Park Hyun-kyung vs Lim Hee-jung "Prize Money Queen Competition~"... What About World No.1 Ko Jin-young?

In the KB Financial Star Championship, 'Full-Scale Battle' with 3rd Prize Winner Yu Hae-ran Joining, Anna Lin Challenges '2 Consecutive Wins'

'Prize Money Leader' Park Hyun-kyung Challenges for Her Third Win of the Season at the KB Financial Star Championship.

[Asia Economy Kim Hyun-jun, Golf Specialist Reporter] "The winner's prize money is a whopping 240 million won."

The full-fledged 'prize money queen competition' between Park Hyun-kyung (20, Korea Land Trust), who is ranked first in prize money, and Lim Hee-jung (20, Hanwha Q CELLS), who is second, is underway. The KB Financial Star Championship (total prize money 1.2 billion won), opening on the 15th at Blackstone Golf Club in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province (par 72, 6,702 yards), is especially the only major tournament in the second half of the year. The total prize money has been increased by 200 million won, making the stakes even higher. Lim Hee-jung (20, Hanwha Q CELLS) is aiming to 'hunt two rabbits' by defending her title as well.

Park Hyun-kyung is currently in first place (489 million won). She caused a sensation by winning her first major, the KLPGA Championship, last May, adding special significance as the first victory on a global professional golf tour since the outbreak of COVID-19. She secured her second win at the IS Dongseo Busan Open in July. On the final day of the Otek Carrier Championship, which ended on the 11th, she shot 6 under par and finished tied for 6th, fine-tuning her shot sense in the process.

Lim Hee-jeong has stepped up to defend her title at the KB Financial Star Championship.

For Lim Hee-jung, this is a 'revenge match.' It is interesting that she finished second in both tournaments won by Park Hyun-kyung. At the IS Dongseo Busan Open, she even shed tears after an extended playoff battle. Although she has entered the 'top 10' eight times this season, she has yet to secure a victory, which is frustrating. She also finished third three times at the E1 Charity Open in May, the Jeju Samdasoo Masters in July, and the Otek Carrier Championship. Expectations are high for her consistency, ranking second in average score (69.43 strokes).

Yoo Hae-ran (19, SK Networks), ranked third, is a player to watch. She created excitement by setting a course record of 9 under par on the final day of the Otek Carrier Championship. Park Min-ji (22, NH Investment & Securities), Kim Hyo-joo (25), and Lee So-young (23, both from Lotte), ranked fourth to sixth, have already surpassed 400 million won in prize money and could leap to first place in a single tournament. Choi Hye-jin (21, Lotte), the current 'Grand Prize leader,' is another strong contender for victory. She is especially eager for her first win. She led with 8 under par on the first day of the S-Oil Championship in June, but was unlucky as the event was canceled due to bad weather.

Otek Carrier champion An Na-rin (24) is challenging for 'back-to-back wins.' The overseas players' lineup, including world number one Ko Jin-young (25), Yoo So-yeon (30, Mediheal), Lee Jeong-eun 6 (24, Daebang Construction), and Hur Mi-jung (31), is formidable. Yoo So-yeon stands out with her distinguished status after winning the Korean Women's Open, a national title, in June, while Lee Jeong-eun 6 has focused entirely on the domestic circuit due to the COVID-19 pandemic, hovering around the winning zone with two runner-up finishes.

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