'Global Tour's dream come true...KLPGA Dream Tour Holds Asia-Pacific Circuit Series Tour With AGLF
Nov 05, 2024
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AGLF and KLPGT have decided to host two competitions of the Asia-Pacific Circuit (APAC Circuit) series tour. The two organizations concluded the agreement, and as a result, KLPGA Dream Tour players will also participate in the APAC circuit competition to compete with foreign players. The next generation of players who will be responsible for the future of the KLPGA and promising golf players in the Asia-Pacific region who dream of 'Korea Dream' have a showdown.
The draft at the time of AGLF's establishment in 2020, which is said to lead the development of Asia-Pacific women's golf centered on Korea, is said to have materialized.
Former Korea Golf Association President Huh Kwang-soo (Samyang International Chairman), former KLPGA Chairman Kim Sang-yeol, KLPGA Chairman Kim Jung-tae (former Hana Financial Group Chairman), and Simone Group Chairman Park Eun-kwan participated as founding promoters.
Two competitions of the APAC circuit, which have gained more interest due to the participation of KLPGT, will be held in Indonesia in January 2025 and the Philippines in February 2025. In Korea, the tournament is called the KLPGA 2025 Dream Tour Indonesia Women's Open and the KLPGA 2025 Dream Tour Philippine Ladies Masters.
The Indonesian Women's Open (Chairman Song Chang-geun) will be co-hosted by the Indonesian Golf Association (IGA) and KLPGT and will be held in a third round stroke play with the best female golfers in the region at Damai Inda Golf Club and BSD Course in Jakarta, Indonesia, from January 24th (Friday) to 26th (Sunday).
The Philippine Ladies Masters (Chairman Kim Jong-pal) has decided to select a golf course in Manila, Philippines, for three days from February 13 (Thursday) to February 15 (Saturday), co-hosted by the Ladies Philippinas Golf Tour (LPGT) with KLPGT. The title sponsors of the Philippine Ladies Masters are ITCSI (Chairman Enrique Rajon) and World Wide Link Group (Chairman Kim Jong-pal).
The Indonesian Women's Open will feature the top 50 qualifiers for the Dream Tour among 120 players. The Philippine Ladies Masters, which features 132 participants, also includes 50 Dream Tour players. In both competitions, the total prize money was set at $300,000 (about 400 million won).
KLPGT played a role in hosting the two competitions and dispatching the game commissioners. AGLF is the organizer of the APAC circuit and will conduct the overall operation of the two competitions, including recruiting sponsors and communicating between organizations.
In this regard, the Asian Golf Leaders Forum (AGLF) has agreed with the Indonesian Golf Association to hold the Indonesian Women's Open for three years from 2025 to 2027. AGLF, as the host of the competition, was entrusted with the overall hosting authority of the competition and decided to cooperate with the Indonesian Golf Association to host the competition. The competition aims to further enhance the status of women's golf and strengthen Indonesia's influence in global sports. AGLF's hosting of the Simone Asia Pacific Cup in Jakarta over the past two years served as a stepping stone for this tournament.
The Indonesian Women's Open was appointed by Shin Tae-yong, a former head coach of the Indonesian national soccer team, as an official promotional ambassador for the Indonesian Women's Open to revitalize the tournament. Director Shin Tae-yong's joining is expected to not only be of great help to the success of the tournament but also contribute to cultural exchanges between Korea and Indonesia. It is expected that K Golf will boom with the follow-up hit by K Culture, which has hit the world.
Secretary-General Park Paul said, `The Asia Pacific Circuit intends to develop into the character of a promising development tour in the Asia-Pacific region by linking with AGLF member companies and related organizations such as Korea, Japan, Thailand, Taiwan, China, and the Philippines in the future.'
As a result, AGLF's vision for the development of women's golf in Asia-Pacific will be unfolded into two tracks.
AGLF is a Ladies Asian Tour series featuring top-notch players and has provided opportunities to participate in the Hana Financial Group Singapore Women's Open, DB Group Korea Women's Open, and Hana Financial Group Championship. Starting next year, the APAC circuit, which is a player development tour, will be held for the first time in Jakarta and Manila, and the former Asian circuit will be revived together.
AGLF is also pushing to hold APAC circuit competitions in Thailand and Vietnam, using Indonesia and the Philippines as a stepping stone, and aims to hold up to eight competitions by 2028.
hschung@sportschosun.com
