Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association

The association that oversees women's professional golf in South Korea; it organizes the KLPGA Tour and contributes to player registration, tournament hosting, and the popularization of golf.

Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association

Overview

The Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA, Korean: 한국여자프로골프협회) is the governing body for women's professional golf in South Korea, established in 1978. It organizes the KLPGA Tour, the domestic women's golf tour, and contributes to elevating the status of Korean women's golf through various activities such as player registration and management, official handicap calculation, tournament hosting, and operation of golf academies.

Key Details

Establishment and History

In December 1978, the Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association was founded. In its early years, players competed individually in domestic and international tournaments; however, with the official launch of the KLPGA Tour in 1999, a systematic tour system was established. From the 2000s onward, the success of players such as Pak Se-ri and Park In-bee on the world stage sparked explosive interest in Korean women's golf, and the KLPGA Tour also grew both qualitatively and quantitatively.

Organizational Structure

KLPGA is operated around a president, vice presidents, and board of directors, with subordinate divisions including the secretariat, competition committee, referees' committee, and players' committee. The competition committee handles tour operations, course setup, and application of rules, while the referees' committee is responsible for rulings and rule interpretations during tournaments. Welfare and educational programs for players are also provided.

Major Projects

KLPGA's core business is the operation of a tiered tour system. It is divided into the KLPGA Tour (first tier), Dream Tour (second tier), and Jump Tour (third tier), with promotions and relegations determined by performance in each tour. This system provides a foundation for rookie players to steadily develop their skills and grow into top-level players. In addition, various support is provided, including rookie player registration, salary contract assistance, and mental training.

Major Tournaments

Around 30 tournaments are held each season on the KLPGA Tour. Major tournaments include the Hanwha Classic, KB Financial Star Championship, and KLPGA Championship. In addition, the Lotte Open, Doosan Match Play, and Celltrion Queens Masters are held. In recent years, total prize money has increased significantly, and it is now common for a single tournament to offer over 1 billion KRW.

Global Achievements

Korean women's professional golf rose to world-class levels starting with Pak Se-ri's victory at the U.S. Women's Open in 1998. Later, Park In-bee achieved the Grand Slam in 2015, and players such as Kim Hyo-joo, Ko Jin-young, and Chun In-gee performed prominently on the LPGA Tour, elevating the status of Korean women's golf. KLPGA has played an important role as a foundation supporting the growth of these players.

Latest Trends

In 2024–2025, KLPGA is enjoying a golden age, with total prize money and tournament scale reaching record highs. In 2024, the total prize money for the KLPGA Tour surpassed KRW 30 billion, and in 2025, further growth is expected through new title sponsors and expanded broadcast coverage. In particular, the rise of young players is remarkable; in the 2024 season, players born in the 2000s recorded multiple wins, signaling a generational shift. In addition, KLPGA is introducing environmental sustainability and fan-friendly operations to promote the popularization of golf. In 2025, with the Olympic season, the association is focusing on the selection and support of national team players, and is strengthening cooperation with overseas tours.