Jang Hana and Lee Dayeon "Who is the Queen of Icheon?"... Jihan Sol 'Title Defense'

Clash for Victory at E1 Charity Open: 'Match Queen' Hong Jeong-min Aims for 2nd Win, Bae Seon-woo and Hong Ran Join as 'Recommended Players'

Jang Hana challenges for her first win of the 2022 season at the E1 Charity Open.

[Asia Economy Reporter No Woo-rae] It is Jang Hana's (30, BC Card) challenge for victory.

The E1 Charity Open (total prize money 800 million KRW) of the Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Tour, held at South Springs Golf Club in Icheon, Gyeonggi-do (par 72, 6,546 yards) on the 27th, is a fierce battleground. Jang Hana is a strong player with 15 wins on the domestic stage and 3 wins on the U.S. Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tour. Last year, she also performed well with 2 wins at the Lotte Open and the major KB Financial Star Championship, ranking first in average score (69.91), earning 898.55 million KRW in prize money, and placing third in the overall ranking (589 points).

This year, she had a somewhat sluggish start. After finishing tied for 9th at the Lotte Rent-a-Car Ladies Open in April and tied for 3rd at the Nexen-Saintnine Masters, she was halted by an ankle injury. On April 29, before the second round of the first major, the Chris F&C KLPGA Championship, she experienced pain in her left ankle and withdrew from the tournament. Although she has returned to the field, she has yet to show her previous form. She tied for 17th at the Kyochon Honey Ladies Open and was cut off at the NH Investment & Securities Ladies Championship.

Jang Hana gave up participating in last week's Doosan Match Play Championship held at Ladena Golf Club in Chuncheon, Gangwon-do, to focus on this tournament. Her average driving distance this year ranks 19th (249.90 yards), and her average putting ranks 8th (29.50 putts). However, her fairway hit rate is problematic at 103rd (70.63%). She has worked on improving the accuracy of her tee shots and intensively checked her short game around the greens. Her compatibility with this tournament is good, having tied for 10th in 2020 and tied for 3rd last year.

Lee Dayeon aims for the top spot at the E1 Charity Open for the first time in four years since her victory in 2018.

Lee Da-yeon (25, Mediheal) is a strong competitor. She has won a total of 6 times, including this tournament in 2018. This season, she has participated in 3 tournaments, all reaching the finals, with tied 3rd place finishes at the Mediheal-Korea Daily Championship and tied 5th at the Kyochon Honey Ladies Open. Ji Han-sol (26, Dongbu Construction) is aiming for a second consecutive win. Last year, she achieved a come-from-behind victory on this "promised land." She also won the ADT Caps Championship held on this course in November 2017.

“Match Queen” Hong Jeong-min (20, CJ OnStyle) is aiming for her second consecutive win. Last week at the Doosan Match Play Championship, she defeated the domestic number one Park Min-ji (24, NH Investment & Securities), last year’s Rookie of the Year Song Ga-eun (22, MG Saemaeul Geumgo), and last year’s second in prize money ranking Lim Hee-jeong (22, Korea Land & Trust), achieving her first career victory in a steep upward trend. Recommended players include Japan-based Bae Seon-woo (28), Hong Ran (36), and Bae Kyung-eun (37). Park Min-ji chose to rest.