Tournament Overview and Format
The Doosan Match Play championship brings together 64 competitors at Radena Golf Club in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province. The competition runs for five days and features a unique structure where participants are divided into 16 groups with four players each. Top finishers from each group advance to the knockout rounds, with the ultimate victor claiming a substantial prize.
Park Hyun-kyung’s Quest for Victory
After securing runner-up positions in her last two tournaments, the 26-year-old from Mediheal seeks her first seasonal triumph. As the previous year’s champion of this event, she hopes to reclaim the title and add to her career achievements. “My form is improving compared to early season, so I expect positive results,” she commented during the group draw ceremony.
She expressed satisfaction with her group assignment, noting she is the senior member among her opponents, which provides some comfort. Her recent performance included a close finish at the NH Investment & Securities Ladies Championship, where she came up just one stroke short against an LPGA Tour member.
Group Assignments and Key Matchups
The draw ceremony produced several competitive groupings. Park Hyun-kyung will face Shin Da-in, Seo Eo-jin, and Jeong So-i in her group. Her opening match pits her against Jeong So-i.
Several groups stand out as particularly challenging:
- Bang Shin-sil finds herself alongside Kim Min-sol (currently second in prize rankings), Moon Jung-min, and Kim Ji-su
- Jung Yoon-ji, Seo Gyo-rim, Hyun Se-rin, and Kim Jae-hee form another tough bracket
- Lim Hee-jung, Bae So-hyun, Lim Jin-young, and Yang Hyo-jin comprise a formidable group
- Kim Min-ju, Kim Si-hyun, Park Min-ji, and Ahn Sun-ju round out another competitive set
Bang Shin-sil humorously reacted to her draw: “This is tough! These players are all in great form right now. But I’ll give it my best effort.”
Defending Champion’s Perspective
Lee Ye-won, who claimed victory in the previous edition, joins Lee Chae-eun, Kim Woo-jung, and Lee Se-hee in her bracket. Boasting an impressive tournament win rate of over 83 percent (20 wins, 4 losses), she attributes her success to maintaining focus on her own game rather than being distracted by opponents’ performances.
“I always approach this tournament with joy because of my consistent results here. My goal is to reach weekend play again this year,” she stated.
Notable First-Round Matches
The opening day features several intriguing one-on-one battles:
- Park Min-ji versus Kim Si-hyun (teammates from the same sponsorship)
- Lim Hee-jung against Yang Hyo-jin
- Bae So-hyun facing Lim Jin-young
- Sung Yu-jin taking on Jo A-yeon
- Bang Shin-sil competing with Kim Ji-su
The winner of the tournament will receive prize money totaling 250 million won, making this one of the season’s most lucrative events.