World ranking no. 5 Choi Kyung-ju, 38, and fast-rising Korean-American rookie Anthony Kim, 22, are to begin the first round together at Pinx Golf Club at 12:15 p.m., along with American Chris DiMarco, a three-time PGA tour winner.

Choi and Kim have never competed in the same group before and placing them in the same group seems to be an organizer's ploy to attract Korean eyes to the match.

Left: Choi Kyung-ju speaks at a press conference on Wednesday, a day before the start of the PGA European Tour Ballantine's Championship at Pinx Golf Club in Jeju Island. Right: Korea-American golfer Anthony Kim hits an approach shot during the Pro-Am at Pinx Golf Club in Jeju Island on Wednesday, a day before the start of the PGA European Tour Ballantine's Championship. /Yonhap

Choi and Kim both have high expectations for the event. "I've played with Choi in practice rounds, but this will be the first time playing with him in an official tour match," Kim said. "It's going to be an honor playing with the man I respect."

Choi introduced his younger partner at a press conference and praised his game. "His swing is great, and he's a promising player. When it comes to driving, he's better than me," Choi said. "Because he's been training with good teachers in the U.S. since he was a child, he'll do better in short games than me. We'll play well together as partners."

Kim is stronger than Choi in a few areas, including driving distance, but many predict that the more experienced Choi will have an edge in this match since the Jeju club is famous for unpredictable factors, including the wind. But the two players showed no sense of rivalry, saying instead that "golf is a fight against oneself."

Boasting a total purse of 2 million euros (some W3 billion), the championship is the first European tour match to be held in Korea. It also serves as Asian and Korean tour matches, and has brought in 103 foreign and 29 Korean players. They include Ireland's Padraig Harrington, winner of the 2007 British Open, China's Liang Wenchong, the biggest winner on last year's Asian tour, Korea's no. 1 Kim Kyung-tae, and Kang Kyung-nam.

Yang Yong-eun, a member of the U.S. PGA tour, will play in the same group as Harrington. Kim Kyung-tae is placed in the same group as Britain's Oliver Fisher and Spain's Carl Suneson.

(englishnews@chosun.com )