Korean Tour

History

Professional golf in Korea dates back to the mid 20th century. The Korean Professional Golf Championship and the Korean Open were launched in 1958 and the KPGA was founded in 1963. Various other tournaments were created over the following decades.

The KPGA's tours serve as feeders for richer tours around the world. Substantial numbers of Korean golfers have played on the Asian Tour and the Japan Golf Tour, and a few have made it onto the PGA Tour or the European Tour. Notable examples include Yang Yong-eun, who was the first Korean to win a men's major golf championship, and K. J. Choi, the first Korean-born PGA Tour winner whose most notable win was the 2011 Players Championship.

In June 2004, the tour signed a title sponsorship agreement with Seoul Broadcasting System, being renamed as the SBS Korean Tour. The agreement was reported to be worth over five years.

In December 2022, it was announced by the European Tour that the KPGA had extended their partnership with them and the PGA Tour. As part of the expansion, the leading player on the Korean Tour Order of Merit was given status onto the European Tour for the following season. In 2023, the number of players earning European Tour cards was increased to three.

Main tour

In 2011, there were 17 events on the main tour. All these tournament have prize funds of at least 300 million won (approximately US$300,000). Four have prize funds of 1 billion won (US$1 million) while the Ballantine's Championship has a prize fund of 2.2 million euros (approximately US$3.1 million). Total prize money for the tour is approximately 12 billion won (US$12 million).

Until 2011, regular Korean Tour events did not carry Official World Golf Ranking points. The first regular tournament to carry World Rankings Points was the 2011 Twayair Open. Korean Tour events carry a minimum of nine OWGR points for the winner, increased from six in 2016.

Other KPGA tours

The KPGA launched a developmental tour in 1999. In 2007 there are two developmental tours. Both of them consist of two-day, 36-hole tournaments, and the dates of the tours do not clash. The Bear River Tour consists of ten tournaments with prize funds of 60 million won (US$60,000) each, and the SBS Golf Calloway Tour has eight tournaments with prize funds of 40 million won (US$40,000) each.

The KPGA also runs a senior tour and a series of events for teaching pros. The Korean Senior Open Golf Championship was launched in 1996.

Women's professional golf has a high profile in South Korea, due to the immense international success of Korean women golfers such as Pak Se-ri since the mid-1990s. There is a separate LPGA of Korea Tour for women.

Order of Merit winners

Multiple winners

Source:

Awards

Notes

References

References

1. (24 June 2004). "국내골프도 내년부터 '투어시대'". The Dong-a Ilbo.
2. (14 December 2022). "DP World Tour, PGA Tour announce expansion of relationship with Korea Professional Golfers' Association". European Tour.
3. (2 May 2023). "DP World Tour and KPGA formalise relationship with new Strategic Alliance". European Tour.
4. (3 April 2011). "Official World Golf Ranking 2011 Week 14".
5. "KPGA Prize Awards history". KPGA.