundai Marine & Fire Insurance Choi Kyung-ju Invitational tees off Thursday at Ferrum Club's East and West courses (par 72, 7,335 yards) in Yeoju, Gyeonggi Province, running through Sunday.

Co-hosted by Hyundai Marine & Fire Insurance and the Choi Kyung-ju Welfare Foundation, the tournament draws 126 players competing for a purse of 1.25 billion won ($919,000), with the winner taking home 250 million won. The champion also receives a three-year KPGA Tour card and 1,000 Genesis Points.

Attention turns to whether the event will crown its first three-time winner. Choi Kyung-ju, Ham Jeong-woo and Lee Su-min are all chasing a third title at this tournament. Choi won back-to-back in 2011 and 2012, Ham claimed the title in 2021 and 2023, and Lee triumphed in 2019 and 2024.

Tournament host Choi returns to the KPGA Tour for the first time in about a year since last year's edition. He has been competing on the PGA Tour Champions this year, recording two top-10 finishes, and most recently placed 12th at the Pure Insurance Championship.

Defending champion Jeon Ga-ram is looking to snap a slump while attempting the first title defense of his career. He won last year with a 14-under-par 274, but has made the cut just four times in 13 events this season. His best finish came at the season opener, the DB Insurance Promi Open, where he tied for fifth.

"Defending a title is truly no easy feat," Jeon said. "My thinking about my swing has come together to some extent, so I feel like I'm getting a green light heading into the tournament. I've prepared with everything I have, and if an opportunity comes like it did last year, I will absolutely seize it."

Shin Sang-hun, who recently won the Golfzon Open, is targeting consecutive victories. Shin secured his first win of the season and third career title after a two-hole playoff, vaulting to second place in the Genesis Points standings with 3,597.69 points.

The Genesis Points race is heating up. Jang Yu-bin leads with 4,292.70 points, with Shin 695.01 points behind in second. Choi Chan sits third at 3,390.54 points. With 1,000 points on offer to the winner, the standings could shift significantly depending on the outcome.

After the second round, the top 60 professionals — including ties — advance to the third round.