KLPGA, Suspected of International Competitiveness, Should Resurge International Competition
KLPGA, Suspected of International Competitiveness, Should Resurge International Competition
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Up until a few years ago, Korean women's golf was considered the strongest in the world. Four to five players each ranked in the top 10 in the world, and after playing in the KLPGA tour, they frequently lifted the trophy in the U.S. or Japan, and this was always up to Korean players to become the top prize winner. However, such mood has weakened recently. There has been little news of foreign players winning the title, and fewer and fewer players are competing for the title including the top prize winner.
Recently, there was something shocking as well. All the powerhouses of the Korean Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) tour that took place in Evian, France in July failed to make the cut. Since they are top-notch players in Korea, they expected to be ranked at the top in foreign countries, but the result was unexpected.
Players who had been active in the KLPGA tour but moved to the LPGA tour this year are also showing poor performance. No player has won a championship, and some of them have shown poor performance to the extent that they are in danger of maintaining the seed. In addition, Korean players failed to win a medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, which is regrettable. This is why we cannot avoid suspicion that Korean women's golf is losing its international competitiveness.
In the past, Korean players and top foreign players competed against each other. The CJ Nine Bridge Classic and Hana Financial Championship served as opportunities to compete with LPGA Tour players, and the Korea-Japan Women's Golf Championship, which started in 1999, attracted attention from fans as a stage where representative players from both countries compete.
The results were significant. Lee Ji-young, Ahn Si-hyun, Hong Jin-ju, Baek Kyu-jung and Ko Jin-young won the championship, making it to the LPGA Tour.
The results at the match between Korea and Japan were even greater. Up until the early 2000s, Japan showed a gap between the two countries due to large scale of tour and thick players. They lost consecutive games in 1999 and 2000. However, they chased after Japan quickly, and from the mid-2000s, Korea showed absolute strength and overwhelmed Japan. In competitions that have been held since 2001, Korea far outpaced Japan by garnering seven wins, two draws and one loss. The results show that Korean players' competitiveness has grown that much through various experiences in international competitions.
Among the recent LPGA tour competitions in Korea, the last competition in which KLPGA tour players participated was the BMW Ladies Championship held in Busan in 2019. Starting from the 2021 event, only LPGA tour players participate. The Korea-Japan match ended after being held until 2014.
Japanese women's golf boomed in the 1990s. The number of tours has grown and the number of competitions has increased. As a result, the number of athletes going overseas has decreased. Since playing in Korea has gained popularity and money, she did not intend to participate in overseas tours. Japanese women's golf, which has turned into a frog in a well, has been overtaken by Korea since the mid-2000s. Their performance at the Korea-Japan match since 2000 has become a disgrace to them.
The KLPGA tour is currently at its peak in popularity. This year alone, four golfers earned the highest amount of money, or more than 1 billion won (approx. However, the KLPGA tour now reminds us of Japanese women's golf 20 years ago.
먹튀검증 The players desperately wanted it. "I think it's a time for a generational change," said the players who attended the press conference ahead of the opening of the KLPGA Tour Dongbu Construction Korea Land Trust Championship in Iksan, North Jeolla Province, on the 10th. "I'm not doing well overseas right now, but I'm sure our players will do well again," he said. "We also want to compete with foreign players through international competitions."
The KLPGA tour is also facing a crisis. It is well understood that Korean players need to prove their performance through international competitions in order to overcome the suspicion that their international competitiveness has declined. Revival of international competitions is the first step toward enhancing international competitiveness of Korean players.