Motin Yeung claims first-round lead at KC Golf Classic
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Written by Staff
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI – Web.com Tour rookie Motin Yeung carded an opening-round 7-under 65 to take a two-stroke lead in chilly conditions at the KC Golf Classic. Thursday at Blue Hills Country Club marked the first time the 25-year-old has led a round in his Web.com Tour career.
Starting on No. 10, Yeung went birdie-birdie-birdie-eagle to reach 5-under through four holes before coasting to a 65.
“I was laughing after my start; I thought I was tripping,” said Yeung. “Especially on the fourth hole, I holed out from 130 yards out and couldn’t believe it. I was 5-under through four holes. I’m still blacking out to be honest. I felt like I got lucky. My game wasn’t feeling 100 percent today on the range, but somehow I managed three birdies and an eagle to start off the round and the momentum started.”
The 65 is just one off the course record, a 64 set by current PGA TOUR player (and former Kansas Jayhawk) Chris Thompson in 2017.
Despite seeming comfortable at the Web.com Tour level, Yeung almost didn’t play on Tour this season. A T100 finish at the Final Stage of the 2018 Web.com Tour Qualifying Tournament left Yeung with conditional status to start the season. It took until the LECOM Suncoast Classic for Yeung to Monday qualify into a tournament and make his debut on Tour. He turned that start into a T7 finish, earning another start and an improved spot in the reshuffle.
“My plan was to play Monday qualifiers until PGA TOUR China started,” said Yeung. “I think Sarasota was the last Monday before PGA TOUR China’s season, so I’m glad it worked out. If I hadn’t Monday qualified into that event and made the cut to get reshuffled in, I would be playing in China right now.”
The impressive start was made more intriguing by the fact that Yeung considers himself a poor cold-weather player. Winds up to 25 miles per hour accompanied temperatures that struggled to break 50 degrees.
“I don’t like playing in the cold,” said Yeung, a Duke University alum. “All of my teammates and coaches know from college that I have a hard time playing in the cold. I didn’t bring enough clothes to be honest.”
Yeung followed up his blistering 5-under start with birdies at Nos. 17, 1, 2 and 5, offset by bogeys on Nos. 3 and 4. He hit 12 of 14 fairways (T3) and was one of five players with an eagle during the round.
Steve Wheatcroft and Steve Marino sit two shots back at 5-under 67. Teeing off in the second group of the day, Wheatcroft scattered five birdies across a bogey-free round, the only bogey-free round on Thursday. Wheatcroft has missed his previous five cuts entering the week.
Marino got off to a scorching start, birdieing five of his first six holes before settling for a 67. The 39-year-old has split time between the PGA TOUR and the Web.com Tour this season, with three made cuts in six starts on the Web.com Tour. All three made cuts resulted in top-20 finishes.
Second-round tee times will run in two waves from 6:55 a.m. to 2:16 p.m. on Friday.