Domestic Players' 'Home Court Advantage' vs Overseas Players' 'LPGA and JLPGA Power'

LPGA Tour 2022 Season Third Major Hanwha Classic Pride Battle
'Domestic No. 1' Park Minji, 'Order of Merit and Scoring Average Leader' Yoo Hae-ran Among Total Lineup
LPGA Oldest Korean Champion Ji Eunhee, JLPGA Meiji Cup Champion Lee Minyoung to Compete

'Domestic players' Park Min-ji and Yoo Hae-ran, and 'overseas players' Ji Eun-hee and Lee Min-young (from left) will compete in a battle of pride at the third major Hanwha Classic of the 2022 season.

[Asia Economy Reporter No Woo-rae] It is a pride battle between 'domestic players' and 'overseas players.'

The Hanwha Classic, the third major tournament of the 2022 season on the Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Tour, will be held for four days starting on the 25th at Jade Palace Golf Club in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province (par 72, 6,777 yards). The total prize money is 1.4 billion KRW, with a winner's prize of a whopping 252 million KRW, making it the largest women's major in Korea. This year, 120 domestic and international star players will gather to fiercely compete for the title of 'Major Queen.'

Domestic players are determined to defend their home turf. Leading the charge is Park Min-ji (24), the 'No. 1 domestic player.' She has secured three wins this year and is currently leading the prize money rankings with 671.67 million KRW. She ranks third in the points for the Player of the Year (392 points) and fourth in scoring average (70.21 strokes). However, improving her shot and putting form, which declined after her trip to France, remains a challenge. Since returning from the Evian Championship, Park Min-ji has finished within the top 20 in three consecutive tournaments.

Yu Hae-ran (21), who ranks first in both Player of the Year points (499 points) and scoring average (69.91 strokes), also demonstrates strong 'KLPGA power.' She has finished in the top 10 twelve times this year, including one win, and is second in prize money with 615.46 million KRW. She is on an upward trend, having placed in the top 10 five times in the last six tournaments. Last week, she finished as runner-up at the High1 Resort Ladies Open. A win here could propel her to the top of the prize money list. Yu Hae-ran expressed confidence, saying, "My shot and putting form are good these days. I will play boldly."

Joining the field are this year's champions Park Ji-young, Ji Han-sol (both 26), Lim Hee-jung, Cho Ah-yeon (both 22), and Lee So-young (25). Oh Ji-hyun (26), who won the inaugural tournament at Jade Palace Golf Club in 2017, is also a strong contender. Han Jin-sun (25), who claimed her first win in 131 tournaments at the High1 Resort Ladies Open, is aiming for back-to-back victories. Han Jin-sun stated, "My shot and putting feel good. I will maintain my current condition and play well." Last year's champion Lee Da-yeon (25) has withdrawn due to a severe elbow injury.

The overseas players' strength is also formidable. The 'eldest sister' Ji Eun-hee (36) is aiming for a win at a sponsor's tournament. In May, she set the record as the oldest Korean winner (36 years and 17 days) at the LPGA Tour's Bank of Hope Match Play. Lee Min-young (30), who won the JLPGA Tour's Hokkaido Meiji Cup on the 7th, Kim In-kyung (34), who has seven LPGA Tour wins, and Shin Ji-eun (30), the 2016 Texas Shootout champion, will greet domestic golf fans after a long time.

This year's tournament is expected to be a battle against the rough. Jade Palace Golf Club has narrowed the fairway width and lengthened the rough to make it nearly impossible to attack the green without accurate shots. The fairway width on par 4 and par 5 holes is about 15 meters. From the teeing ground, the fairway looks very narrow. If players stray from the fairway, they face deep rough. The rough length reaches up to 100 mm, with a minimum of 75 mm.

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