"Hangzhou Asian Games Weather Map"... Clear for Men, Cloudy for Women

Sungjae Im and Siwoo Kim Poised to Sweep Gold Medals
India's Dark Horses Lahiri and Sharma Compete in Men's Division
China's Dominance with Inruining and Lin Xiyu in Women's Division

Korean men are ‘Clear’, Korean women are ‘Cloudy’.

This is the medal weather forecast for the golf event at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games, which will open on the 28th at the West Lake International Country Club in Hangzhou, China. It is the first tournament to allow professional players to participate. There are four gold medals available in both the men’s and women’s individual and team events. The winners will be decided through a 4-round, 72-hole stroke play. The medal colors will be determined on October 1st. Korea is the country with the most medals in Asian Games golf history, with 13 gold, 13 silver, and 9 bronze medals. However, in the previous 2018 Jakarta Games, Korea experienced ‘No Gold’ for the first time in 20 years.

The Korean men’s team is composed of the strongest members. They are showing outstanding skills, raising expectations for a clean sweep of gold medals. Leading the team are Im Sung-jae, ranked 27th in the world, and Kim Si-woo, ranked 40th, both active on the PGA Tour. Im Sung-jae, a two-time PGA Tour winner, has been on an upward trajectory, qualifying for the Tour Championship, the final event of the FedEx Cup Playoffs, for five consecutive years. Kim Si-woo has accumulated four wins, including a victory at the Sony Open in January. Both Im and Kim have experience representing Korea at the Tokyo Olympics. Im Sung-jae expressed confidence, saying, “The four of us will work well together and definitely win the gold medal.”

The amateur players Jo Woo-young and Jang Yoo-bin, selected through qualifiers, are also formidable. They delayed turning professional to participate in the Asian Games. Each has won once on the Korean Professional Golfers’ Association (KPGA) Korean Tour this year. For male players, the military service exemption granted upon winning a gold medal is a significant motivation. Im Sung-jae and Kim Si-woo can focus on the PGA Tour, while Jo Woo-young and Jang Yoo-bin, who postponed turning pro, will have fewer obstacles for future overseas careers.

Anirban Lahiri, who has secured two wins on the European stage, is expected to be a dark horse in the men's division at the Hangzhou Asian Games.

There are no notable competitors in the men’s division. Only India and Thailand pose threats. India fields Anirban Lahiri and Shubhankar Sharma, each with two wins on the DP World Tour (formerly the European Tour). Thailand’s team includes Patcharajutar Kongwatmai and Phum Saksansin. Kongwatmai recently finished runner-up after a playoff at the Shinhan Donghae Open held domestically earlier this month. Notable players from the host country China include Wu Ashun, along with Sidiker Raman from Bangladesh, who has two Asian Tour wins, and Daichi Ko from Hong Kong.

There are no professional players in the women’s division. The team was initially planned to include one professional and two amateurs, but the professionals declined to participate. The team consists of Kim Min-sol (Suseong Bangtong High School, 2nd year), Lim Ji-yoo (Suseong Bangtong High School, 3rd year), and Yoo Hyun-jo (Cheonan Jungang Bangtong High School, 3rd year). Originally, Bang Shin-sil and Kim Min-byeol were to compete but turned professional. A new selection process was held to pick three players. Kim Min-sol, who passed first in the qualifiers, is the ace. She has competed in professional tournaments since her amateur days and achieved good results. Kim Min-sol stated, “I will challenge for the gold medal with the experience I gained in professional tournaments.”

World No. 1 Inruoning is a strong gold medal contender in the women's division at the Hangzhou Asian Games.

However, winning a medal in the women’s division will not be easy. The participating players are impressive. China is a strong favorite to win. The team includes No. 1 In Ruoning, world No. 12 Lin Xiyu, and Ryu Yu-ro, who finished runner-up at the LPGA Tour’s Lotte Championship in April. In Ruoning, who has two wins including the major KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, is formidable. Chinese players, benefiting from home course advantage, are expected to perform well given their world rankings and experience. China has won no gold medals but earned five silver and four bronze medals in the Asian Games.

Players competing on the LPGA Tour include Jen Bai-yun (Taiwan) and Aditi Ashok (India). Thailand, a ‘rising golf power,’ has listed P.K. Kongkraphan, who played on the LPGA Tour until 2019, along with two amateur players. Princess Mary Superal (Philippines), who won the Simone Asia-Pacific Cup held in Jakarta, Indonesia, last August, will also participate. Japan has sent amateur players for both men and women.

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