'Lotte Champ' Kim Hyo-joo "This Time, the 'Match Queen'~"... Yu Ying 'Title Defense'

Bank of Hope Match Players Advance with 2 Wins, Choi Hye-jin and Yoo So-yeon Join, Ko Jin-young Withdraws to Prepare for US Women's Open

Kim Hyo-joo aims for her second win of the season at the Bank of Hope Match Play.

[Asia Economy Reporter No Woo-rae] It is Kim Hyo-joo's (27, Lotte) challenge for her second win as the 'Lotte Championship Champ.'

On the 26th (Korean time), the LPGA Tour Bank of Hope Match Play (total prize money $1.5 million) kicks off at Shadow Creek Golf Course (par 72, 6,777 yards) in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. Like the FIFA World Cup in soccer, 64 players are divided into 16 groups, with the top player from each group advancing to the round of 16, where the winner is decided through one-on-one match play. In the group stage, a win earns 1 point and a draw 0.5 points. The defending champion is Ally Ewing (USA).

Kim Hyo-joo is a strong player with a total of 14 wins, including one as an amateur, on the Korean Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Tour. In September 2014, while still a non-member, she secured a 'direct LPGA Tour ticket' by winning the Evian Championship and debuted on the U.S. stage the following year. On the 17th of last month, she earned her fifth career win at the Lotte Championship. She has played in five tournaments this year, finishing in the top 10 three times, showing an upward trend. She is determined, saying, "I will be the first to reach the milestone of two wins."

Choi Hye-jin dreams of her first victory at the Bank of Hope Match Play.

Rookie Choi Hye-jin (23, Lotte) is making a second attempt at her first win. Although she has yet to win, she is cruising with four top-10 finishes, including third place at the Lotte Championship. She is second in the Rookie of the Year points standings this year with 408 points. Yoo So-yeon (32, Mediheal), Lee Jeong-eun 6 (26, Daebang Construction), and Kim A-rim (27, SBI Savings Bank) have also joined the field. World No. 1 Ko Jin-young (27) and Jeon In-ji (28, KB Financial Group) have withdrawn to prepare for next week's major, the U.S. Women's Open.

Ewing is defending her title. She recalls the thrilling memory of her second career win last year by defeating Sophia Popov (Germany) by two holes in the final. Popov is aiming for revenge after finishing as runner-up last year. She has played in nine tournaments this season but missed the cut five times. Other notable players include Minjee Lee (Australia), the Founders Cup champ; Danielle Kang (USA), the Tournament of Champions champ; and Atthaya Thitikul (Thailand), the JTBC Classic champ.