KPGA Classic Chooses Aggressive Golf Guidance
Points Awarded Based on Performance Each Hole
Eagle 5 Points, Birdie 2 Points, Bogey -1 Point Differentiation
Golf tournaments have various formats.
Kim Hanbyeol is the player who has made the most birdies in the history of the Modified Stableford tournaments.
The most common format is the 4-round, 72-hole stroke play, where the player with the fewest strokes wins. There is another method as well: the ‘Modified Stableford’ format that encourages aggressive play. This is the format chosen for the newly established KPGA Classic (total prize money of 700 million KRW), held over four days from the 9th at Golfzon County Yeongam45 Kyle Phillips A and B courses (par 72, 7,556 yards) in Yeongam, Jeollanam-do. A total of 144 players participate. After two rounds, the top 60 advance to the third round. The winner receives a 2-year tour card, 1,000 Genesis points, and prize money of 140 million KRW.
This tournament was newly established this year. It is the only Modified Stableford event on the KPGA Tour. Instead of counting strokes, points are awarded based on scores and totaled to determine rankings. An albatross earns 8 points, an eagle 5 points, and a birdie 2 points. Par scores earn 0 points, bogeys -1 point, and double bogeys or worse -3 points. Scoring an eagle can significantly boost a player’s ranking. Defensive play that merely maintains par does not earn points. Because the point differences based on scores are large, players tend to play more aggressively.
The player with the most birdies in Modified Stableford tournaments is three-time KPGA Tour champion Kim Hanbyeol. He has made a total of 94 birdies in four tournaments. He was runner-up at the 2020 KPGA Open with Solago CC and won the 2021 Yamaha Owners K Open with Solago CC. Kim Hanbyeol said, "In the Modified Stableford format, you earn points even if you make one birdie and one bogey," adding, "Since I like aggressive competition, I always feel confident in tournaments with this format."
‘Long hitter’ Kim Minsu has recorded the most eagles in Modified Stableford tournaments, with a total of five eagles. This year’s KPGA Classic features a full lineup of champions who have won Modified Stableford events, including Kim Hanbyeol, Go Guntaek, Lee Sumin, and Bae Yongjun. In particular, Go Guntaek is aiming for his second win of the season after the KPGA Founders Cup with Hanmac CC. Kim Hongtaek, the ‘screen golf master’ who won last week’s GS Caltex Maekyung Open, is aiming for back-to-back victories. Seungmin Lee, a golfer with developmental disabilities, is participating as a recommended player.
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