KLPGA golfers head to Icheon for seasons' penultimate major

The KB Financial Group Star Championship — the fourth KLPGA major of the 2023 season — tees off Thursday at Black Stone Golf Club in Icheon, Gyeonggi with defending champion Park Min-ji joining the 108-strong field.

Park Min-ji hits a shot during the KB Financial Group Star Championship at Black Stone Golf Club in Icheon, Gyeonggi on Sept. 18, 2022. [KLPGA]

The KB Financial Group Star Championship — the fourth KLPGA major of the 2023 season — tees off Thursday at Black Stone Golf Club in Icheon, Gyeonggi with defending champion Park Min-ji joining the 108-strong field.

A major since its foundation in 2006, the KB Financial Group Star Championship has seen a number of former winners go on to become bigger figures in the sport, including two-time champion Kim Hyo-joo, who now competes on the LPGA and is ranked at No. 7 on the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings.

Park, the winningest golfer on the KLPGA Tour with 18 wins, won the KB Championship last season, before going on to win two more titles later that year.

The 24-year-old has claimed two trophies this season so far, but has yet to win a major. She has won three majors since her KLPGA debut in 2016, winning the DB Group Korea Women’s Open in 2021, KB Championship in September last year and Hite Jinro Championship the following month.

Since her last victory at the BC Card Hankyung Ladies Cup in June, Park has maintained solid form, managing three top-10 finishes.

She will be competing alongside two-time KB Championship winners Jang Ha-na and Kim Hae-rym, who are both looking to become the first-ever golfers to win the event three times.

Jang won the title twice in 2012 and 2021, while Kim claimed a victory in 2016 and 2017 and remains the only golfer to have defended the title.

Kim also holds the record of the fewest strokes as a winner with a 19-under-par, 269, in 2016 — tying with 2010 champion Lee Bo-mee.

Lee is not taking part this year, as she now competes on the JLPGA.

The former champions’ road to victory this year will be tough, however, with LPGA golfer Chun In-gee joining the field, as KB is her main sponsor.

Chun is the 2015 winner of the KB Championship and has shown a good performance at LPGA majors, securing three of her four LPGA wins from majors.

Her last KLPGA victory was the KEB Hana Bank Championship in October 2018 and a win at the Star Championship would be Chun’s 10th KLPGA title.

This season’s KLPGA winners, including Lee Ye-won and Im Jin-hee, will all be competing for a total purse of 1.2 billion won ($909,400) with the winner taking 216 million won.

Park, Lee and Im have all secured two titles apiece this season. No golfer is yet to win a third title this year.

To make the tournament more competitive, this season’s three major champions — CreaS F&C Championship winner Le Da-yeon, DB Women’s Open winner Hong Ji-won and Hanwha Classic winner Kim Su-ji — will be in the field too.

Another notable name is Seo Yeun-jung, who won her first-ever title at the KG Edaily Ladies Open last week. That victory came at her 260th KLPGA event — the longer any golfer has gone before her first win.

The KB Championship will be broadcast on SBS Golf.

The Hite Championship in October will be the last major of the year, with the seven-month long KLPGA season set to end in November.

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