Korean Tour
Current season, competition or edition:
Current sports event 2023 Korean Tour
FormerlySBS Korean Tour
SportGolf
Founded1978
Inaugural season1978
CountriesBased in South Korea[lower-alpha 1]
Most titlesOrder of Merit titles:
South Korea Choi Sang-ho (9)
Tournament wins:
South Korea Choi Sang-ho (43)
Official websitewww.kpga.co.kr

The Korean Tour is a men's professional golf tour run by the Korea Professional Golfers' Association (KPGA) of South Korea. In 2011, it had total prize money of about US$14 million.

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 15,000,000,000 over five years.[1]

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.[2]

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.[3] 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

SeasonWinnerPoints
2023South Korea Ham Jeong-woo6,062
2022South Korea Kim Yeong-su5,915
2021South Korea Tom Kim5,541
2020South Korea Kim Tae-hoon3,252
2019South Korea Moon Kyong-jun4,126
2018South Korea Lee Hyung-joon4,662
2017South Korea Choi Jin-ho (2)5,246
2016South Korea Choi Jin-ho4,009
2015South Korea Lee Tae-hee2,190
2014South Korea Kim Seung-hyuk3,362
2013South Korea Ryu Hyun-woo3,555
2012South Korea Lee Sang-hee2,995
2011South Korea Hong Soon-sang3,160
2010South Korea Kim Bi-o3,770
2009South Korea Bae Sang-moon4,770
2008South Korea Kim Hyung-sung6,765
2007South Korea Kim Kyung-tae6,320
SeasonWinnerPrize money ()
2006South Korea Kang Kyung-nam302,623,333
2005South Korea Choi Gwang-soo (4)265,434,825
2004South Korea Jang Ik-jae143,080,000
2003South Korea Shin Yong-jin207,783,810
2002South Korea Kang Wook-soon (2)204,166,667
2001South Korea Choi Gwang-soo (3)157,959,842
2000South Korea Choi Gwang-soo (2)270,094,375
1999South Korea Kang Wook-soon79,898,357
1998South Korea Choi Gwang-soo83,234,470
1997South Korea K. J. Choi (2)159,063,640
1996South Korea K. J. Choi147,271,700
1995South Korea Choi Sang-ho (9)
1994South Korea Choi Sang-ho (8)
1993South Korea Park Nam-sin (3)
1992South Korea Choi Sang-ho (7)
1991South Korea Choi Sang-ho (6)
1990South Korea Lee Kang-sun
1989South Korea Park Nam-sin (2)
1988South Korea Park Nam-sin
1987South Korea Choi Youn-soo
1986South Korea Choi Sang-ho (5)
1985South Korea Choi Sang-ho (4)
1984South Korea Cho Ho-sang
1983South Korea Choi Sang-ho (3)
1982South Korea Han Chang-sang
1981South Korea Choi Sang-ho (2)
1980South Korea Kim Seung-hack (2)
1979South Korea Kim Seung-hack
1978South Korea Choi Sang-ho

Multiple winners

  • 9 times
    • Choi Sang-ho: 1981, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1995
  • 4 times
  • 3 times
  • 2 times

Source:[4]

Awards

SeasonPlayer of the YearRookie of the Year
2023South Korea Ham Jeong-wooSouth Korea Park Sung-joon
2022South Korea Kim Yeong-suSouth Korea Bae Yong-jun
2021South Korea Tom KimSouth Korea Kim Dong-eun
2020South Korea Kim Tae-hoonAustralia Won Joon Lee
2019South Korea Moon Kyong-junSouth Korea Lee Jae-kyeong
2018South Korea Lee Hyung-joonSouth Korea Ham Jeong-woo
2017South Korea Choi Jin-ho (2)South Korea Chang Yi-keun
2016South Korea Choi Jin-hoSouth Korea Kim Tae-woo
2015South Korea Lee Tae-heeSouth Korea Lee Soo-min
2014South Korea Kim Seung-hyukSouth Korea Park Il-hwan
2013South Korea Ryu Hyun-wooSouth Korea Song Young-han
2012South Korea Lee Sang-heeSouth Korea Kim Meen-whee
2011South Korea Hong Soon-sangUnited States John Huh
2010South Korea Kim Bi-oSouth Korea Kim Bi-o
2009South Korea Bae Sang-moonSouth Korea Kim Do-hoon
2008South Korea Kim Hyung-sungSouth Korea Kang Sung-hoon
2007South Korea Kim Kyung-taeSouth Korea Kim Kyung-tae
2006South Korea Yang Yong-eun (2)South Korea Choi Jin-ho
2005South Korea Hur Suk-hoSouth Korea Kang Kyung-nam
2004South Korea Yang Yong-eunSouth Korea Lee Jung-hoon
2003South Korea K. J. Choi (4)South Korea Kim Sang-ki
2002South Korea K. J. Choi (3)South Korea Kim Dae-sub
2001South Korea Kang Wook-soon (3)South Korea Kim Jong-myung
2000South Korea Kang Wook-soon (2)South Korea Suk Jong-yul
1999South Korea Kang Wook-soonSouth Korea Yang Yong-eun
1998South Korea Choi Gwang-sooSouth Korea Kim Seung-il
1997South Korea K. J. Choi (2)South Korea Mo Joong-kyung
1996South Korea K. J. ChoiSouth Korea Lee Boo-young
1995South Korea Choi Sang-ho (9)South Korea K. J. Choi
1994South Korea Choi Sang-ho (8)South Korea Park No-seok
1993South Korea Park Nam-sin (2)South Korea Ha Young-ki
1992South Korea Choi Sang-ho (7)South Korea Han Young-keun
1991South Korea Choi Sang-ho (6)South Korea Lim Hyung-soo
1990South Korea Lee Kang-sunSouth Korea Lee Kang-sun
1989South Korea Bong Tae-haSouth Korea Choi Gwang-soo
South Korea Kim Jong-duck
1988South Korea Park Nam-sinSouth Korea Kwak Yu-hyun
South Korea Park Nam-sin
1987South Korea Choi Youn-sooSouth Korea Cho Bum-soo
South Korea Kim Sung-ho
1986South Korea Choi Sang-ho (5)No award
1985South Korea Choi Sang-ho (4)South Korea Cho Chul-sang
1984South Korea Choi Sang-ho (3)No award
1983South Korea Choi Sang-ho (2)
1982South Korea Han Chang-sang (2)
1981South Korea Choi Sang-ho
1980South Korea Kim Seung-hack
1979South Korea Han Chang-sang
1978South Korea Cho Tae-woonSouth Korea Cho Ho-sang
South Korea Choi Sang-ho

Notes

  1. Schedules have also included events in China and Japan.

References

  1. "국내골프도 내년부터 '투어시대'" [Domestic golf will also enter the 'tour era' starting next year]. The Dong-a Ilbo (in Korean). Seoul, South Korea. 24 June 2004. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
  2. "DP World Tour, PGA Tour announce expansion of relationship with Korea Professional Golfers' Association". European Tour. 14 December 2022. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
  3. "Official World Golf Ranking 2011 Week 14" (PDF). 3 April 2011. Retrieved 4 April 2011.
  4. "KPGA Prize Awards history" (in Korean). KPGA. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
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