"Unique Prizes at Doosan Match Play... Who Will Win This Year?"

Ye-won Lee Aims for First Back-to-Back Championship

Dominating the Tournament with a 20-4 Match Play Record

Top Contenders Include Yoo Hyeonjo, Park Hyunkyung, Bang Shinsil, and Kim Minsol

The Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Tour's Doosan Match Play, with a total prize fund of 1 billion won, has become well-known for its unique prizes. In 2018, champion Park Inbee received an excavator as her prize and gifted it to her grandfather, who runs a farm.

In 2022, champion Hong Jungmin was awarded the barista robot "Dr. Presso." Instead of installing the robot, she chose to receive a cash prize of 30 million won. In 2023, three products from the Swiss premium air purifier brand IQAir were given as prizes, with Sung Yujin taking the championship that year.

Defending champion Lee Yewon is selecting her opponent at the draw ceremony for Group C of the 18th Doosan Matchplay. Photo by KLPGA

This year, the biggest question is whether Ye-won Lee can achieve her first consecutive win at this tournament. The event will be held over five days starting on May 13 at the Nature·Garden Course (par 72) of Ladena Golf Club in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province. Unlike stroke play, where a poor round can be redeemed the next day, match play means one mistake from the round of 16 onward leads to immediate elimination. The winner will receive 250 million won, and the runner-up will take home 135 million won.

Ye-won Lee, not only last year’s champion, currently holds the top win rate among the 64 players competing this year, with a record of 20 wins and 4 losses (83%). At the group draw ceremony held at the venue on May 12, Ye-won Lee was placed in Group 5 alongside Lee Chae-eun, Kim Woo-jung, and Lee Se-hee. Having won the Deokshin EPC Championship earlier this year, Ye-won Lee said, "My putting feels great. If I can stay focused, I believe I can perform well again this year."

Ye-won Lee’s main competitor is Yoo Hyeonjo, last year’s KLPGA Player of the Year, who has the second-highest win rate (80%, 4 wins and 1 loss). Yoo Hyeonjo, who won the DB Women’s Championship this season, was placed in Group 3 with Li Xuying (China), Park Gyeol, and Cho Hyerim. Other contenders for the match queen title include 2024 champion Park Hyunkyung, long hitter Bang Shinsil, and super rookie Kim Minsol.

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