Foreign Players Challenging Next Year's KLPGA

Rishu Ying, Aratake Sisters, and Yokoyama Make a Big Appearance

Aratake Eri [Photo by KLPGA]

The Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) is lowering the entry barriers for foreign players to join the domestic tour, and the participation of foreign players is expected to increase in the 2023 season.

First, Li Shuying (19), a Chinese national, has secured her advancement to the regular tour next season after competing in the 3rd and 2nd tier tours this season. Additionally, there are three foreign full members who will be active in the KLPGA Dream Tour next year. They are twin sisters Aratake Mari (26, Japan) and Aratake Eri (26, Japan), who joined as associate members in 2019 and competed in the Jump Tour before successfully being promoted to full members this year. Also, Yokoyama Mizuka (24, Japan), who ranked 8th in the KLPGA 2022 full member qualifying final, joined as a full member.

The twin sisters and Yokoyama share the commonality of having obtained associate member status through the KLPGA 2019 2nd Associate Member Qualifying Tournament. One of their parents holds Korean nationality, which qualified them to participate in the associate member qualifying tournament. Both the Aratake sisters and Yokoyama have Japanese fathers and Korean mothers.

Aratake Mari achieved her first career victory at the KLPGA 2022 Grand·Samdaein Jump Tour 7th event and succeeded in being promoted to full member during the Jump Tour 2nd series (5th to 8th events). Aratake Eri also performed well in the 4th series (13th to 16th events) and became a full member.

Yokoyama earned full member status by finishing in the top 10 at the KLPGA 2022 full member qualifying final held last October. She is the first foreign player to pass the qualifying tournament and earn full member status.

Foreign players from the KLPGA International Qualifying Tournament (IQT) have also thrown their hats into the ring to join the KLPGA 2023 regular tour by challenging the seed ranking tournament. These players include Kusuma Michai (27, Thailand), Chen Yuzhu (25, Taiwan), and Wanchana Poruanglong (29, Thailand).