Last year’s U.S. Women’s Professional Golf (LPGA) Tour rookie of the year, Ataya Thittitjer (THA), has revealed her love for Korea.
She will play as an invited player in the Korean Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Tour’s Hanwha Classic (total prize money of 1.7 billion won) at Jade Palace Golf Club (Par 72) in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, starting on April 24.
“I’m a big fan of Korean media, including K-pop and Korean dramas,” she said at a press conference on Wednesday. “I also love Korean culture and food, so I always get positive energy from Korea.”
When asked about his favorite Korean food, he said, “There are so many. I love tteokbokki, jajangmyeon, and Korean barbecue,” he laughs.
This will be Tee’s second KLPGA event.
She played in the KLPGA Tour’s inaugural event in Singapore last December and finished tied for ninth.
In the BMW Ladies Championship, the only LPGA Tour event held in South Korea, she finished tied for sixth last October.
“I always seem to have good memories of tournaments in Korea,” she said, “I have good memories of the BMW Ladies Championship last year because the Korean fans were very supportive.
“There is some pressure on my ranking, but I plan to have fun,” she said, adding, “I want to make a lot of Korean friends.”
Thi Thitjer won two LPGA titles last year, defeating Choi Hye-jin to become the rookie of the year, and was once ranked No. 1 in the world.
“My goal this year is to win a major,” said Han, who will be looking to make it two in a row. “I won the last tournament and I have a chance (like last year), so I want to get it at the Hanwha Classic.”
Defending champion Hong Ji-won said, “The course setup is very different from last year,” adding, “The rough is about a third shorter and the greens are softer, so I think it’s much easier. I think a score of 10-under par or better will be the winning score.”
Long hitter Kim A-rim said, “Courses with longer rough are more favorable for long hitters. There is no course where long hitters are disadvantaged,” he said.
The Hanwha Classic is the third major tournament of the season, and the total prize money (1.7 billion won) is the largest ever organized by the KLPGA Tour. 파워볼사이트
