Giwhan Kim

This was the first year that the top two finishers in the OneAsia Tour event were offered places in The Open and so he could instantly make plans for his trip to Royal Birkdale. Not bad for someone who stood 1,086th on the world rankings entering the tournament, had missed the halfway cut in three of his four previous starts and was without a top 10 performance for over 18 months.
He led after the second and third rounds, but a one over par closing 72 was followed by him being beaten over three extra holes. He had runner-up finishes on the Korean Tour in 2013, 2014 and 2015 and two years ago also came joint third in the Asian Tour?s Yeangder Tournament Players Championship in Chinese Taipei won by South African Shaun Norris, who on the same day that Kim was securing his place in The Open won the Japan Tour Championship to clinch his place in the field as well.
Had his second runner-up finish of the year at the Korean Tour KPGA Championship with A-ONE CC. He finished a shot back of winner Junggon Hwang.