Korea’s Younghan Song lit up International Series Japan presented by Moutai with a hole-in-one on the par-three 5th at Caledonian Golf Club, delivering one of the biggest highlights on day one of the elevated Asian Tour event.
Using a 9-iron from 159 yards, Song’s shot was pure from the moment it left the clubface, finding the bottom of the cup and sending the crowd into a roar.
“This is the first hole-in-one I’ve made in 14 years,” he said. “It was just surprising, the feeling was indescribable when I saw the ball drop into the hole. I was ecstatic. That was actually the fifth hole-in-one of my career,” he added with a smile.
Despite the ace, Song admitted his iron play wasn’t at its best. “My iron shots were not very good today. But my approach shots and long putts really helped me out. It was definitely a lucky day.”
Song wasn’t just a one-shot wonder. He backed up his golden moment with two birdies on each side of the card, putting himself right in the mix at third, two shots behind Australian Lucas Herbert on nine under and one off local hope Shunya Takeyasu.
A proven winner with his 2023 Sansan KBC Augusta title, Song has also made noise on the Asian Tour, finishing runner-up at the Kolon Korea Open presented by ELORD to earn his ticket to The 152nd Open at Royal Troon.
The International Series is the most prized pathway in golf. It consists of 10 elite tournaments sanctioned by the Asian Tour and offers the year-long Rankings leader promotion to the LIV Golf League
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