Korean LPGA golfers win over KLPGA players at Park In-bee Invitational

Korean golfers who are active in the LPGA Tour have garnered thrilling upset win over their counterparts who are playing in the Korean LPGA (KLPGA) to win the champion’s trophy in two consecutive years.

On the final day of the Champion’s Trophy Park In-bee Invitational, which took place at Dongnae Benest Country Club in Busan on Sunday, the LPGA team had eight wins and four losses in the 12 one-on-one match play competitions to post 13-11 in overall score. The LPGA team was lagging behind the rival team with five wins and seven losses in Four-ball (method in which a group of two players hit shots of their own and select their respective higher score as the team’s score), and Foursome (method in which a group of two players play a ball alternatively) until Saturday, but Yang Hee-young, Lee Mi-rim, Heo Mi-jeong, Lee Mi-hyang, Ji Eun-hee, Choi Un-jeong, Kim Hyo-joo and Kim Se-young added one point each, and overwhelmed the KLPGA team, whose members of Kim Ji-hyun, Kim Ji-hyun 2, Kim Hae-rim and Goh Ji-young added wins.

Notably, in a showdown with Lee Seung-hyun, Kim Hyo-joo played par save consecutively at Hole 16 and Hole 17 to confirm‎ the LPGA team’s win, and birdied at Hole 18 to receive a flurry of compliments from her teammates. “Players who worked hard and overcame hardships in this past season gathered together and shared friendship. It was a great game, irrespective of who has won,” Park In-bee of the LPGA team, who did not play in the event due to injury, said in expressing satisfaction.

“We narrowed our score gap from last year. Since our skills and performance have improved, we will win in next year’s event,” said Kim Hae-rim, captain of the KLPGA team, which had a crushing defeat with 10-14 last year.

The LPGA team received 650 million won (550,000 U.S. dollars) in winners’ prize, while the KLPGA earned 350 million won (297,000 dollars). Choi Un-jeong and Goh Ji-young, who had three wins each, were named the MVP of their respective teams and received watch worth 10 million won (8,500 dollars).

Jong-Seok Kim kjs0123@donga.com