It has been staged continuously since 1958 and boasts a resume of winners that includes, among others, 1969 U.S. Open winner Orville Moody and two-time major champion John Daly.

Sure, it’s not The Open or Masters, but 65 years of a national championship is certainly something to be celebrated.

DEFENDING CHAMPION: After the tournament was cancelled in 2020 due to Covid, Aussie Junseok Lee claimed the return event when reaching eight-under-par over 72 holes.

Lee’s first Korean Tour win came by a solitary stroke over Eun-shin Park.

COURSE: Purpose built to host the national Open, the Woo Jeong Hills course has hosted the tournament continuously since 2003.

Designed by Perry Dye, son of Pete and Alice, it is not a course in the mould of most found in Asia given its design brief from the outset.

It’s long at 6,700 metres and a par of 71 with only three par-5s. That tends to keep scoring quite high with more than half the tournaments contested here won with single digits under par.

Aussie Kevin Yuan will tee it up after gaining valuable experience, and finances, at the first LIV Golf event in the UK. PHOTO: Joe Maher/LIV Golf/Getty Images.

Water is in play on several holes and big elevation changes make judging yardages and club selection tricky.

PRIZEMONEY: A$1,500,000

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PLAYERS TO WATCH: Order of Merit leader Siwhan Kim is already a two-time winner this year and there is no reason to think he won’t be in the mix again.

Has only played this event twice in his career for a best finish of T45 in 2018 (was forced to withdraw a year later) but is in the midst of his best ever season and those results will mean little.

Kim stands out in a field missing many of the Asian Tour’s big names, some of whom have stayed in Europe after the recent International Series event in England.

That number includes OOM second place holder Joohyung Kim – who impressed at last week’s U.S. Open – but third placed Bio Kim (pictured top) is in Korea this week.

A winner at Korea’s other major event, The Caltex Maekyung Open in May, the former PGA Tour player has withdrawn from his last two events though remains in the field for this week.

Kim is best known for being suspended after making an indecent gesture at a spectator in 2019 and being banned for three years by the KPGA.

That sentence was later reduced to one year and Kim’s first win since returning to the Tour came in Korea last month.

A win in his national Open would certainly count as redemption.

Thailand’s Phachara Khongwatmai has impressed on the Asian Tour this year after dominating the local Thai Tour during Covid lockdowns.

While yet to claim a maiden win at this level, he has recorded three top-10 finishes in six starts and is a promising prospect.

He finished T39 here in his only previous start in 2019 but that was on the back of a devastating final round 79.

That’s an unlikely scenario in 2022 and it would be no surprise if he was to contend this week.

72-HOLE RECORD: 268 (-16, Kyoung-Hoon Lee, 2016; Rickie Fowler, 2011)

PAST AUSSIE WINNERS: Junseok Lee (2021)

AUSTRALIANS IN THE FIELD: Junseok Lee, Kevin Yuan, Won Joon Lee, Ben Eccles and Cory Crawford.

TV TIMES*

Round 1: Thursday (Fox Sports 503 2pm –6pm)
Round 2: Friday (Fox Sports 503 2pm –6pm)
Round 3: Saturday (Fox Sports 503 2pm –6pm)
Round 4: Not currently scheduled.
*AEST, check local guides