It was half a success. The Asian Tour International Series Korea ($1.5 million in prize money, about 2 billion won), which ended on the 21st at Lotte Jeju Skyhill CC (par 71) in Seogwipo, Jeju. Backed by the enormous financial power of Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, which made LIV Golf, the tournament started with the expectation that it would “turn the attention of Korean golf fans from the women’s tournament to the men’s tournament.” However, when I opened the lid, there was not a single ‘global star player’ who could warm up the game. “It seems that only the name of the Korea Professional Golf Association (KPGA), which is held every week, has been changed to the ‘Asian Tour’,” critics even said.
However, considering the will of the organizers, the fact that a tournament like Danbi was newly established in the drought-stricken Korean men’s golf and “I will raise the Asian Tour into an attractive stage” (Cho Min Thant Asian Tour Commissioner, photo) There is also the objection that ‘a competition that will raise the level to a higher level’.
Asian Tour with Korean Players Feast
In the final round of the tournament, Tae-Hoon Ok (24) took the championship with a final total of 15 under par by reducing three strokes. He played a close match with Kim Bio (32), a leading Korean men’s golf player, until the end, and he caught a birdie on the 18th hole (par 5) and lifted the trophy by one stroke. With this win, Tae-Hoon Ok won $270,000 (about 358.42 million won), twice the prize money of the KPGA Korean Tour.
Korean players made the most of ‘the advantage of home’. About 50 Korean Tour players, including Seo Yo-seop, Ham Ham-woo, and Kim Han-byul, took part, and 7 made it into the top 10.
The International Series is a new tournament established by Asian Tour by attracting $300 million in investment from LIV Golf. It plans to hold 10 competitions every year for 10 years in Thailand, Singapore, the UK, and Korea. Each tournament offered a prize pool of between $1.5 million and $2 million. Commissioner Thant said that the reason for choosing Korea as the venue for the tournament was “because the Korean golf market is growing and growing rapidly.”
LIV Golf is in serious conflict with these groups in the process of scouting top rankers on the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour (formerly European Tour). Existing tours are responding in a way that does not grant world ranking points to LIV golf. LIV Golf’s solution was to join hands with the Asian Tour, a third tour that grants world ranking points. Dustin Johnson (38, USA), Bryson Disembo (29, USA), Brooks Kepka (32, USA), etc. need to reach a certain rank in the world rankings to participate in the major tournament, and they will use the Asian Tour as a window. .
This is the reason why there was an expectation to see the top LIV golfers in person at the news of this tournament. However, the only LIV golfer that stood out was Brooks Koepka’s younger brother Chase Koepka (28, USA). Patrick Reed (32, USA), who was initially expected to participate, participated in the Singapore competition, but did not come to Jeju.
New opportunities for players
The players are applauding for the new stage. The amount of prize money is large, and the players who have risen one step further through the Asian Tour are coming out one after another. Kim Joo-hyung, who jumped into the PGA Tour by accumulating world ranking points on the Asian Tour, and Kim Bio, who was active on the Asian Tour last winter and improving his game sense, are having the best season this year. The organizers said that many Korean players who participated in this tournament showed interest in the Asian Tour Qualifying Test (QT).
The advanced management method also won points from the players. On one side of the clubhouse, a game space with PlayStation and darts was decorated so that players could relax while waiting. Free massage services for athletes were also very popular. An official from the Korean golf industry who participated in this tournament as a caddy said, “I was impressed that this tournament is being held centered on players and caddies, while existing golf tournaments are run by sponsors. He seems to have a crush on him,” he said.
The International Series plans to hold a competition in Korea next year. “We are considering not only Jeju, but also Incheon and Busan as venues for the tournament,” said Thant Commissioner.
Jeju = Correspondent Jo Su-young delinews@hankyung.com