Competitive field gathers for Hanwha Classic 2023

The Hanwha Classic 2023 — the KLPGA season’s third major — tees off Thursday at Jade Palace Golf Club in Chuncheon, Gangwon with defending champion Hong Ji-won joining the strong-120.

Hong Ji-won hits a shot during the High 1 Resort Ladies Open at High 1 Country Club in Jeongseon County, Gangwon on Thursday last week. [YONHAP]

The Hanwha Classic 2023 — the KLPGA season’s third major — tees off Thursday at Jade Palace Golf Club in Chuncheon, Gangwon with defending champion Hong Ji-won joining the strong-120.

First started as the Hanwha Cup Seoul Women’s Cup — the first international competition on the KLPGA Tour — in 1990, the tournament gained major status in 2017.

Former winners have gone on to become bigger figures in the sport, including 2012 champion Ryu So-yeon, who has won six LPGA titles.

Hong, 23, has secured two titles since her KLPGA debut in 2021, both of which come from majors. She won her first-ever title at the Hanwha Classic 2022 and claimed her second trophy at the DB Group Korea Women’s Open in June this year.

“I think I get good results at majors, because the difficult courses match my character of playing safe,” Hong said during a pre-tournament press conference on Monday. “I feel like my shots and putts are similar to how they were around the same time last year. Since I managed my stamina well, I will do my best to defend the title.”

The Hanwha Classic is a chance for Hong to bounce back from previous tournaments. Her best finish since her last victory in June was tied for 17th at the Evercollagen-The Sienna Queens Crown last month.

The other major winner this season Lee Da-yeon will also join the field as she looks to become the first-ever golfer to win four different KLPGA majors.

A total of five majors exist on the KLPGA Tour: The CreaS F&C KLPGA Championship, DB Women’s Open, Hanwha Classic, KB Financial Star Championship and Hite Championship.

Lee has won three — the Korea Women’s Open in 2019, the Hanwha Classic 2021 and the CreaS this year — and will be competing alongside Jang Ha-na and Park Min-ji, both of who have been crowned champions in three different majors.

Jang has won the Star Championship twice, Hite Championship once and the Creas once, while Park has won the DB Women’s Open, Hite Championship and Star Championship.

Jang Ha-na hits a shot during the CreaS F&C KLPGA Championship at Lakewood Country Club in Yangju, Gyeonggi on April 27. [KLPGA]

Jang has not seen any success this season despite having 15 titles to her name, failing to make the cut at 10 events and withdrawing from six tournaments.

Park, the winningest golfer on the KLPGA with 18 titles, has been in good form this season, having won two titles and tied for sixth at the High1 Resort Ladies Open last week.

Park Min-ji hits a shot during the High 1 Resort Ladies Open at High 1 Country Club in Jeongseon County, Gangwon on Sunday. [NEWS1]

Another notable golfer in the field is LPGA golfer Atthaya Thitikul of Thailand, who is competing as an invitee. Thitikul is ranked at No. 12 on the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings and has won two LPGA titles to her name.

“It is an honor to compete alongside top-class Korean golfers as an invitee at the major that represents the KLPGA Tour,” she said.

She will compete alongside fellow LPGA golfers Kim A-lim and Kim In-kyung, as they also jetted in to Korea this week as Hanwha is their main sponsor.

The golfers will compete for an overall purse of 1.7 billion won ($127 million) — a 300 million won increase from last year and the biggest size purse this season.

Ahn Song-yi paired with Hyun Se-lin and Lim Ji-yoo will be the first to tee off on the first hole at 7 a.m., the same time Kim A-Hyeon, Ahn Jee-hyun and Kim Ha-ni start on the 10th hole.

Park will start on the first hole with Kim Min-byeol and Lee Jung-min at 12:15 p.m., followed by Hong Ji-won on the same hole alongside Han Jin-seon and Lee Ye-won at 12:25 p.m.

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