Autistic golfer Lee Seung-min to compete in qualifying round for PGA Korn Ferry Tour

▲ This photo, provided by YG Sports, shows golf player Lee Seung-min. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

SEOUL, Aug. 31 (Yonhap) -- Lee Seung-min (24), a South Korean professional golfer suffering from autistic development disorder, will challenge to advance to the Korn Ferry Tour, the second part of the PGA tour.

Lee's management company YG Sports announced, "Lee Seung-min will compete in the qualifying round for the PGA Korn Ferry Tour in Palm Springs, California, for three days from Sept. 1."

The 24-year-old golfer became a member of the Korea Professional Golfers' Association (KPGA) in 2017, and passed the cut at the DB Insurance Promy Open, a regular KPGA Korean Tour competition, in 2018.

Lee, who has been challenging himself to advance in China and Japan's professional golf competitions, will now try for the second part of the PGA tour.

Through YG Sports, Lee Seung-min expressed his determination to "challenge myself in order to support players like me all over the world" while Lee's mother Park Ji-ae added, "Despite the scorching 45 degree weather, we are practicing very hard to achieve the dream of entering the Korn Ferry Tour.

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