Korea Professional Golf Association (KPGA) is actively helping male players advance overseas. However, the Korean Women’s Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) is showing a hesitant response to the overseas expansion of female players and maintaining a rather passive attitude.
KPGA and PGA European Tour (DP World Tour) signed a strategic business agreement on the 30th of last month at Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea in Songdo, Incheon. Accordingly, the KPGA and DP World Tour will hold a jointly hosted tournament in Korea once a year until 2025. The winner of this tournament can get the right to participate in the DP World Tour.
In addition, from this season, the player who is ranked No. 1 in KPGA Genesis points will be granted the 16th seed (1 year) in the DP World Tour seed category. The 17th seed in the DP World Tour seed category (one year) is provided to the top two genesis points, excluding the first place in Genesis points.
In addition, the players with the highest Genesis points are eligible to go directly to the final round and the second round of the DP World Tour Q School. The number of players who can go directly to the final match and the second round of the DP World Tour Q School will increase from 4 this season (1 final match, 3 second match) to 9 next year (3 final match, 6 second match).
Ja-Cheol Koo, Chairman of KPGA, said, “I am delighted that through this agreement, we can hold jointly hosted tournaments in Korea and expand the path for KPGA Korean Tour players to advance to a bigger stage.” It will be an important step,” he said.
Ben Cowen, Chief Executive Officer in charge of DP World Tour, said, “Currently, only Genesis Grand Prize winners are seeded for DP World Tour, but this agreement will allow more Korean players to participate in DP World Tour from next season.” I have high expectations for co-sponsored tournaments with the KPGA.”
While the men’s golf world is widening its doors to encourage players to advance overseas, the Korean women’s golf world is generally negative about players’ overseas advancement.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism is even involved. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism recommended the KLPGA in March to ease restrictions on overseas tours in order to protect the rights and interests of players. It was pointed out that the KLPGA allowed its players to participate in overseas tours only three times a year, but there was a problem with this part.
In response, the KLPGA removed the limit on the number of appearances on overseas tours, but added a clue. The KLPGA has put forward a condition that Korean players must take priority in participating in KLPGA major tournaments, and that if an overseas tour is held in Korea, a separate official regulation must be followed.
As the KLPGA sets tough conditions, there is only one LPGA tour event that can serve as a pathway for Korean players to advance to the LPGA. The only LPGA Tour event held in Korea is the BMW Ladies Championship.
The problem is that KLPGA players cannot play in the BMW Ladies Championship again this year following last year. The KLPGA defines the BMW Ladies Championship as an unofficial tournament and at the same time holds the Sangsangin Korea Economic Daily TV Open, a KLPGA Tour event, during the same period as the BMW Ladies Championship. In effect, it is preventing Korean players from participating in the LPGA Tour.
In the midst of this, female players from China and Thailand are entering the LPGA tour early. While Korean prospects are unable to compete on the American stage, players from other countries are developing their competitiveness on the American stage. On the contrary, the existing Taegeuk nangja, centered on Ko Jin-young, are gradually moving away from the top due to injuries caused by their long career as players 토토사이트.