'Rising Star' Bang Sin-sil "Look Forward to Yongpyeong Long Drive Show"

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‘Rising star’ Bang Sin-sil makes her debut at Yongpyong.

She will compete in the McCol·Mona Yongpyong Open (total prize money 800 million KRW), part of the Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Tour, held over three days from the 30th at Yongpyong Birch Hill Country Club (par 72, 6,435 yards) in Gangwon-do. Balwangsan, where Birch Hill Country Club is located, is the 12th highest mountain in Korea with an elevation of 1,458 meters. It is also called Palwangsan, meaning ‘the place where kings are born’ and associated with the legend of ‘eight kings being born.’ Past champions include world No. 1 Ko Jin-young, Choi Hye-jin, Lee So-young, Kim Hae-rim, and Park Chae-yoon.

Above all, Bang Sin-sil’s long drives are drawing attention. Since her victory at last month’s E1 Charity Open, she has become an undeniable contender at every tournament. With powerful drives exceeding 300 yards, she is already one of the biggest draws on the KLPGA Tour. Her iron and wedge accuracy is also excellent, as evidenced by her leading green hit rate of 77.78%.

'Rising star' Bang Sin-sil delivers a powerful long shot at the McCol·Mona Yongpyong Open.

All eyes are on how Bang Sin-sil will tackle the 18th hole (par 5) at Birch Hill Country Club. Although the hole measures 526 yards, the steep uphill makes the actual distance over 600 yards. Until Yoon Ina reached the green in two shots during the final third round of last year’s tournament, no player had ever attempted or succeeded in a two-shot green approach here. Bang Sin-sil, who is regarded as having even greater driving power than Yoon Ina, is fully capable of reaching the green in two shots on the 18th hole.

Im Jin-hee will defend her title. Last year, she blocked Yoon Ina’s long drives with precise approach shots and claimed the championship. She is aiming for her second consecutive win at the tournament and her second victory of the season following last month’s NH Investment & Securities Ladies Championship. Im Jin-hee has posted strong results on challenging courses, including 8th place at the KLPGA Championship, 9th at the Korean Women’s Open, and 8th at the Lotte Open. She expressed her determination, saying, "My condition and shot feel are not bad, and if my putting improves a bit, I believe I can achieve a good result."

Prize money ranking No. 2 Park Ji-young, ‘Match Queen’ Sung Yoo-jin, Lee Joo-mi, Choi Eun-woo, Park Bo-gyeom, and other champions of the year will also participate. Rising stars such as Park Hyun-kyung, Park Joo-young, Heo Da-bin, and Li Shuying (China) are also contenders for the title. Park Min-ji, the ‘No. 1 domestic player’ who secured her second win of the season last week at the BC Card·Hankyung Ladies Cup, is absent from the entry list as she prepares for the US Women’s Open, a major on the LPGA Tour, which begins on July 6.

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