Ballantine's boost for golf in Korea

The €2 million (US$2.9 million) showpiece will be the first joint sanctioned event by the Asian Tour and European Tour to held in Korea and has already sparked huge interest in the golf-mad nation.

Rising Korean professionals are looking forward to an unprecedented chance to gain valuable experience on the big stage while fans are relishing the opportunity to see some of the world’s best players in action for the first time.

“The Ballantine’s Championship is an important opportunity for Korean players to experience a major event and it will be a vital stepping stone for their career development,” confirmed Park Ho-yun, general manager of the Korea Professional Golfers’ Association.

The KPGA has been awarded 25 places in the 132-strong field, making it the first time in Korean golf history that homegrown players are being allowed to compete en masse alongside the game’s elite.

“Having the chance to participate in a major event in any sport, not just golf, makes a significant difference to players,” stressed Park.

“The number of Korean golfers who have experienced European Tour, PGA or Japan Golf Tour events so far is quite low.

“Having these 25 places in the tournament means KPGA members are being given a wonderful opportunity to enhance their skills and confidence.”

And not just a fleeting opportunity. Ballantine’s is title sponsoring the event for a minimum of three years.

This long-term commitment means that even those players who don’t make the KPGA’s top 25 for the first tournament can target 2009 and beyond as they aim to gain a foothold on golf’s ultra-competitive ladder.

It will all add up to good news for Korean golf when the inaugural Ballantine’s Championship is staged on March 13-16 at Pinx Golf Club on the picturesque island of Jeju.

The stellar line-up will be headlined by Korean sporting idol KJ Choi, the world No.9 and a seven-time winner in the US, and British Open champion Padraig Harrington of Ireland.

Joining them will be World Cup-winning Scot Colin Montgomerie and Korean-American sensation Anthony Kim, one of the hottest young talents on the PGA Tour.

Korean star SK Ho – a nine-time winner in Japan – and Asian Tour Order of Merit champion Liang Wen-chong of China have also been confirmed.

The KPGA expects the Ballantine’s Championship to give added impetus to the country’s healthy professional golf scene.

The organisation has 4,513 professional golfers on its books – a total comprising 815 tour pros, 3,242 semi pros and 456 teaching pros.

It is also predicting a boost in young people taking up the sport. The Korean Junior Golfers’ Association currently has 1,800 players – almost a third of them female.

Many of those youngsters dream of being the next Choi or Grace Park, players who have put Korea on the world map in both men’s and women’s golf.

However, it is not just Korea’s active golfers who are full of anticipation for the Ballantine’s Championship, which is co-sanctioned by the European and Asian Tours and KPGA.

With such a world class field, even casual fans are expected to turn out in large numbers to watch the household names in action.

And the loudest cheers can be expected for Choi, whose exploits in the US have made him an icon in his native country.

“Choi is an idol for Korean golf fans – they are very proud of his excellent performances on the PGA Tour,” said Park.

“So when he plays in Korea, the interest is extremely high. He attracted more than 10,000 fans to Lake Side Country Club for the Shinhan Open last year.

“His participation in the Ballantine’s Championship will definitely boost public interest and increase the quality of the tournament.”

February 15, 2008