PLK Pacific Links Korea Championship, Points to Note

Park Hyun-kyung, Lee So-young, Hong Jeong-min Challenge for Victory After Last Week's Runner-up
Intricate Rough and Sloped Greens, Precise Shots as the Key to Winning

Hyun-Kyung Park, Ga-Young Lee, Ye-Rim Noh, Hee-Jeong Lim, Ha-Na Jang, So-Mi Lee, and others are attending a press conference ahead of the KLPGA Tour PLK Pacific Links Korea Championship on the 15th.
[Photo by Tae-Won Choi]

[Asia Economy Binh Duong=Reporter Choi Taewon] The PLK Pacific Links Korea Championship, the final tournament of the year and the second event of the 2023 Korean Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Tour season, will be held on the 16th. The championship is drawing attention from golf fans with Park Hyunkyung, Lee Soyoung, and Hong Jungmin’s challenge for victory after their narrow one-stroke runner-up finishes in the previous tournament, as well as the tangled rough that will be a turning point in the competition.

The PLK Pacific Links Korea Championship (total prize money of 700 million KRW) will take place over three days starting today at the Twin Doves Golf Club (par 72) in Vietnam. The Hyosung Championship, held at the same venue from 2017 to 2019, has resumed after three years with a new title sponsor. A total of 88 KLPGA Tour players, 3 members from the Vietnam Golf Association, and 5 recommended players will participate.

Attention is focused on whether Park Hyunkyung, Lee Soyoung, and Hong Jungmin, who finished as runners-up at the season opener, the Hana Financial Group Singapore Ladies Open, can claim victory this time. After the second round of the previous tournament, they trailed leader Park Jiyoung by just one stroke, aiming for a comeback win in the final round. However, the final round was canceled due to unexpected heavy rain, resulting in a tie for second place.

Additionally, the defending champion Park Jiyoung, last season’s leading money winner Park Minji, and Player of the Year Kim Suji will not participate in this tournament. This is why Park Hyunkyung, Lee Soyoung, and Hong Jungmin, who narrowly missed out last time, are considered strong contenders for the title.

The decisive factor for victory will be ‘accurate iron shots.’ The competition will be held on the Luna and Stella courses at Twin Doves Golf Club in Vietnam. The relatively short course length and the bunkers and hazards scattered throughout require precise shots.

The players unanimously agreed that accurate iron shots are key to conquering the course.

At a press conference held in Vietnam on the 15th during the practice round, Park Hyunkyung, Lee Gayoung, Noh Yerim, Lim Heejung, Jang Hana, and Lee Somi all stated that precise shots will determine the outcome of the tournament due to the ‘tangled rough’ and ‘sloping greens.’

Lee Gayoung said, “The rough is tangled like weeds. I will try to play in a way that avoids the rough as much as possible.” Park Hyunkyung also emphasized the importance of precise shots, saying, “(After the practice round) it was difficult to approach when in the rough. Even if it’s far from the hole, I will focus on getting the ball on the green.”

They also highlighted the challenge of attacking the greens as a key point. Lim Heejung explained, “The greens are difficult, so accurate iron shots are important. It’s crucial to be able to putt uphill depending on the pin position.” Noh Yerim, who plays on the U.S. Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tour, added, “Unlike golf courses in the eastern U.S., the greens here have many slopes, so extra attention is needed.”

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