Kim Hyo-joo "Marching Toward 2 Consecutive Wins"... Choi Hye-jin Aims for 'Title Defense'

Jeju S-Oil Championship Victory Challenge, Overseas Players Including Kim Se-young, Lee Jeong-eun 6, Kim Ha-neul, and Lee Bo-mi 'All Out'

Kim Hyo-joo challenges for her second consecutive victory at the S-Oil Championship.

[Asia Economy Reporter No Woo-rae] "Let's go for a 2nd consecutive win."

World No. 13 Kim Hyo-joo (25, Lotte) is on a roll. The Korean Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Tour S-Oil Championship (total prize money 700 million KRW), held on the 12th at Elysian Golf Club in Jeju City, Jeju Island (par 72, 6,642 yards), is a fierce battleground. 120 players compete over three days in a 54-hole stroke play format to determine the winner. This tournament is also held as a 'no-audience event' in accordance with COVID-19 prevention guidelines. The winner's prize money is 126 million KRW.

Kim Hyo-joo has been called a prodigy since her amateur days. In 2012, she collected championship trophies consecutively in Korea, Japan, and Taiwan, and in Japan, she set remarkable records as the youngest winner ever (16 years and 332 days old) and the lowest 18-hole score (61 strokes). She turned professional in October and added a record for the shortest time to win (2 months and 11 days) by winning the Hyundai China Ladies Open in December. In 2014, she swept 5 wins to become the KLPGA Tour's 'quadruple crown winner' and secured a 'direct ticket to the LPGA Tour' by winning the Evian Championship in September.

She entered the U.S. stage in 2015 and achieved 3 wins in total, but surprisingly fell into a severe slump. After showing signs of a comeback with three runner-up finishes last year, she defeated Kim Sei-young (27, Mirae Asset) in a playoff battle at the Lotte Cantata Ladies Open on the 7th, which just ended. This was her 11th domestic win after a long gap of 3 years and 6 months since the Hyundai China Ladies Open in December 2016. She is challenging for a '2nd consecutive win' at the S-Oil Championship.

During the off-season, her driving distance increased by 15 meters through physical training, and she is boasting peak shot accuracy, having fired a 5-under par on the final day last week. It is encouraging that her green play, which had been problematic for a while, is improving. Kim Hyo-joo, who said, "I feel dazed because it’s been so long since my last win," added, "With the increased driving distance, even though the pin positions are difficult, attacking the course has become easier," expressing strong confidence and anticipation for back-to-back wins.

Domestic No. 1 Choi Hye-jin (20, Lotte) is defending her title. She warmed up by finishing in the 'top 10' in all four tournaments, including the 2020 season opener Hyosung Championship held in Vietnam last December. She is recalling the thrilling memory of her come-from-behind victory last year. Overseas players such as Kim Sei-young, runner-up at the Lotte Cantata Ladies Open, Lee Jeong-eun 6 (24, Daebang Construction), Kim Ha-neul (32, Hite Jinro), Lee Bo-mi (32), and Bae Seon-woo (26) have joined the competition.

Choi Hye-jin aims for a second consecutive win at the S-Oil Championship.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.