Philippine Masters of the Dream Tour Kicks Off on the 12th
Hwang Yuna Aims for Second Straight Win After Indonesia Victory Last Month
Cho Jeongmin Seeks Revenge, Song Gaeun and Park Yeji Among Top Contenders
Hwang Yuna aims for her second consecutive win on the Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Dream Tour.
She will compete in the Philippine Ladies Masters (total prize money of $200,000), held for three days starting from the 12th at The Country Club in Santa Rosa near Manila, Philippines (par 72, 6,337 yards). This is the second KLPGA Dream Tour event held overseas following the Indonesia Women’s Open that ended on the 26th of last month.
This tournament is part of the Asia Pacific Circuit Series Tour organized by the KLPGA Tour and the Asia Golf Leaders Forum (AGLF). It is co-hosted by the KLPGA Tour, the Ladies Philippine Tour, and the Taiwan Ladies Professional Golf Association. A total of 132 Asian regional players, including the top 50 qualifiers from the KLPGA Dream Tour, will participate. The winner’s prize is $30,000 (approximately 44 million KRW). However, only 15 million KRW will be reflected in the Dream Tour prize money rankings.
Hwang Yuna debuted on the KLPGA Tour just last year. She ranked 96th in the prize money rankings and placed 37th in the regular tour seed ranking tournament last November. She won the Dream Tour opener, the Indonesia Women’s Open (total prize money of $300,000), after a playoff against Cho Jeong-min. With two consecutive tournament wins, she is determined to secure her KLPGA regular tour card early.
Hwang said, “Winning my first professional title helped me relieve some pressure,” adding, “My goal this year is to win three Dream Tour titles and become the top money winner.” She continued, “My current condition has improved a lot, so I plan not to play hastily. I know the course is very windy, so I will be careful with my tee shots and club selection.”
Cho Jeong-min, who has five LPGA regular tour wins, is seeking revenge. She said, “After the playoff ended, I was angry and upset with myself, but after reviewing my play step by step, I realized it was actually a very good performance. Rather than being discouraged, I am preparing with fierce determination to create another chance to win.”
Other contenders for the title include 2021 KLPGA Tour Rookie of the Year candidates Song Ga-eun, Park Ye-ji, Son Ye-bin, Yoon Hwa-young, and Kim So-jung. Also participating are last year’s KLPGA International Qualifying Tournament winner for foreign players, Pattarat Lattanon (Thailand), Wakui Mayu (Japan), 13th place finisher at the Paris Olympics last year Dottie Ardina (Philippines), Wang Li-ning (Taiwan), and Victoria Harim (Indonesia).
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