Gangwon golfer to compete in major tournament, ‘KB Financial Star Championship’

Golfers from Gangwon Province are in the hunt for major titles.

The KB Financial Star Championship (total prize fund of 1.2 billion won, winner’s purse of 216 million won), the fourth major event on the Korean Ladies Professional Golf (KLPGA) Tour for the 2023 season, will be held at Blackstone Icheon Golf Club (Par 72 – 6,689 yards for qualifying, 6,668 yards for the final round) for four days starting on April 7.스포츠토토

The Gangwon golfers will be looking to bounce back from a disappointing finish at the Hanwha Classic 2023, a major event held in Chuncheon. Leading the way will be Wonju native Park Ji-young (27-Korea Land Trust), who is the season’s leading scorer. She is second on the money list and fourth on the Order of Merit this season. However, she has struggled in her last four events with just one top-10 finish. Park Ji-young, who has two wins on the season, will be looking to secure her third victory at a major tournament.

Taebaek’s Lim Hee-jeong (23-Dusan E&C) and Chuncheon’s Jang Ha-na (31), who have been in a slump this season, will be looking to reclaim the trophy. They previously lifted the trophy in 2019 and 2021, respectively. Lim has struggled this season with no wins and three top-10 finishes in 16 events, while Jang has made just one cut in 18 tournaments. It will be interesting to see if they can break out of their slump with this tournament.

Chuncheon native Kim Min-byul (19-Height Jinro) will be looking for her first career victory. After finishing tied for 38th and tied for 25th in her last two events, she is second on the Rookie of the Year points standings. She hopes to catch up to leader Hwang Yoo-min by winning this tournament. After winning back-to-back Haiwon Resort Women’s Open titles, Sokcho native Han Jin-sun (26-Kakao VX) will be looking for her second major title of the season. She is expected to perform well after taking a break from the KG Ladies Open last week.

Wonju native Lee Da-yeon (26, Mediheal), the only Kangwon golfer to win a major this season, will also be in contention. After winning the KLPGA Championship in April, Lee has just one top-10 finish in nine tournaments, but she has had a strong showing in majors, finishing seventh at the Hanwha Classic. She will be looking to continue her reign as a major queen.