Sung Yoo-jin Seong, who has emerged as a “blue chip” player on the Korean Ladies Professional Golf (KLPGA) Tour this year, is set to defend her title.
She will compete in the KLPGA Tour’s Lotte Open ($800 million in prize money) at BearsBest Cheongna Golf Club (Par 72) in Incheon, South Korea, next month.
The Lotte Open is the “promised land” where Sung won her first career title last year.
It was a victory that changed the course of her golfing life, as she hadn’t had much of a presence.
As the winner of the Lotte Open, Sung entered the LPGA Tour’s Lotte Championship in Hawaii in April and finished runner-up in a playoff.
With her confidence boosted by her runner-up finish, she followed it up with two top-10 finishes on the KLPGA Tour before winning her first title of the season at the Doosan Match Play Championship, a tournament that requires a combination of skill, fitness and mental toughness.
Sung has been on a roll since returning from the LPGA Tour’s Lotte Championship with three top-10 finishes, including a win, in four events.
Her fifth-place finish on the money list and ninth-place finish on the Order of Merit make her a force to be reckoned with on the KLPGA Tour.
At the peak of her game and confidence, Sung skipped the E1 Charity Open to save her stamina for her maiden title defense and second win of the season at BearsBest Cheongna Golf Club, where she fondly remembers shooting 15-under par over four days last year.
Two LPGA Tour members to watch out for are Hyo Joo Kim and Hye Jin Choi, both of whom are playing in Korea.
World No. 10 Hyo Joo Kim is one of the favorites, as she is in contention for the title every time she plays a domestic event.
In 2021, she won two of her four domestic events. Kim has 13 wins on the KLPGA Tour alone.
While this is her first domestic tournament of the year, Kim has been a consistent performer on the LPGA Tour with two top-10 finishes.
Choi, who has amassed 10 wins on the KLPGA Tour and has won three consecutive Grand Prix titles, will compete in her second straight KLPGA Tour event following the E1 Charity Open, which concluded on April 28.
She struggled with jet lag at the E1 Charity Open, but after a tie for seventh place, she is poised to make a serious push for the title at the Lotte Open.
Kim Hyo-ju and Choi Hye-jin have always worn the Lotte logo on their hats, so they are especially excited to make their professional debuts.메이저사이트
Lee “Ottogi” Yeon is also a strong contender after her victory at the KLPGA Championship.
Ranked third on the money list and third in scoring average, Lee is no stranger to difficult and challenging courses, having won the 2019 Korean Women’s Open at BearsBest Cheongna Golf Club. Lee, Lim, Jinhee, Park, Lee Jung-min, and Choi Eun-woo will join Sung, Yoo-jin, and Lee in the hunt for a second win of the season. Bang Shin-sil, who has emerged as one of the hottest stars on the KLPGA Tour with her long drives of over 300 yards, will not be competing at the Lotte Open.
She won the E1 Charity Open to secure her full entry into the tournament before the field was finalized.
The KLPGA Tour’s top three players, Park Ji-young, Park Hyun-kyung, and Park Min-ji, who are ranked first and second on the money list, will also skip the tournament.