Match play returns to KLPGA at Doosan Championship

The Doosan Match Play Championship — the only match-play event on the KLPGA Tour — tees off Wednesday with Hong Jung-min looking to become the first ever title defender among 64 golfers joining the field.

Hong Jung-min poses for a photo with the Doosan Match Play Championship trophy after winning the event at Ladena Golf Club in Chuncheon, Gangwon on May 22, 2022. [KLPGA]

The Doosan Match Play Championship — the only match-play event on the KLPGA Tour — tees off Wednesday with Hong Jung-min looking to become the first ever title defender among 64 golfers joining the field.

The Doosan Match Play Championship has a unique format. Unlike the more common stroke play, where all golfers compete against each other in an attempt to achieve the fewest strokes at the end of all four rounds, in match play, golfers compete to win each hole.

Regardless of the difference in number of strokes, a player earns one point for a win. If the score is five holes to four, the winning golfer is up by one.

On Wednesday, a total of 64 golfers tee off in the first round of the Doosan Match Play as 16 groups of four, with the second round following on Thursday and the third on Friday.

On Saturday, the 16 winners of each group advance to the next round, where they play in eight groups of two. Later the same day, the eight winners play as four groups of two. On Sunday, the four winners of each group will play as two groups of two to determine the two golfers advancing to the finals.

Hong was crowned champion last year in style after surpassing strong competitors, including 2021 champion Park Min-ji, the winningest golfer currently active on the KLPGA Tour with 16 titles.

Park has yet to win a title this season despite having competed in five tournaments so far. Her best finish was tied for third at the Mediheal-Hankook Ilbo Championship last month.

Lee Ye-won, who lost to Hong on the final hole last year, is also competing this year to claim her second title — her first ever title came at the Lotte Rent-a-Car Women’s Open on April 9.

The winner of the Doosan Match Play Championship will be the first golfer to win two events this season.

Six winners this season — Lee Ye-won, Lee Joo-mi, Choi Eun-woo, Lee Da-yeon, Park Bo-kyeom and Im Jin-hee — have all managed one victory so far and all of them apart from Lee Da-yeon are Im claimed their first ever title this year.

The six winners will all compete in the Doosan Match Play Championship that is set to start on Wednesday morning at Ladena Golf Club in Chuncheon, Gangwon.

BY PAIK JI-HWAN [paik.jihwan@joongang.co.kr]