Kim Ah-rim, 28, and Hae-ran Hae, 21, will face off in the group stage of the Bank of Hope LPGA Match Play ($1.5 million purse) on the U.S. Women’s Professional Golf (LPGA) Tour.
The Bank of Hope LPGA Match Play, the only match-play event on the LPGA Tour, will be held at Shadow Creek Golf Course in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, beginning on Friday (July 25).
The 64-player field will be divided into 16 groups of four for three days of group play, with the top finisher in each group advancing to the round of 16. From the round of 16 to the final, the tournament is a knockout format.스포츠토토
Last year, Ji-hee Lee, 37, won the event to earn her sixth career LPGA Tour victory.
The defending champion will be joined by eight other South Korean players, including Kim Se-young (30), Lee Jeong-eun (27), Kim Arim (28), Hae-ran Hae (21), Anna Rin (27), Shin Ji-eun (31) and Hong Ye-eun (21).
The players were seeded from 1 to 64 based on their world rankings on the 23rd, resulting in a number of Korean players facing each other in the same group.
Lee Jeong-jeong and Hong Ye-eun are in Group 2, followed by Anna Rin and Shin Ji-eun in Group 7, and Hae-ran Hae and Kim Ah-rim in Group 15. With only the first-place finisher advancing to the Round of 16, at least one Korean player will be eliminated from this group.
Lee Jeong-eun and Hong Ye-eun will face Brooke Henderson (CAN) and Sophia Schubert (USA), while An Na-lin and Shin Ji-eun will face Riona Maguire (IRL) and Linnia Strom (SWE) for the top spot in their group.
Jihee is in Group 8 with Lynn Grant (SWE), Matilda Kastren (FIN), and Maddie Sherrike (CAN), while Kim will face Cheyenne Knight (USA), Sarah Kemp (AUS), and Pei-Yung Jen (TAI) in Group 13.
Hae-ran and Kim face somewhat easier opposition in the form of Frida Sinnert (SWE) and Lindsey Weaver Wright (USA), but don’t count them out as anything can happen in match play.
Ko, who regained the top spot in the world rankings released on Wednesday, will be joined by world No. 2-3 Nelly Koda (USA) and Lydia Ko (NZL). The highest-ranked player in the field is Lilia Boo (USA). Boo has won two majors this year, including the Chevron Championship, and leads the money list.
Hae Ran Lee (Photo: AFPBBNews)