KLPGA Doosan Match Play... Why It Lasts for Five Days

16th Edition of the Traditional Tournament Since Its Inception in 2008
Group Stage Introduced in 2017 to Prevent Top Ranker Elimination
16 Groups Formed, Only 1st Place Advances to Round of 16 Tournament

There is a tournament in the domestic golf tour that uniquely requires five days to complete.

Sung Yujin is cheering while holding the trophy after winning the Doosan Match Play last year.

It is the Doosan Match Play (total prize money of 900 million KRW) on the Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Tour. This year, it will be held from the 15th to the 19th at the Radena Golf Club Nature and Garden Courses (par 72, 6,384 yards) in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province. Starting in 2008, this is the 16th edition. In 2009, Yoo So-yeon made a strong impression by winning after a 9-hole playoff against Choi Hye-yong, and in 2018, the tournament became famous as the first domestic victory of the ‘Golf Empress’ Park In-bi.

The reason the Doosan Match Play takes place over five days is due to a changed format. Until 2016, it was a four-day event. Sixty-four players competed directly in a knockout tournament to determine the winner. However, early in the tournament, top-ranked players were often upset by lower-ranked players, which dampened the excitement. From 2017, a group stage was introduced to minimize upsets. This was a strategic measure to increase the tournament’s competitiveness and protect star players.

The group stage divides the 64 players into 16 groups. In each group, four players compete in three match plays, and the first-place player advances to the round of 16. Wins earn 1 point, draws 0.5 points, and losses 0 points. The player with the highest points advances to the round of 16. After that, the tournament proceeds as before with the round of 16, quarterfinals, semifinals, finals, and a third-place playoff. With the introduction of the group stage, the number of rounds increased from six to seven. The first winner under the group stage format was Kim Ja-young 2.

The method of selecting the group stage is also interesting. It takes place the day before the tournament. Among the 64 players, 16 players assigned as A seeds (top seeds) directly draw lots to select players from the B, C, and D groups who will compete against them. Depending on the group draw results, a ‘group of death’ or a ‘lucky group’ may emerge. This year, past champions including Lee Jung-min and season multiple winners like Lee Ye-won will participate. Especially, players ranked within the top 60 in last year’s prize money rankings and top-ranked players of this season will compete to determine the ‘Match Queen.’