INCHEON -- For the uninitiated, playing at a LIV Golf event for the first time can be a shock to the system.
One big difference between a LIV Golf tournament and a regular tour event is the music. Speakers set up behind teeing grounds and along the fairways play songs of different genres constantly, and there are no mute buttons to press even when players are about to play their shots.
Luckily, Kim Min-kyu, a South Korean player making his LIV Golf debut on home soil Friday, loves listening to music in his spare time. Not only did the songs played in the first round of LIV Golf Korea not bother him, Kim even grooved to some of them as he was walking up fairways.
That comfort level showed up in his scorecard, as Kim shot a three-under 69, with five birdies and two bogeys, to begin the first LIV tournament in the country at Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea in Incheon, some 30 kilometers west of Seoul.
Kim, 24, is based on the DP World Tour, formerly European Tour, but is here as a temporary injury replacement for Ben Campbell of the RangeGoats Golf Club (GC).
"I think the biggest difference I noticed out here was the music playing. But I like listening to music anyway, so I enjoyed myself out there today," Kim said. "They played some good songs today. But on some holes, I stayed locked in on my shots and didn't really hear anything. Music didn't distract me at all today."
Unlike other tours, LIV Golf runs a team competition. Its 13 teams each have four golfers, and their combined scores determine team standings at tournaments, with the top eight and ties earning points on a sliding scale.
Kim and his captain, Bubba Watson, led the RangeGoats with their 69s, two shots better than Peter Uihlein and Matthew Wolff.
Though Kim admitted the music and party-like setting gave the LIV event a vibe of a non-competitive exhibition, he still wanted to play well both for himself and for the team.
"I am proud of myself for helping the team today with my score," he said. "I played a practice round with my teammates, and they were all very nice to me. They tried to put me at ease, asking me questions and making sure I would feel comfortable."
Kim, who is set to return to the DP World Tour after his sojourn in LIV Golf, said he hasn't yet thought about whether he will try to switch tours full-time.
"There's still a lot of golf left to play this season, and so I will focus on playing my best the rest of this season," he said. "I want to have a good season first, and then I will think about the future later on."
Kim said he will try to stay within himself and not force the issue over the next two days.
"I want to pick my spots, playing safe but hitting some aggressive shots when I need to," Kim said. "But I don't want to get too greedy out there." (Yonhap)
