LAT Series "Korean Women's Open First Start"... December 'Asian Player of the Year' Announcement

Kim Jung-tae, Chairman of the Asia Golf Leaders Forum (right), and Lee Jung-myung, President of the Korea Golf Association, are taking a commemorative photo immediately after the signing ceremony of the Ladies Asian Tour (LAT) series. Photo by LAT

[Asia Economy Reporter No Woo-rae] The Asia Golf Leaders Forum (AGLF) and the Korea Golf Association (KGA) have joined forces.

On the 16th, a signing ceremony for the Ladies Asian Tour (LAT) series was held at the Lotte Hotel in Sogong-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul. The first tournament is the DB Group 35th Korea Women's Open (total prize money 1.2 billion KRW), held on the 17th at Rainbow Hills Golf Club in Eumseong, Chungbuk. The LAT series will continue with the Hana Financial Group Championship in September and the Hana Financial Group Singapore Women's Open in December. The Taiwan Women's Open (November) and the Hyosung Championship (December) are also planned.

With the addition of the newly established Indonesia Women's Open and the Thailand Ladies Championship next year, it is expected to become a full-fledged Asian women's series. Kim Jung-tae, chairman of AGLF, said, "We are finally announcing the official launch of the LAT series," and added, "We will play a pioneering role to establish Asia as the center of women's golf worldwide." Lee Joong-myung, chairman of KGA, responded, "It is meaningful that the national title, the Korea Women's Open, is the first tournament."

The LAT series plans to expand to 10 tournaments by 2023 through cooperation with associations in Australia and New Zealand. All matches will be produced as international signals and broadcast live via satellite to more than 20 countries in Asia as well as domestically. After the Hana Financial Group Singapore Women's Open, the Asian Player of the Year award will be presented. AGLF is a non-profit corporation established to serve as a consultative body between central golf organizations in Asia and women's professional golf tours, aiming to create and promote the LAT series.