The Open Championship: Hong Kong’s Taichi Kho ready for ‘special moment’ as he looks to embrace challenge that lies ahead
- Taichi Kho is the first Hong Kong-born golfer to compete at the The Open Championship
- The 22-year-old is hoping for a different experience on a links course than he had last year
A lot has changed for Taichi Kho in the year since he was last on England’s northwest coast, not least in his status as a golfer.
Twelve months ago, the Hongkonger was competing in The Amateur Championship and in final qualifying for The Open Championship, and not having a particularly happy time of it on the links courses.
Now he’s back, a professional with an Asian Tour title already under his belt and a more philosophical view of the test that awaits him in this week’s Open at Royal Liverpool Golf Club.
With a break in the Tour, Kho, who is the first Hong Kong-born golfer to play in the Open and only the second to ever play at a major following Alex Yang’s appearance in the US Open in June, arrived in the UK a week early and has had the chance to play several rounds at the venue in Hoylake
“All the experiences last year helped me understand what it takes to play a round here,” the 22-year-old said. “The different questions it asks, I feel a lot more comfortable about it.
“Last year I was a little frustrated at the style of golf because it was so different, and I felt like I wasn’t really getting any reward for good golf. Now I realise it’s more just about embracing all these different elements and not trying to fight it.”