Korean Tour

Professional golf tour in South Korea

This article is about the golf tour. For the StarCraft competition formerly known as the KPGA Tour, see MBCGame StarCraft League.

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Korean TourCurrent season, competition or edition:
2024 Korean Tour

Formerly| SBS Korean Tour
Sport| Golf
Founded| 1978
First season| 1978
Countries| Based in South Korea[a]
Most titles| Order of Merit titles:
Choi Sang-ho (9)
Tournament wins:
Choi Sang-ho (43)
Official website| www.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] In 2023, the number of players earning European Tour cards was increased to three.

## Main tour

[edit]

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

[edit]

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

[edit]

Season | Winner | Points

|
|

2024 |  Jang Yu-bin | 8,002
2023 |  Ham Jeong-woo | 6,062
2022 |  Kim Yeong-su | 5,915
2021 |  Tom Kim | 5,541
2020 |  Kim Tae-hoon | 3,252
2019 |  Moon Kyong-jun | 4,126
2018 |  Lee Hyung-joon | 4,662
2017 |  Choi Jin-ho (2) | 5,246
2016 |  Choi Jin-ho | 4,009
2015 |  Lee Tae-hee | 2,190
2014 |  Kim Seung-hyuk | 3,362
2013 |  Ryu Hyun-woo | 3,555
2012 |  Lee Sang-hee | 2,995
2011 |  Hong Soon-sang | 3,160
2010 |  Kim Bi-o | 3,770
2009 |  Bae Sang-moon | 4,770
2008 |  Kim Hyung-sung | 6,765
2007 |  Kim Kyung-tae | 6,320
Season | Winner | Prize money (₩)
2006 |  Kang Kyung-nam | 302,623,333
2005 |  Choi Gwang-soo (4) | 265,434,825
2004 |  Jang Ik-jae | 143,080,000
2003 |  Shin Yong-jin | 207,783,810
2002 |  Kang Wook-soon (2) | 204,166,667
2001 |  Choi Gwang-soo (3) | 157,959,842
2000 |  Choi Gwang-soo (2) | 270,094,375
1999 |  Kang Wook-soon | 79,898,357
1998 |  Choi Gwang-soo | 83,234,470
1997 |  K. J. Choi (2) | 159,063,640
1996 |  K. J. Choi | 147,271,700
1995 |  Choi Sang-ho (9) |
1994 |  Choi Sang-ho (8) |
1993 |  Park Nam-sin (3) |
1992 |  Choi Sang-ho (7) |
1991 |  Choi Sang-ho (6) |
1990 |  Lee Kang-sun |
1989 |  Park Nam-sin (2) |
1988 |  Park Nam-sin |
1987 |  Choi Youn-soo |
1986 |  Choi Sang-ho (5) |
1985 |  Choi Sang-ho (4) |
1984 |  Cho Ho-sang |
1983 |  Choi Sang-ho (3) |
1982 |  Han Chang-sang |
1981 |  Choi Sang-ho (2) |
1980 |  Kim Seung-hack (2) |
1979 |  Kim Seung-hack |
1978 |  Choi Sang-ho |

### Multiple winners

[edit]

Rank | Player | Wins | Years won

|
|
|

1 |  Choi Sang-ho | 9 | 1978, 1981, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1995
T2 |  Choi Gwang-soo | 4 | 1998, 2000, 2001, 2005
K. J. Choi | 1996, 1997, 2002, 2003
4 |  Kang Wook-soon | 3 | 1999, 2000, 2001
T5 |  Choi Jin-ho | 2 | 2016, 2017
Kim Seung-hack | 1979, 1980
Park Nam-sin | 1988, 1993
Yang Yong-eun | 2004, 2006

Source:[4]

## Awards

[edit]

