The Only LPGA Tournament in Korea, BMW Ladies Opens on the 19th of Next Month

The BMW Ladies Championship 2023, the only U.S. Women's Professional Golf (LPGA) tournament held in Korea, will take place from the 19th of next month at Seowon Valley Country Club (CC) in Paju, Gyeonggi Province. This is the first time the event, held as part of the LPGA Tour, has been hosted in the Seoul metropolitan area.

Every year, golf fans in Korea show great interest as they can watch golfers competing on the LPGA Tour in person, and this year accessibility has been further improved. Last year's tournament was held in Wonju, Gangwon Province, yet attracted about 82,000 visitors. This number is comparable to major tournaments held on the U.S. mainland.

Last year at the BMW Ladies Championship 2022_The gallery filled the tournament venue＜Photo by BMW Korea＞

The Seowon Hills Course at Seowon Valley CC, where the tournament will be held, underwent extensive renovations ahead of this event. Renowned golf course designer David Dale worked on reshaping the fairways and greens. To increase course difficulty, 86 bunkers were newly created or refurbished. After the tournament, visitors to the course will be able to experience these changes. It is expected to leave a strong impression not only on the participating players but also on the gallery.

As the tournament is sponsored by the German automaker BMW, luxury vehicles will also be showcased during the event. Since 2019, BMW Korea has displayed models being introduced for the first time in Korea at the tournament venue every year. This has earned the event the nickname "Golf Course Motor Show" among car enthusiasts. Opportunities have also been provided to promising domestic golf talents.

During the 18th hole at the BMW Ladies Championship 2022 last year, the new electric vehicle i7 was exhibited.

This year's tournament will feature a total prize money of $2.2 million and will be played over four days in a 72-hole stroke play format. It will include 68 top-tier LPGA Tour players, 8 special invitees, and 2 amateur players recommended by the Korea Golf Association (KGA). The recently introduced nonprofit junior golf development program, LPGA USGA Girls Golf, will also be operated during the tournament.

Additionally, catering services and shuttle vehicles will be provided for spectators. At the Oktoberfest Zone, accessible to all galleries, beer and sausages will be available. The tournament is also characterized by community-based communication activities, including social contribution programs linked with the local community where the event is held. Previously, the tournament was held in Busan in 2019 and 2021, which was praised for expanding the cultural and sports base in the provinces.

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