World No. 24 Choi Hye-jin is back in Korea.
Choi will compete in the Korean Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Tour’s 11th E1 Charity Open ($900 million, winner’s purse of $162 million) at Seongmunan Country Club (par 72-6522) in Wonju, Gangwon Province, on Saturday. Choi, who plays on the U.S. Women’s Professional Golf (LPGA) Tour, will be competing in Korea for the first time in five months after finishing tied for 18th at the Hana Financial Group Singapore Women’s Open last December.
Choi has 10 career wins on the KLPGA Tour, including two as an amateur. She won three consecutive tournaments in 2018 and 2019, including five victories. She moved to the United States the following year after the LPGA Tour’s Qualifying (Q) Series in December 2021. Last year, she finished second in rookie points with 10 top-10 finishes, including a tie for second at the CP Women’s Open.
Choi has made eight starts this year, but has yet to record a top-10 finish. Her best finishes were a tie for 13th at the Lotte Championship in April and the Cognizant Founders Cup in May. Choi will be looking to win her first domestic title in two and a half years at this event, after winning the season-ending SK Telecom-ADT Caps Championship in November 2020.
Defending champion Jung Yoon-ji is looking for a second straight title. “A lot of people have recognized and supported me since I won the title last year in five tiebreaks, so it’s been a big boost for me,” said Choi, who is determined to play a good match at the E1 Charity Open to remind people of Jung Yoon-ji. Last week’s Doosan Matchplay runner-up Park Hyun-kyung is also looking for her first win of the season. “I was worried that it would be physically difficult, but it’s better than I thought,” Park said, adding, “I will play with a fun mindset and not have any pressure to win 메이저사이트.”
‘Super Rookie’ Bang Shin-sil is hoping for an upset. She has played in four tournaments this year and has twice played in the championship group. She finished fourth at the KLPGA Championship and third at the NH Investment & Securities Ladies Championship. This year’s Champion Corps, which includes Park Ji-young, Lee Jung-min, Lee Ye-won, Lee Ju-mi, Choi Eun-woo, and Park Bo-gyeom, will be looking to make it two wins in a row. ‘LPGA members’ Yoo So-yeon, Background Eun, and Sung Eun-jung are among the recommended players. Doosan Match Play winner Sung Yoo-jin is out with a sore thumb.