CHEONAN — A day before the Genesis Championship, co-sanctioned by the Korea Professional Golfers' Association (KPGA) Tour and the DP World Tour with a total purse of $4 million, PGA Tour star Kim Si-woo, sponsored by CJ, and British Open champion Ryan Fox of New Zealand appeared side by side at a press conference. The mood stayed light, with laughter throughout, but both players said their goal was to win, signaling a fierce shot-making contest.
"I'm glad to be back at this tournament after a year, and it's good to be able to greet fans here in Korea," Kim said at the official press conference held on the 21st at Woo Jeong Hills Country Club (par 71) in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province. "With so many world-class players in the field, I'll show my best form."
The tournament, in its 10th edition this year, features 126 players, including 36 from the KPGA Tour and 90 from the DP World Tour.
Kim recorded three runner-up finishes and 11 top-10 results on the PGA Tour in the 2026 season. He ranked 14th in the FedEx Cup standings and 14th in the world rankings, the best year of his career since his debut. At the recently concluded Presidents Cup, he also played a leading role for the International team with a 3-2 record. He earned $10.27 million in prize money this season, becoming the first Korean player to pass $10 million in single-season earnings. Kim finished in a tie for 21st in his first appearance at this tournament in 2025, but is now chasing a first title here on the strength of his momentum this season.
"This is such a demanding course that I feel a lot of nerves," he said. "If I focus on my own play, I think I can post a good result," he added, expressing strong confidence.
The other player drawing the most attention was Ryan Fox. He won his first major at the 154th Open Championship in July, lifting the Claret Jug. "It's been a while since I played a tournament in Korea, and the course is in excellent condition, so I'm looking forward to it," he said. Fox is back in Korea for the first time in about 11 years, since the KPGA Tour's SK Telecom Open in May 2015. "It was 11 years ago, so I don't remember it that well, but it remains a good memory," Fox said. "Given how much elevation change this course has, I'll set up a solid strategy for each hole and play accordingly."
Im Sung-jae, sponsored by CJ, who won this tournament in 2019, also declared his intent to claim a second title. Im, who closes out his season with this event, said: "This is my fourth appearance, and I'm looking forward to it. If I play hard day by day, I believe a win will follow."
PXG-backed Shin Sang-hoon and CJ-backed Jung Chan-min, who rank first and second in the KPGA Tour's Genesis Points race, also pledged strong performances. The battle for the lead in that race between the two is one of the main storylines of this tournament. "The gap with second place isn't large, so I think I'll have to play with even more focus," Shin said. Jung said, "I'm in contention for the lead, but I'll do my best with the mindset of letting go of any big ambitions and just lowering my score step by step."