KLPGA season tees off Thursday at Hana Financial Group Singapore Women’s Open

The 2024 KLPGA season starts Thursday with the Hana Financial Group Singapore Women’s Open teeing off at the Tanah Merah Country Club in Singapore.

Park Ji-young swings during the Dongbu Construction-Koreit Championship at Sangte Hill Iksan Country Club in Iksan, North Jeolla on Oct. 12, 2023. [YONHAP]

The 2024 KLPGA season starts Thursday with the Hana Financial Group Singapore Women’s Open teeing off at the Tanah Merah Country Club in Singapore.

Co-sanctioned by the KLPGA and the Singapore Golf Association (SGA), the tournament will return after a one-year hiatus.

Park Ji-young remains the defending champion, as the tournament did not take place last year after she won it in 2022.

A total of 108 golfers — consisting of 79 KLPGA golfers and 29 SGA golfers — will be in action for a total prize of $1.1 million and prize money of $198,000 for the winner on the line.

“Hana Financial Group Singapore Women’s Open will extensively promote the world’s best Korean women’s golf and play a part in further developing women’s golf in the Asia Pacific Region,” Hana Financial Group CEO Ham Young-joo said in a press release Tuesday.

Defending champion Park Ji-young will be joining alongside multiple winners from last season, including Park Min-ji and Lee Ye-won.

Park Ji-young will return to the field in good form from last season during which she won two titles on the Tour at the Ever Collagen-The Sienna Queens Crown and KB Financial Star Championship.

“Since the first tournament of 2024 will be my title defense, I am nervous but more excited,” Park Ji-young said in a press release Tuesday. “As I worked hard for the 2024 season, I want to show a good performance a lot.”

Park Min-ji also joins the field with two titles from last season, while Lee will be back in action after claiming three titles last year.

Park Min-ji hits a shot during the Dongbu Construction-Koreit Championship at Sangte Hill Iksan Country Club in Iksan, North Jeolla on Oct. 13, 2023. [YONHAP]

Last season’s KLPGA winners will compete alongside Thai golfer Patty Tavatanakit, who is joining the tournament organized by her main sponsor.

She could be a strong competitor at the tournament, considering her form in recent events where she claimed two wins at the Aramco Saudi Ladies International on the Ladies European Tour on Feb. 18 and the Honda LPGA Thailand a week later.

Patty Tavatanakit tees off on the third hole during the final round of the LPGA Honda Thailand in Pattaya, Thailand on Feb. 25. [AP/YONHAP]

The first two tournaments of the 2024 KLPGA season are taking place in Southeast Asia, before the Tour heads to Korea in April.

This season also sees a change in the Wemix point system, introduced by Wemade and SBS Golf last year, through which KLPGA golfers earn Wemix point on the Tour.

Last year, the KLPGA granted golfers Wemix points by combining three different categories of points: For managing a top-10 finish at a tournament, for recording a certain number of strokes in the final round and for managing multiple top-10 finishes in a row.

Starting this year, all golfers will earn Wemix points in accordance with their standings at a tournament, with the higher a finish, the more points earned. Those who finish in the top-10 will earn additional points.

Last year, the top 20 golfers on the season-long Wemix points ranking and four invitees competed at the Wemix Championship, where cryptocurrency Wemix was given in lieu of prize money, after the regular season.

The Race to Wemix Championship will also take place this year after the regular season.

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