Despite the Covid-19 pandemic, efforts are underway to create a new regional professional ladies circuit in Asia, dubbed the Ladies Asian Tour (LAT) series.
The new circuit falls under the auspices of a non-profit body known as the Asian Golf Leaders Forum (AGLF), formed in January. The AGLF founder members are Jung-Tai Kim (chairman/CEO of Hana Financial Group), Gwang-Soo Hur (president, Korea Golf Association), Sang-Yeol Kim (chairman, Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association) and Kenny Park (founder and CEO, Simone Accessory).
The first event of the fledgling circuit is this week’s KWR1.5 billion (US$1.3 million) Hana Financial Group Championship at Sky72 Golf Club in Korea, featuring a stellar cast including defending champion Ha Na Jang, World No 1 Jin Young Ko and other top Korean players such as Hyo Joo Kim, Hyun Kyung Park and Hee Jeong Lim, along with Chinese star Sui Xiang.
“The first tournament of the LAT series at the Hana Financial Group Championship 2020 marks a significant milestone for the AGLF,” said Paul Park, secretary general of the AGLF. “We will continue to charge forward with our mission in enhancing international sports relations and promoting friendship between Asian countries through the spirit of sport.”
The AGLF noted in a press release that other existing tournaments such as the Korea Women’s Open, Taiwan Women’s Open, China Women’s Open, Vietnam Women’s Open and the Hana Financial Group Singapore Women’s Open will form part of the LAT series from 2021. It also added that plans are afoot to launch ‘flagship tournaments’ in Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines in the year ahead, while creating an independent ranking system and Asian Player of the Year award.
The inaugural Hana Financial Group Singapore Women’s Open, co-sanctioned by the Singapore Golf Association and Korea LPGA, was originally slated to take place at Tanah Merah Country Club this week with a prize fund of KRW1,000,000,000 (approx. US$864,000). However, it was postponed to next year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
According to the AGLF, it is working to establish and grow Asia’s own series of women’s events by co-developing existing tournaments or establishing new tournaments and that the initiative is supported by The R&A.
The Hana Financial Group has its roots in South Korea, founded in 1971 as the Korea Investment & Finance Corporation, the country’s first finance company funded solely by private capital. It has since grown from two branches in Korea to over 840 branches in 24 countries worldwide – Korea’s largest overseas network – managing in excess of KRW360 trillion in assets (as of December 2018).