Season | Player of the Year | Rookie of the Year

|
|

2024 |  Jang Yu-bin |  Song Min-hyuk
2023 |  Ham Jeong-woo |  Park Sung-joon
2022 |  Kim Yeong-su |  Bae Yong-jun
2021 |  Tom Kim |  Kim Dong-eun
2020 |  Kim Tae-hoon |  Won Joon Lee
2019 |  Moon Kyong-jun |  Lee Jae-kyeong
2018 |  Lee Hyung-joon |  Ham Jeong-woo
2017 |  Choi Jin-ho (2) |  Chang Yi-keun
2016 |  Choi Jin-ho |  Kim Tae-woo
2015 |  Lee Tae-hee |  Lee Soo-min
2014 |  Kim Seung-hyuk |  Park Il-hwan
2013 |  Ryu Hyun-woo |  Song Young-han
2012 |  Lee Sang-hee |  Kim Meen-whee
2011 |  Hong Soon-sang |  John Huh
2010 |  Kim Bi-o |  Kim Bi-o
2009 |  Bae Sang-moon |  Kim Do-hoon
2008 |  Kim Hyung-sung |  Kang Sung-hoon
2007 |  Kim Kyung-tae |  Kim Kyung-tae
2006 |  Yang Yong-eun (2) |  Choi Jin-ho
2005 |  Hur Suk-ho |  Kang Kyung-nam
2004 |  Yang Yong-eun |  Lee Jung-hoon
2003 |  K. J. Choi (4) |  Kim Sang-ki
2002 |  K. J. Choi (3) |  Kim Dae-sub
2001 |  Kang Wook-soon (3) |  Kim Jong-myung
2000 |  Kang Wook-soon (2) |  Suk Jong-yul
1999 |  Kang Wook-soon |  Yang Yong-eun
1998 |  Choi Gwang-soo |  Kim Seung-il
1997 |  K. J. Choi (2) |  Mo Joong-kyung
1996 |  K. J. Choi |  Lee Boo-young
1995 |  Choi Sang-ho (9) |  K. J. Choi
1994 |  Choi Sang-ho (8) |  Park No-seok
1993 |  Park Nam-sin (2) |  Ha Young-ki
1992 |  Choi Sang-ho (7) |  Han Young-keun
1991 |  Choi Sang-ho (6) |  Lim Hyung-soo
1990 |  Lee Kang-sun |  Lee Kang-sun
1989 |  Bong Tae-ha |  Choi Gwang-soo
Kim Jong-duck
1988 |  Park Nam-sin |  Kwak Yu-hyun
Park Nam-sin
1987 |  Choi Youn-soo |  Cho Bum-soo
Kim Sung-ho
1986 |  Choi Sang-ho (5) | No award
1985 |  Choi Sang-ho (4) |  Cho Chul-sang
1984 |  Choi Sang-ho (3) | No award
1983 |  Choi Sang-ho (2)
1982 |  Han Chang-sang (2)
1981 |  Choi Sang-ho
1980 |  Kim Seung-hack
1979 |  Han Chang-sang
1978 |  Cho Tae-woon |  Cho Ho-sang
Choi Sang-ho

## Notes

[edit]

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

## References

[edit]

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.

## External links

[edit]

* English-language version of official site
* Korean professionals Shin Yong Jin and Kim Dae Sub play at the Ballantine's Midnight Cup in Orkney, Scotland, stv feature, 19 June 2007.

* v
* t
* e

Korean Tour seasons

* 1978
* 1979

* 1980
* 1981
* 1982
* 1983
* 1984
* 1985
* 1986
* 1987
* 1988
* 1989

* 1990
* 1991
* 1992
* 1993
* 1994
* 1995
* 1996
* 1997
* 1998
* 1999

* 2000
* 2001
* 2002
* 2003
* 2004
* 2005
* 2006
* 2007
* 2008
* 2009

* 2010
* 2011
* 2012
* 2013
* 2014
* 2015
* 2016
* 2017
* 2018
* 2019

* 2020
* 2021
* 2022
* 2023
* 2024

* v
* t
* e

Men's professional golf tours

Principal tours
and their development tours|

* Asian Tour
* Asian Development Tour
* European Tour
* Challenge Tour
* Japan Golf Tour
* Japan Challenge Tour
* PGA Tour
* Korn Ferry Tour
* PGA Tour Americas
* PGA Tour of Australasia
* Sunshine Tour
* Big Easy Tour

Other tours|

* Asian Tour-affiliated: MENA Tour

* European Tour-affiliated: Alps Tour
* China Tour
* Clutch Pro Tour
* Korean Tour
* Nordic Golf League (incorporates Danish Golf Tour, Finnish Tour and Swedish Golf Tour)
* Pro Golf Tour
* Professional Golf Tour of India
* Tartan Pro Tour

* Other: All Thailand Golf Tour
* Charles Tour
* Gira de Golf Profesional Mexicana
* LIV Golf
* Minor League Golf Tour
* Philippine Golf Tour
* Professional Golf of Malaysia Tour
* TPG Tour

Senior tours|

* European Senior Tour
* PGA Tour Champions

Defunct tours|

* ASEAN PGA Tour
* Asia Golf Circuit
* eGolf Professional Tour
* Forme Tour
* Gateway Tour
* Golden Bear Tour
* Golf Tour of New Zealand
* LocaliQ Series
* New Zealand Golf Circuit
* NGA Pro Golf Tour
* Norwegian Golf Tour
* Omega China Tour
* OneAsia Tour
* PGA EuroPro Tour
* PGA Tour Canada
* PGA Tour China
* PGA Tour Latinoamérica
* PGT Asia
* Safari Circuit
* Tour de las Américas
* US Pro Golf Tour
* Von Nida Tour

* v
* t
* e

Professional sports in South Korea

* Baseball
* KBO League
* Basketball
* Korean Basketball League
* Women's Korean Basketball League
* Billiards
* PBA Tour
* PBA Team League
* Esports
* League of Legends Champions Korea
* Football
* K League 1
* K League 2
* Go
* Myeongin
* GS Caltex Cup
* Korean Baduk League
* Women's Guksu
* Golf
* Korean Tour
* LPGA of Korea Tour
* Ice hockey
* Asia League Ice Hockey
* Table tennis
* Korea Table Tennis League
* Volleyball
* V-League
* KOVO Cup

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