KB Financial Group, Star Championship Opens on the 15th... "Prize Money Increased to 240 Million Won"

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Sun-mi] The ‘KB Financial Star Championship,’ the only major tournament in the second half of the Korean Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Tour hosted by KB Financial Group, will kick off in grand style on the 15th at Blackstone Golf Club in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province.

Marking its 15th edition this year, the KB Financial Star Championship will be held as a no-audience event to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), which is a global pandemic. KB Financial Group will implement thorough quarantine measures targeting participating players, caddies, broadcasting personnel, and tournament officials to ensure safe event management and prevent infection and regional spread of COVID-19.

In particular, the total prize money, which was 1 billion KRW until last year, has been significantly increased to 1.2 billion KRW this year, and the winner’s prize money has been raised from 200 million KRW to 240 million KRW, further solidifying its status as a major tournament. With the increased winner’s prize and the tournament’s characteristic as the last major event in Korea, it is expected to be a turning point for various point competitions such as the money list and rookie of the year, while simultaneously promising fiercer and more thrilling matches than ever before.

The lineup of participating players is also impressive. The competition between overseas players active on the U.S. Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tour and domestic players is an interesting point to watch. Among the overseas players, world No. 1 female golfer Ko Jin-young (25) has declared her participation, and Kim Hyo-joo (25) and Yoo So-yeon (30) are also aiming for a long-awaited domestic major tournament victory in this event.

Among domestic players, the ‘defending champion’ Lim Hee-jeong (20), An Song-yi (30, KB Financial Group), and Oh Ji-hyun (24, KB Financial Group) are in the spotlight. Lim Hee-jeong, who is on an upward trend, has improved her condition by entering the top 10 consecutively in four tournaments starting with her runner-up finish at the IS Dongseo Busan Open in July.

An Song-yi is evaluated to be in great form after recording her second career win at the Phantom Classic last September, following her first victory in 10 years since her debut at the ADT Caps Championship, the last tournament of last season. Oh Ji-hyun, who has shown consistent performance this season, is also a strong contender for the championship.

Meanwhile, LPGA players sponsored by KB Financial Group, including Park In-bi (32), Jeon In-ji (26), and Jeon Ji-won (23), will unfortunately not be seen in this tournament. Although they are required to participate in sponsor-hosted tournaments, KB Financial Group Chairman Yoon Jong-kyu decided to allow them to focus on the LPGA Tour in the U.S., considering factors that could affect their condition such as the mandatory two-week self-quarantine period upon entering Korea due to COVID-19. He expressed his consideration by saying, “I hope they do not return to Korea just for our tournament and stay healthy while concentrating on the LPGA Tour.”

To prevent the spread of COVID-19, the ‘KB Financial Star Championship’ will be held as a no-audience event this year, but various online events will be conducted for golf fans who cannot attend in person.

A ‘Virtual Cheering’ event will be held where fans can support players from home from the 1st round through the 4th round. Applications are being accepted through KB Financial Group’s official social networking services (SNS). Twenty participants per round will be selected on a first-come, first-served basis and individually notified on the 13th. All 80 selected participants will receive a small prize, and their cheering appearances will be broadcast during the live coverage of each round.

A ‘Guess the Winner’ event will also be held until the 16th. Entries can be submitted via KB Financial Group’s official SNS (Facebook, blog), and after the tournament ends, on the 18th, a draw will be held among those who correctly guessed the winner to award generous prizes such as LG Tromm Styler and Cozyma massage chairs.

To make the tournament even more meaningful, scholarships have been prepared for children-headed households. For each round of the tournament, if a player’s ball lands in the ‘KB Star Zone’ installed at the 17th hole, 1 million KRW will be donated per occurrence, up to a maximum of 100 million KRW, to the Salvation Army.

A KB Financial Group official said, “KB Financial Group, always with the people, has organized this tournament to repay the passion of players who aspire to the best stage and fans who await the best play,” adding, “KB Financial Group will continue to provide unwavering support to expand the base of golf in Korea, just as KB Financial’s mission is to change the world through finance.”

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