[The Editors' Verdict]KLPGA Must Change or Be Left Behind

Despite World-Class Growth in Women's Golf
Ignoring the Voices of Its 'Members'
Without the Courage to Change, the KLPGA Risks Losing Its Value

Jung Doohwan / Trend Managing Editor and Golf Chief

In 1978, the Korea Professional Golfers' Association (KPGA) established the "Women's Professional Golf Division," which laid the foundation for the Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA). The first female professional to pass the test that year was player Kang Chun-ja. Starting with her victory at the 1979 Samyang Open, she accumulated a total of 14 wins. She was a pioneer in the then underdeveloped women's professional golf scene. Born in 1956, she was a contemporary of the late Ku Ok-hee, a legend in Korean women's golf. After retiring as a player, she transformed into an administrator. She has served as the KLPGA vice president for 21 years and as the CEO of its subsidiary KLPGT for 11 years.

Recently, CEO Kang has been at the center of controversy surrounding the golf world. The issue began with disputes over fairness in the selection of the broadcasting rights operator. Voices demanding her resignation have emerged, citing the negative effects of her over 30 years of long-term leadership.

In fact, her contributions to the development of Korean women's golf are by no means insignificant. She is the key figure who elevated the status of the KLPGA, which previously had little presence on the global stage. During her tenure, the KLPGA has grown from an obscure local tour to being recognized as one of the world's top three tours alongside the U.S. Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tour and the Ladies European Tour (LET). Korean female players have established themselves as powerhouses in women's golf worldwide, achieving a combined total of 200 wins on the LPGA Tour.

Therefore, it is problematic to reduce the controversy merely to the fact of her long tenure. Conversely, it also implies that there has been no suitable golf administrator to replace her until now.

The core of the controversy is whether the KLPGA system centered around her is desirable for the future of Korean women's golf. In this regard, the recent behavior of the association and CEO Kang raises doubts about the answer to this question.

At the National Assembly audit hearing where CEO Kang appeared as a witness regarding the selection of the KLPGA Tour broadcasting rights operator, she failed to clearly explain why a company that offered a higher bid than the preferred bidder and even proposed the establishment of a pension fund for players was disqualified.

Her subsequent actions have also been controversial. At the "KLPGA Tour Players Seminar" held by the association on the afternoon of the 20th of this month, CEO Kang and the association disappointed the players with their indifferent attitude. During the seminar, which lasted about 70 minutes, Kang spoke about the broadcasting rights operator selection for only one minute. Moreover, this was not voluntary but rather a reluctant response to the players' requests. Her answer was simply a one-sided statement: "There is no legal defect, so I hope you will trust that."

There is something CEO Kang and the association must not forget. The association is an interest group, and those interests should belong to its members. It should also not be forgotten that many of the achievements she accumulated as an administrator were made possible by the sweat and tears of the junior players.

Perhaps this incident arose from some misunderstandings. However, it was the attitude of the association's management, who turned away from communication by insisting "I am right" without properly communicating with the members, that fueled such misunderstandings.

The KLPGA is currently in crisis. Although young players with top-level skills continue to emerge steadily, the competition is fierce. Thailand, which produced the major star Atthaya Thitikul, is a representative example. The rapid progress of Japan, once considered a step below, is also formidable. Korean women's professional golf administration, facing these challenges, needs the courage to accept change and humbly accept criticism. Without such courage, it will be difficult for the current KLPGA system to avoid criticism that its vitality has expired.

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