‘Yangbak’ Pride Showdown... ‘1 Billion Won Preemption Battle’

Park Ji-young and Park Hyun-kyung Compete for KG Ladies Open Title
Both with 3 Wins Each, Prize Money to Surpass 1 Billion Won if Victorious
Lee Ye-won, Yoon Ina, and Kim Soo-ji Also Strong Contenders

It is a pride battle between the ‘Yangbaks’.

Park Ji-young

Park Ji-young and Park Hyun-kyung, who each secured three wins this year, will compete fiercely for the championship at the KG Ladies Open (total prize money of 800 million KRW), held over three days starting from the 30th at the Turning Point Country Club in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province (par 72, 6,748 yards) on the KLPGA Tour.

Park Ji-young missed tournaments for a month early in the season due to an appendectomy but quickly regained her competitive edge. She demonstrated her strength by winning the major Hanwha Classic, which concluded last week at Jade Palace Golf Club in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province. This marked her third win of the season since the Kyochon 1991 Ladies Open in May, her 10th career victory, and earned her prize money of 306 million KRW. She instantly rose to joint first in wins, second in prize money (956.1 million KRW) and points for the Player of the Year (374 points), and first in scoring average (69.69 strokes).

If she wins this tournament, she will receive 144 million KRW and become the first player this season to surpass 1 billion KRW in prize money. Park Ji-young said, "The pace of play got faster and faster at the Hanwha Classic, which left me a bit disappointed. This time, I plan to maintain a calm tempo and manage my game steadily until the last hole on the final day."

Park Hyun-kyung

Park Hyun-kyung’s rising form is also formidable. She ranks first in prize money (959 million KRW) and Player of the Year points (410 points), and third in scoring average (70.09 strokes). Lee Ye-won, who is tied for most wins, is aiming for revenge. She led through the first three rounds of the Hanwha Classic but collapsed with a 5-over-par on the final day, finishing sixth. She is fourth in prize money (782.64 million KRW), fourth in points (319 points), and tenth in scoring average (70.54 strokes).

Yoon Ina is also on the entry list. She has one win this season and ranks fifth in prize money (777.6 million KRW), third in points (344 points), and second in scoring average (69.90 strokes). No Seung-hee, the winner of the major Korea Women’s Open in June, is also a strong contender. She finished runner-up after a playoff at last year’s KG Ladies Open. Defending champion Seo Yeon-jeong and 2021 champion Kim Soo-ji are also dark horses.