Rookie Bang Shin-sil, 19, was paired with Im Jin-hee and Yang Hyo-ri on the first day of the Chris F&C 45th KLPGA Championship, her first event of the year on the Korean Ladies Professional Golf (KLPGA) Tour. It was a rather ordinary grouping.
However, after a strong tie for fourth place in her first start, her opinion of the group began to change. At the Gyochon 1991 Ladies Open and the NH Investment & Securities Ladies Championship, she was paired with Kim Min-byul and Hwang Yoo-min, who were both in the “super rookie” race. The Rookie of the Year competition became one of the biggest box office draws on the KLPGA Tour this year, and Bang Shin-sil was a part of it.
After a tie for third place at the NH Investment & Securities Ladies Championship and a strong start to the Doosan Match Play Championship group stage with two straight wins, the treatment of Bang changed dramatically. In just four tournaments, she became the KLPGA’s biggest draw.
On the first day of the E1 Charity Open, which begins on Sept. 26 at Seongmunan Golf Course in Wonju, Gangwon Province, Bang was drawn into one of the most intriguing groups. She is paired with Choi Hye-jin, who plays on the U.S. Women’s Professional Golf (LPGA) Tour, and Lee Ye-won, who won her first event of the year, the Lotte Rent-a-Car Women’s Open.
The three players will tee off on the first hole at 12:30 p.m. on Sept. 26 for a shot at the title.
Kim Min-byul and Hwang Yoo-min are also in the same group, but will be joined by veteran Ahn Sun-joo in Bang’s place.
Last year’s grand prize winner, Kim Soo-ji, and last year’s money winner, Park Min-ji, have also been paired together. Kim and Park will tee off on the 10th hole at 8:35 a.m. alongside LPGA Tour veteran Yoo So-yeon, while defending champion Jung Yoon-ji is in the same group as money leader Park Ji-young and money leader Park Hyun-kyung.
There is also growing interest in premium golf course Seongmunan CC, which is hosting its first KLPGA Tour event.
Seongmunan is the premium golf course of HDC Resort (CEO Cho Young-hwan), which has completed the largest 90-hole golf course in Korea. HDC Resort has already successfully hosted the LPGA Tour BMW Ladies Championship in October last year. By hosting the tournament, the company plans to establish its status as a luxury golf resort by delivering the value of Korea’s largest 90-hole golf course and tournament course.
Seongmunan CC, which opened in September 2022, is a premium golf course with a Korean name that utilizes the old place name of ‘Seongmun’, which is said to be like a gate guarding a village with two huge rock walls. With fairways made up of the finest bentgrass, Seongmun offers golfers the pleasure of 18 different themed golf journeys, and has been recognized as one of the best courses in Korea since its opening less than a year ago.먹튀검증
“Watching how the world-class KLPGA players strategize and play the course for the first time will give you a true sense of the course’s charm,” said So-yeon Lee, Head of Golf at HDC Resorts. “In particular, the ninth hole (par-5), with its vast lake and rocky cliffs, is a turning point in a thrilling match, and we are confident that it will be a visual treat for golf fans.”