Han Bitna in Tears... 61st in Prize Money Rankings, Headed to Qualifying Tournament

Bitter Miss: Falls Short of Top 60 by 4.35 Million Won
Jo Ayeon, Kim Woojeong, and Jo Hyerim Dramatically Retain Tour Cards
Lee Soyoung 67th, Jang Sooyeon 74th Secure Tour Card Privileges

Han Bitna shed tears.

On November 2, immediately following the S-OIL Championship on the Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Tour, Han ranked 61st in the prize money standings with 167,495,000 won. The KLPGA Tour grants regular tour cards for the next season to the top 60 players in the prize money ranking as of the end of this tournament. The gap between Han and Kim Jaehee, who finished 60th with 171,847,571 won and had a tour card through next year after winning the Hana Financial Group Singapore Women’s Open in March last year, was only 4,352,571 won.

Han Bitna ranked 61st in the prize money ranking, resulting in participation in the qualifying rounds. Provided by KLPGA

Hwang Minjeong, who was ranked 60th before this tournament, dropped to 63rd with 160,867,960 won. She missed the cut at the S-OIL Championship and could not add to her earnings. Now, she must aim to return to the regular tour through the qualifying finals. Meanwhile, players who were near the cutoff-Cho Ayeon (57th, 177,237,380 won), Kim Woojeong (58th, 176,788,380 won), and Cho Hyerim (59th, 176,375,927 won)-managed to retain their tour cards.

In contrast, Lee Soyoung, who has six career wins on the KLPGA Tour, finished 67th with 154,900,640 won. She tied for 25th at the S-OIL Championship, adding only 8,950,000 won to her total. Jang Sooyeon, with four career wins on the regular tour, performed well by tying for sixth place at the S-OIL Championship (32,650,000 won), but her ranking only improved from 83rd to 74th (130,870,000 won).

However, both Lee Soyoung and Jang Sooyeon secured their places on the regular tour based on the tour card allocation criteria. The KLPGA Tour board grants regular tour cards for the following season to up to four players each year, considering overall performance, contribution to the association, and recognition among members of the K-10 Club or those with over 2.5 billion won in career earnings. This year, Lee Soyoung, Jang Sooyeon, Kim Jihyun, and Seo Yeonjeong received this benefit.