Doosan Match Play Championship Opens on the 17th
64 Players Compete Over Five Days to Crown the 'Match Queen'
‘Domestic No. 1’ Park Min-ji aims for a ‘2021 again’.
Park Min-ji will participate in the Doosan Match Play Championship held for five days starting from the 17th at Radena Golf Club in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province (Par 72, 6,350 yards). It is the only match play event on the Korean Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Tour, now in its 15th edition. The total prize money has been increased by 100 million won to 900 million won, with the winner’s prize set at 225 million won.
Park Minji aims for the top again at the Doosan Match Play Championship, two years after her victory in 2021.
A total of 64 players, including those ranked within the top 60 in last year’s prize money rankings, will compete. The tournament is divided into 16 groups, similar to the World Cup in soccer. This system was introduced in 2017 to increase competitiveness and attract spectators. In the group stage, a win earns 1 point, a draw 0.5 points, and a loss 0 points. If players are tied in the group stage, a sudden death playoff is held. The top player from each group advances to the round of 16, which is played in a one-on-one match format.
Park Min-ji is the strongest player with 12 wins over the past two years. She has been the leading winner and top money earner for two consecutive years. With a total of 16 wins on the KLPGA Tour, she ranks 4th in all-time wins and holds the record for the most wins among active players. Park Min-ji has participated in five tournaments this year but has yet to secure a victory. She has entered the ‘Top 10’ three times, with her best result being a tie for 3rd place at last month’s Mediheal-Korea Daily Championship.
Park Min-ji is recalling her victory in 2021. She defeated Choi Hye-rim in the round of 16, Jang Su-yeon in the quarterfinals, and Ji Han-sol in the semifinals, before beating Park Joo-young by three holes in the final. This marked her second consecutive win following the NH Investment & Securities Ladies Championship, her agency’s event, achieving ‘back-to-back wins’ and her 7th career victory, heralding the ‘Park Min-ji era.’ Park Min-ji maintained good form by finishing tied for 9th at last week’s NH Investment & Securities Ladies Championship. She is determined to “do her best again this year and challenge for the title.”
Defending champion Hong Jeong-min is aiming for the tournament’s first back-to-back win. Last year, she defeated Park Min-ji, Song Ga-eun, Lim Hee-jeong, and Lee Ye-won. This year, she seeks revenge against Lee Ye-won, who won the domestic season opener, the Lotte Rent-a-Car Women’s Open. Hong Jeong-min is determined to become the ‘Match Queen’ by securing her second win first. Top money ranking leader Park Ji-young, Lee Da-yeon, Lim Jin-hee, Kim Ji-hyun, Kim Min-byeol, and Bang Shin-sil are also listed among the participants.
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