Jung Min Moon won the 13th edition of the KLPGA 2023 Dream Tour, which concluded on Wednesday, moving her up to No. 5 on the money list and securing her return to the regular tour.
Technically, it’s a done deal. With six tournaments remaining on the Dream Tour, even if she misses the cut in all of them and a player outside the top 20 takes turns winning, Moon’s return to the regular tour will not change.
The top 20 players on the Dream Tour money list receive a direct ticket to the KLPGA Tour. The 20 players will be placed in a higher category than those who competed in the regular tour seeding, allowing them to compete in pre-season events if they choose. This is known as ‘full-seeded’ status.
Moon entered the regular tour in 2022. However, he had his seeding returned due to poor results and was ranked 41st on the seeding list, so this season he is playing a combination of the Dream Tour and the regular tour.
After winning the Dream Tour title at Baekje Country Club in Buyeo, Chungcheongnam-do, Moon wasted no time in driving to Yeongjong-do, Incheon, where he put together a killer schedule to compete in the OK Financial Group Eatman Open ($800,000,000 in prize money), which began on Friday at the Club 72 Sky Course (Par 72).
Five rounds were scheduled for this week, but Moon’s shot was anything but routine as he emerged with the trophy. In the first round of the tournament on the 15th, he carded six birdies without a bogey to share the lead.
After finishing the first day with a ‘no bogey’, Moon said, “I’m playing on the regular tour right after winning the Dream Tour. It was tough, but I was able to keep the same shot feeling that I had when I won, so I was able to perform well,” he said after his first round.
He was also able to get rid of his worries about returning to the regular tour. “I think my relaxed state of mind affected my shots, especially my tee shot accuracy, which gave me confidence in my shots, and my iron shots improved to the point where I had birdie opportunities within 5 meters on most of the first nine holes,” Moon explained.
Players often describe the regular tour seeding process as “hell. The schedule is grueling, with four days of qualifying followed by four days of play in the main event, and the order of finish determines seeding. Even teammates who are usually close to each other don’t joke around during the seeding rounds.
Before winning the Dream Tour, Moon Jung-min adjusted his shots according to the seeding schedule. But one shot away from victory and all his worries were gone. “It’s like hell, really. I went to the seeding event in November last year, and the atmosphere was killer. This year, I don’t have to go to the seeding, so I’m very happy,” he smiled.
Moon hopes to break the waiting list on Sunday afternoon. If she wins this tournament, she will become the first player in KLPGA Tour history to conquer both the Dream Tour and the Regular Tour in the same week.
However, she is not overly eager to win, but rather to prepare for her return to the regular tour.
“For now, I’m going to play with the goal of making no bogeys,” said Moon. But even if I do make a bogey, I want to shake it off and finish well,” he said.
Meanwhile, seven players, including Moon, are tied for the lead. Seven tied for the lead after the first round is a first for the KLPGA Tour.스포츠토토
Lee, who has two wins this season, will be looking for her third career victory. Choi Yerim, Madasom, and Kim Woo-jung will be looking for their first career victories. They, along with co-leaders Ha Min-song and Park Bo-gyeom, have their sights set on becoming multiple winners.
The competition is fierce. There are seven players in a tie for eighth place after shooting a 5-under 67, one stroke behind the leaders. There are also seven within two shots.