Guntaek Koh is on fire! With such precision, the Korean golfer executed a breathtaking shot at the New Zealand Open as he sent a competitive message to his challengers and advanced to the final round of the tournament.
He finished the round with a five-under par 66, reaching four strokes at 22-under the card where he was able to increase his lead from three to four after an outstanding performance in Round 3.
Koh’s Performance in Round 3
Koh started his game with a decent performance as he stayed focused and consistent with allergic reaction to pars. He carded the piece de resistance, a third eagle in as many rounds with 308m 12th.
The 25-year old equalled the record when he finished the score of 10-under-par 61 on the particular day. He started strong with three consecutive birdies on the first three holes, quickly extending his overnight lead.
The highlight of the round was an eagle shot from 66 meters at the 12th hole that bounced two times before spinning into the hole. As Koh started the day on 17-under-day, marched ahead to finish the game with 22-under-par.
Furthermore, Koh recorded five birdies and one eagle, offsetting two bogeys to maintain his steady performance.
Despite chasing his first victory outside of Korea, he is leading the Australian Ryan Peake, sitting in the second position after a 64 on the Millbrook. Koh carded four birdies and a bogey on the five holes and went over par on the following six holes.
The ball started bouncing two times on the field from a distance of 65m before yo-yo-ing a couple of feet into the cup. He later stated that his round was “steady.” He further added, “I need to go to the range to work on my driver. There wasn’t the flight or distance I wanted, and I wasn’t finding a lot of the fairways. When you find the long rough, it’s hard to get close and give yourself reasonable birdie opportunities.”
Throughout all of this, he kept his composure under pressure, showing consistency and control throughout the round.
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The Spectacular Eagle That Stole the Show
He completed the round with nine birdies and an eagle. The ball took two bounces before spinning back into the cup, adding a highlight to his already impressive game.
The fans described him as pleasing to watch and expressed how well he performed with his irons, which helped him attack the green further. He said, “For the next two rounds, I will focus on positive thinking. I played very well. I want to carry this momentum into the weekend.”
Golf enthusiasts often celebrate the eagle shot due to its rarity and difficulty. In this particular round, Koh produced a beautiful shot, which demonstrated his strong confidence and ability to play under pressure in such a high-level round.
The term “eagle” in golf is generally symbolized as a significant and rare shot that is scored two strokes under par on a hole. Some of the essential facts about an eagle in golf are:
- An eagle on a par 3 means a hole-in-one.
- An eagle on a par 4 means completing the hole in 2 strokes.
- An eagle on a par 5 means completing the hole in 3 strokes.
Koh’s Chances of Winning the New Zealand Open
With the spectacular performance in the third round of the New Zealand Open, the probability of Koh winning the tournament is high, considering the outstanding performance he has been able to show.
Koh, who has won four times on the Korean Tour on his home soil, has unquestionable ability and experience. After the third round, Koh led the board with a four-shot lead, which is considered an advantage.
During his game in the third round, he showed his ability to perform under pressure, staying focused and consistent. Koh positioned himself as a strong contender to become the second consecutive Asian winner of the New Zealand Open.
He has also acknowledged this particular course as scorable, and he expects to perform well in the tournament’s final round.
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