‘Hyundae Family’ Daughter-in-Law Appears on Domestic Golf Course

Lydia Ko to Compete in Hana Financial Group Championship
Challenging KLPGA Tour Victory After 11 Years
Sponsored Players Minji Lee and Tawattananakit Also Participate

Paris Olympic gold medalist Lydia Ko (New Zealand) will appear on the domestic field.

She will compete in the Hana Financial Group Championship, part of the Korean Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Tour, held over four days starting on the 26th at Bears Best Cheongna Golf Club in Incheon (Par 72, 6,712 yards). This is the 6th edition of the tournament. She is determined to showcase her peak performance at this sponsor-supported event.

Lydia Ko secured her place in the LPGA Hall of Fame by winning the gold medal at the Paris Olympics last August. She also won the major AIG Women's Open held in the same month and claimed victory at the LPGA Tour Kroger Queen City Championship, which concluded on the 22nd. After her third win of the season and 22nd LPGA Tour victory overall, she boarded the flight to Korea in high spirits.

Born in 1997, Lydia Ko turned professional in October 2013 and won her first professional title two months later at the Swinging Skirts World Ladies Masters in Taiwan. This was her first victory on the KLPGA Tour stage since turning pro. This time, she aims to win on the KLPGA Tour for the first time in 11 years since 2013.

Lydia Ko’s last official tournament win in Korea was at the LPGA Tour BMW Ladies Championship held in Wonju, Gangwon Province, in October 2022. She said, "A lot has happened leading up to this tournament, including the Olympic gold medal and LPGA Tour wins, and the support from Korean fans has been a great strength. I will do my best to show a good performance in this tournament."

This tournament is part of the Ladies Asian Tour (LAT) series organized by the Asia Golf Leaders Forum (AGLF), and among the 108 players participating, 16 are foreign nationals. Ten players recommended by AGLF from Thailand, China, Taiwan, the Philippines, and India will compete. In addition to Lydia Ko, LPGA Tour players sponsored by Hana Financial Group, such as Minjee Lee (Australia) and Patty Tavatanakit (Thailand), will also participate.

Korean players aim to defend their home turf. Park Ji-young, Park Hyun-kyung, Bae So-hyun, and Lee Ye-won, who each have three wins this year, will all compete to continue their race for a fourth win. Last year’s champion Lee Da-yeon and Kim Hyo-joo, who plays on the LPGA Tour, are also entered. Lee Hyo-song, who won the Salonpas Cup major on the Japan Ladies Professional Golf Association (JLPGA) Tour in May, is another dark horse.