Long hit vs. Long distance course precision…KLPGA Nexen’s Saint-Nine opens on the 19th
The fifth tournament of the 2024 season of the Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Tour will visit Gimhae, South Gyeongsang Province, this week.
The KLPGA Tour Nexen-St. Nine Masters will be held at Gaya Country Club in Gimhae-si, Gyeongsangnam-do for three days from the 19th.
Gaya CC boasts the longest course in the KLPGA Tour with a total length of 6,818 yards.
This year’s total prize money was 900 million won, 100 million won more than last year, and the winner’s prize money was 162 million won.
It may be a bit disappointing for fans who expected an exciting long-distance match on the longest course, but Hwang Yoo-min and B.C., who are ranked first and second in the long-distance category this season, will not participate.
Hwang Yoo-min, who ranks first in the prize money rankings thanks to the victory of the Doosan E&C Weave Championship in the domestic opening match of the Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA), hit the longest shot with a driving distance of 262.5 yards.
Bang Shin-sil, who had a flying distance of 256.6 yards, is also not playing, so attention is naturally focused on Yoon Na-na.
Yoon In-na, who is as strong as Hwang Yoo-min and B.C., is aiming for her first win of this season. After failing to participate in the competition for a while due to disciplinary action last year, she tied for 11th at the Mediheal and Hankook Ilbo championships last week, looking for her skills.
Since it is held on the longest course, players who hit long balls are advantageous, but not necessarily the case with last year’s winner Choi Eun-woo.
Choi Eun-woo won his first victory since his professional debut with elaborate iron shots and putts at the tournament last year.
Choi Eun-woo played in four tournaments this season and had a flying distance of only 226 yards, but he was lucky enough to make a hole-in-one in the first round of the Doosan E&C Weave Championship, the domestic opener, on the 4th.
Kim Jae-hee, Park Ji-young and Lee Ye-won, who each won one game this year, boasted a high fairway landing rate and green hitting rate, although the flying distance did not exceed 250 yards.
