Korean Hulk Jung Chan-min’s Comeback: How Mental Control Led to a Top 3 Finish at the 2026 DB Insurance Promi Open

‘Korean Hulk’ Jung Chan-min (27, CJ) has steadied his mindset and is showing signs of a comeback.

Jung fired a 5-under 67 in the second round of the 2026 KPGA Tour’s 21st DB Insurance Promi Open, held on April 17 at the Old Course (par 72) at LAVIEBEL Golf & Resort in Chuncheon, Gangwon.

After two solid rounds, Jung sits alone in third at 9-under 135 through 36 holes, just three shots behind leader Kwon Seong-yeol (-12).

Fresh off a flawless opening round with four birdies and no bogeys, Jung hit turbulence in Round 2. Beginning on the 10th, he birdied three straight to start, but a double bogey at the sixth hole he played — No. 15 (par 5) — and a bogey at the final hole of the front nine interrupted his rhythm.

That sequence could have derailed his day. Instead, Jung turned it around on the back nine’s first hole, a par-5, where he reached the green in two and rolled in an eagle putt from the fringe to swing momentum back his way. He shaved three more strokes over the closing holes, cutting his score on consecutive days and putting himself back in the title conversation.

After the round, Jung said, \”I played well early and felt comfortable. In the late front nine I tried to get one more shot, but that led to a double and a bogey and broke my flow. Fortunately, the eagle came right away, and I was able to post a satisfying score.\”

Jung exploded onto the tour in 2023 as a power player, collecting two wins with booming drives and becoming one of the circuit’s breakout stars. The high faded quickly: he failed to register a single top-10 in 2024 and 2025, launching a prolonged slump.

He explained, \”When momentum breaks, you have to recover, and I couldn’t do that for two years. Once my rhythm snapped, I tended to ruin the whole event. I determined it was a psychological issue and have been undergoing therapy. This season, I’ve approached tournaments with a rookie’s mindset — focusing on building one hole at a time, whether it’s a bogey or a birdie, rather than chasing immediate results. That approach let me play more freely yesterday and today.\”

His playing partners helped, too. \”I played Rounds 1 and 2 with Heo In-hoe and Kim Bi-o. Both of them made it easy for me to stay relaxed. Since we’re competitors, we avoided talk about scoring and strategy and kept the conversation ordinary, which helped me feel calm. I’m grateful to them,\” he said.

With the process rebuilding, Jung plans to focus on getting his game back. \”Being near the top is encouraging, but before chasing a title I want to regain confident golf. Still, a win would definitely kick-start that confidence,\” he said with a smile.

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