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Korea's first pro golfer recognized under Korean name at last on Japan Open records

Published: 12 Aug. 2025, 17:22 Updated: 12 Aug. 2025, 18:01

Japan Open trophy restored with late golfer and honorary adviser to the Korea Professional Golfers’ Association Yeon Deok-chun's Korean name is seen during an event commemorating the restoration at the Korea Press Center in Jung District, central Seoul, on Aug. 12. [YONHAP]

The late Yeon Deok-chun, widely considered Korea's first pro golfer, will finally be recognized under his own name on the Japan Open trophy.

At an event titled “Restoring the History and Legacy of Korea’s First Professional Golfer, the Late Yeon Deok-chun” (translated) held at the Korea Press Center on Tuesday, the KPGA marked the correction of the Japan Open records and trophy.

Yeon won the Japan Open — then the most prestigious event in Japanese professional golf — in 1941 with a four-round total of two-over-par 290. He was the first Korean to win an international tournament.

But his victory came during the Japanese colonial period (1910-45), and Japan Gold Association records and the tournament trophy have always listed him under the Japanese name Nobuhara Tokuharu.

The successes of Korean athletes were claimed by Japan during the colonial period, with marathon runner Son Kee-chung's 1936 Olympic gold medal and teammate Nam Sung-yong's bronze also going to Japan.

The KPGA and the Korea Golf Association (KGA) requested the correction of Yeon’s nationality and name last year, and succeeded in April of this year — the 80th anniversary of Korea’s liberation and the 60th anniversary of normalized Korea-Japan diplomatic relations.

“Due to the political circumstances of the time, Yeon could not use his Korean name and had to compete under a Japanese name,” said JGA Chief Operating Officer Hiroshi Yamanaka, who attended the ceremony. “After receiving the correction request, we unanimously agreed to restore the record.”

“Yeon was the root of Korean golf,” said KPGA Commissioner & CEO Kim Won-sup. “This correction is a historic achievement that affirms the authenticity of Korean golf’s heritage.”

Korea Professional Golfers’ Association Commissioner Kim Won-sup, left, and Japan Golf Association Chief Operating Officer Hiroshi Yamanaka, right, are seen conversing during the restoration ceremony of late golfer Yeon Deok-chun's name on his Japan Open trophy at the Korea Press Center in Jung District, central Seoul, on Aug. 12. [NEWS1]

The trophy, lost during the Korean War (1950-53), was also restored and unveiled, and will be displayed at the Independence Hall of Korea.

Born in Seoul in 1916, Yeon was introduced to golf while working as a caddie at Kyungsung Golf Club and went to Japan in 1934 to study, earning his professional credentials. Alongside marathon gold medalist Sohn Kee-chung at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, he helped elevate Korean prestige under Japanese rule.

In 1958, Yeon became the inaugural champion of the KPGA Championship, the first professional golf tournament in Korea, and led the founding of the KPGA in 1968.

He dedicated his life to developing Korean golf until his death in 2004, and since 1980, the KPGA has honored his achievements by presenting the Deok-chun Award to the player with the lowest scoring average each season.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom staff.
BY SUNG HO-JUN [[email protected]]