Seed Battle... The Gates of Hell Open

This is the final showdown. If you falter here, your survival is not guaranteed. This is the story of the seed battle on the Korean Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Tour. Players must finish within the top 60 in the prize money rankings-no exceptions. Failure to do so means falling into the qualifying rounds, and there is no guarantee of passing them. Losing your tour card means continuing your career on the KLPGA Dream Tour (the second division). Of course, the Dream Tour also holds its own qualifying rounds. In the worst-case scenario, some may face the misfortune of saying goodbye to the field earlier than expected.

All eyes are on Jeju Island. This is because the S-OIL Championship, the final tournament before the last event for players to secure their tour cards for next season, is currently underway. The tournament, with a total prize fund of 1 billion won, teed off on October 30 at Elysian Jeju (par 72, 6,816 yards) in Aewol-eup, Jeju City. The final results will be determined on November 2. Based on the conclusion of the S-OIL Championship, those ranked up to 60th in the prize money standings will secure their tour cards for next year and qualify for the final event, the Daebo HausD Championship.

This year, the competition is extremely tight. The difference in prize money between Minjung Hwang, ranked 60th (160,867,960 won), and Han Bitna, ranked 61st (160,495,000 won), is only 372,960 won. The gap between Han Bitna and Jo Ayeon, ranked 57th (170,437,380 won), is also not significant-less than 10 million won, specifically 9,942,380 won.

Jo Ayeon debuted on the KLPGA Tour in 2019, winning Rookie of the Year and collecting four career victories so far. Her most recent win was at the Hoban Seoul Shinmun Women's Classic in July 2022. This year, she has competed in 29 tournaments but has not finished in the top 10. Her best result was a tie for 15th at last month's KB Financial Star Championship. Now is the time for her to maintain her focus until the very end.

Even well-known players are at risk of having to go through the qualifying rounds. So Young Lee, known for her consistency, is also in danger. Since joining the regular tour in 2016, she has achieved six career victories, but for the first time, she is facing the possibility of losing her tour card. She has not won a tournament for over three years since August 2022. This season, she has played in 27 tournaments without a single top-10 finish. Her prize money ranking has dropped to 68th (145,950,640 won). Jang Suyeon, a four-time champion, is ranked 83rd (98,220,000 won). To remain on the first division tour, a win at the S-OIL Championship is necessary.

If you do not finish within the top 60 in the prize money rankings, you must survive the "hellish qualifying rounds" to compete on the regular tour next season. If you fail, you will have to take the thorny path of the Dream Tour. While the Dream Tour and the Jump Tour (third division) have grown in size, they are still not on the same level as the first division. This year’s Dream Tour prize money leader is Hwang Yuna, who played in 21 tournaments and won three times. However, her total prize money was only 58,294,042 won.

It takes a tremendous amount of money to make a living on tour. There were 31 KLPGA Tour events this year. Expenses include accommodation, meals, caddie fees, and entry fees for each tournament. Additionally, players must pay for off-season training, swing coach lessons, and practice rounds. Annual expenditures can easily reach hundreds of millions of won. Even if you dominate the Dream Tour, your annual income is still in the red.

This year’s KLPGA qualifying round preliminaries will begin at Muan Country Club in Jeollanam-do from November 4 to 7. Players are divided into three groups-A, B, and C-and will play 18 holes a day for two days, totaling 36 holes of stroke play.

The KLPGA qualifying round finals will be held at the same location from November 11 to 14. Based on the prize money rankings as of the Gwangnam Ilbo Happiness Open (total prize fund: 1 billion won) that concluded on October 26, those ranked 61st to 80th are exempt from the preliminaries and go directly to the finals. Over four days, 72 holes of stroke play will determine the final rankings. Only those who finish in the top 25 in the finals can secure a stable spot in next year's KLPGA Tour events.

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