KB Financial Supports the Dreams and Hopes of Next-Generation Golf Prospects at Home and Abroad

Bang Sin-sil, Park Ye-ji, Lee Jeong-hyeon Lee Jeong-wi
Signed Sponsorship Contract with Thai Natkritta Wongtapwirap

From the left, player Bang Sin-sil, player Park Ye-ji, player Lee Jung-hyun, player Natarakrittha Wongtapwirap, player Lee Jung-wi

[Asia Economy Reporter Sim Nayoung] KB Financial Group has signed sponsorship contracts with five next-generation golf prospects, including Korea's top amateur golf players ‘Bang Shin-sil (18)’, ‘Park Ye-ji (17)’, and ‘Lee Jeong-hyun (16)’, as well as ‘Lee Jeong-wi (16)’, who is active overseas, and ‘Natakritta Wongtapwirap (20)’, a rising golf star from Thailand. Known as the ‘benefactor’ in the sports world, KB Financial will do its utmost to support these players in achieving their dreams through this sponsorship agreement.

KB Financial Group has been running a ‘Golf Prospect Sponsorship Program’ since signing a sponsorship contract in 2021 with former national golf team member Lee Ye-won (19). Lee Ye-won secured two wins in the 3rd-tier Korean Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) tour (Jump Tour) and one win in the 2nd-tier tour (Dream Tour), finishing 5th in the prize money rankings, thereby earning a full card for the 1st-tier regular KLPGA tour. She emerged as the most notable rookie in the 2022 KLPGA regular tour.

Following last year, KB Financial plans to continue providing more support for nurturing next-generation golf prospects by signing sponsorship contracts this year with domestic junior players who show high growth potential: ‘Bang Shin-sil’, ‘Park Ye-ji’, and ‘Lee Jeong-hyun’.

Player ‘Bang Shin-sil’ has been active as a national team member since 2020 and is recognized as a next-generation star in Korean women's golf. In March, she achieved a tied 8th place (3-over par 219) at the ‘Augusta National Women's Amateur (ANWA)’ held in Georgia, USA, the dream stage for female amateur players, marking the best performance ever by a Korean player in the tournament.

‘Park Ye-ji’, selected for the national team reserve squad this year, is noted for her powerful long drives stemming from her tall stature of 170 cm. Notably, she finished 27th at last year's KB Financial Star Championship, a major KLPGA tour event, outperforming many professional players. Recently, she demonstrated her potential by winning the ‘Korea Golf Association President's Cup’, the first qualifying tournament for the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games.

‘Lee Jeong-hyun’ is a promising player who has dominated amateur major tournaments since middle school. After being the youngest national team member from 2020 to 2021, she currently serves on the national team reserve squad. She won the KB Financial Group Women's Amateur Golf Championship in 2021 and recently delivered a memorable performance by finishing runner-up after a playoff on the final day of the ‘Korea Golf Association President's Cup’.

KB Financial Group is also supporting global prospects. ‘Lee Jeong-wi’, a former U13 junior representative from South Africa (hereafter South Africa), started playing golf relatively late at age 10 in 2016. Despite the unfamiliar environment, through relentless effort, he was selected for the South African U13 junior team just one year later in 2018.

Driven by his desire to compete as a representative of Korea, Lee Jeong-wi relinquished his position on the South African U13 junior team and now competes in amateur tournaments overseas under Korean nationality, aspiring to become Korea's Tiger Woods.

Another sponsored player, Thailand’s ‘Natakritta Wongtapwirap’, is known for her ultra-long drives of 300 yards. She rose as a ‘rising star of Thailand’ by finishing runner-up at last year’s Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific Championship (WAAP). Recently, she won the Thai LPGA Championship professional tournament as an amateur, taking a step closer to her dream of joining the US LPGA Tour next year.

A KB Financial Group official stated, “We will expand our nurturing program for young talents to promote the development of amateur golf both domestically and internationally, and we will spare no support so that players can focus solely on their competitions.” He added, “We will be a strong pillar supporting the dreams and hopes of next-generation golf prospects.”

Player ‘Bang Shin-sil’ said, “I became a national team member through relentless effort since childhood, and I am truly happy and grateful to become part of the KB Financial Group family through this sponsorship. I will take pride in being with KB and do my best every moment to become the world’s number one together with KB.”

Thailand’s ‘Natakritta Wongtapwirap’ expressed her aspirations, saying, “I am thankful to KB Financial Group for highly valuing my potential and deciding to support me. Through continuous practice and effort, I want to become a world-class player and a role model for young golfers.”

Since 2012, KB Financial has supported the Korea Golf Association (KGA) with an annual development fund of 300 million KRW to promote Korean amateur golf. To activate women’s amateur golf, KB Financial Group hosts the KB Financial Group Women’s Amateur Golf Championship, serving as a gateway for the emergence of next-generation golf stars.

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