A Special Golf Tournament Takes Place in Jeju

Opening of S-OIL Championship at Elysian on 31st
First in Korea to install Olympic-style cauldron at golf course
Medals awarded to top 3, not just the winner
Park Hyun-kyung aims for 1st in prize money and points

A special tournament is taking place.

Jiyoung Park, Hyunkyung Park, Hyunjo Yoo, and Yewon Lee (from left) are posing at the S-OIL Championship photocall event. Photo by Brion Company

It is the Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Tour S-OIL Championship (total prize money of 900 million KRW). The event will kick off on the 31st at Elysian Jeju Lake-Pine Course (par 72, 6,752 yards) in Jeju City, Jeju Island. It is attracting attention for applying a unique Olympic concept. A torch stand will be installed at the golf course. The torch will be lit the day before the tournament and will blaze for four days. It will be extinguished after the final round. This year, fencing gold medalist from the Paris Olympics, Gu Bon-gil, will participate as a torchbearer, creating a buzz.

The S-OIL Championship does not only consider the champion. It emphasizes true sportsmanship. Medals are awarded not only to the winner but also to the 2nd and 3rd place finishers. It is an occasion to express gratitude to the players who showed great competition until the end. The awarding method is also the same as the Olympics. The 3rd, 2nd, and 1st place winners are called in order and placed on the podium. This is a differentiated approach compared to regular tournaments.

The tournament organizer has prepared various special prizes. The winner receives a prize money of 162 million KRW and a massage chair worth 5 million KRW. If a course record is set, the player receives a gift certificate for the Elysian Jeju Country Club Resort worth 3 million KRW. For a hole-in-one, gifts include a luxury sports sedan worth 200 million KRW, an iron set, a massage chair, and a premium bed.

The ‘S-OIL Championship Birdie Donation Hole (12th hole)’ is operated. Every time a player records a birdie on this hole, 500,000 KRW per occurrence, up to a maximum of 20 million KRW, is collected as a fund and donated to a local children’s center in Jeju. For the galleries visiting the tournament site, there is also an event called ‘Find Gu Do-il’ with 150 prizes to be found.

In its 18th edition this year, 92 players will compete for the championship. The competition for prize money and points for the season-ending awards is intense. The current leader in these categories, Yoon Ina, is taking a break. Second place Park Hyun-kyung is challenging to overturn the title. An Song-yi, who debuted on the KLPGA Tour in 2010, will participate in a record 360 tournaments, the most in history. So far, An Song-yi and retired Hong Ran hold the record with 359 tournaments each. An Song-yi said, "I have been able to continue my career thanks to the support of many people. If my golf life is a total of 10, I feel I have reached about 7 now. I want to achieve a major tournament victory and be remembered by fans as a player who performed steadily for a long time."