SEOUL: The Korea Championship Presented by Genesis, which took place from April 27-30, has been hailed as a huge success by title partner, DP World.
The event marked the return of the DP World Tour to South Korea for the first time in over a decade as it looks to grow the game of golf globally, and in South Korea which has over 6.36 million golfers, or one-tenth of the country’s population.
Ben Cowen, chief tournament business officer at DP World Tour, said: “We’ve always wanted to come back to South Korea. It’s the third-biggest golf market in the world and this tournament truly emphasizes the global nature of the DP World Tour.”
Spaniard Pablo Larrazabal triumphed at the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club, Incheon, after shooting an impressive 12 under par in challenging, windy conditions. Larrazabal’s winning putt on the 18th capped off a memorable week, packed with community and local engagements.
Danny van Otterdijk, chief communications officer for DP World, believes the Korea Championship was a significant addition to the DP World Tour schedule. “It was an excellent week in South Korea which is a key market for DP World and now for the Tour. It’s a great place from which cargo moves to the rest of the world so we are delighted the DP World Tour has made its return to this golf-fanatical country.”
Meanwhile, the DP World Caddie Cup returned for its second instalment, where 32 caddies from around the world competed in a nine-hole individual stroke play event. After shooting an impressive one under par, Erik Frost from Sweden took home top honors. The DP World Caddie Cup was first launched by DP World in January at the HERO Dubai Desert Classic to celebrate smart partnerships on the tour.
On the opening day of the tournament, DP World hosted local children’s golf academy, ViseN Academy, as special guests at the event. Fifteen children travelled with their parents and coaches to the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club for a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
The children, ranging from 6 to 10, were given a guided tour by DP World to witness golfers in action, learn about the sport and visit the recording area where the tournament was broadcasted to 179 countries around the world.
The children were also given the opportunity to meet Wang Jeunghen, a three-time DP World Tour winner from Seoul in the fan zone, and saw him in action as he sank a 6-meter putt in the DP World Long Putt challenge.
