'Middle School Student Becomes National Team Member, Surpassing PGA 2 Wins and KPGA Ranking No.1?'

Only Amateurs Allowed to Compete in Asian Games as National Representatives
Selection Method Changes Inevitable Due to Pro Participation Allowed in Next Year's Asian Games

Anseonghyun, aged 13, won the 7th Young Guns Match Play, the final tournament of the season with points for the 2023 national team selection, on the 19th, securing qualification for the 2023 national team.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Taewon] An Seonghyeon (13, Bibong Middle School), who has just entered the first year of middle school, recently won the Young Guns Match Play tournament and was selected as a national representative for 2023.

Some are puzzled by the selection of this young player, whose name is unfamiliar, over top-tier players such as Kim Juhyung and Im Sungjae, ranked 15th and 20th in the world respectively, as well as Kim Mingyu, who leads the Korean Professional Golf Association (KPGA) Tour money rankings.

This is because, unlike other sports, golf national teams are still composed solely of pure amateur players.

The selection of golf national representatives for amateur players is aimed at the Asian Games. Unlike the Olympics, professional players are prohibited from participating in the Asian Games.

The current selection method is the 'National Representative Points Selection.' Until last year, a 'National Representative Selection Tournament' was also held, but it was abolished this year due to regulation changes.

The National Representative Points Selection is based on the total points accumulated over one year in tournaments designated by the Korea Golf Association (KGA) where national representative points are awarded. These include the Heo Jeonggu Cup Korean Amateur Golf Championship, Kang Mingu Cup Korean Women's Amateur Golf Championship, National Sports Festival individual competition, and Blue One Cup Korean Junior Golf Championship.

However, changes to this selection method are inevitable going forward, as the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) has allowed professional players to participate for the first time starting with the Hangzhou Asian Games scheduled for September next year.

Up to four men and three women can participate in golf at the Asian Games. The KGA plans to form the men's team with two professionals and two amateurs, and the women's team with one professional and two amateurs. Professional players will be selected based on world rankings without a separate selection tournament.

Meanwhile, the selection method for Olympic golf national representatives differs from that of the Asian Games.

Golf became an official event at the 2nd Paris Olympics in 1900 but was removed after the 1904 St. Louis Olympics. It returned as an official Olympic event 112 years later at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Unlike the national golf team selected by the KGA, the International Golf Federation (IGF) announces the eligibility for Olympic golf participants.

In Olympic golf, 60 men and 60 women participate, with a maximum of two players per country, but up to four players can participate if they are ranked within the top 15 in the world.

The 2020 Tokyo Olympic women's golf team consisted of players active on the U.S. Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tour, including Ko Jin-young ranked 2nd, Park In-bee 3rd, Kim Seyoung 4th, and Kim Hyojoo 6th in the world rankings at that time.

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