Weekly Preview

KLPGA Tour

S-Oil Champions Invitational
Friday-Sunday, Elysian Jeju Country Club, Jeju

The season’s 11th event tees off today with 120 golfers vying for a 120 million won ($108,300) purse.

The KLPGA Tour has become a three-horse race between Lee Jung-min, Chun In-gee and Ko Jin-young. But Lee, who has three trophies this season after winning events two weeks in a row, will not play this weekend to rest up for the Korea Women’s Open next week.

This means that Chun and Ko, who both have two wins this season, are the top contenders. Chun, who didn’t play in last weekend’s Lotte Cantata Ladies Open, will be defending her title. But the S-Oil Champions Invitational, entering its 9th year, has never been won by the same player two years in a row.

The 20-year-old also has a shot at regaining her prize money leader title at the event, as she’s only 350,000 won behind current leader Lee. Ko, No. 3 in prize money, could also become the leader if she wins the event.

Lee and Ko are paired with Kim Bo-kyung, who won the season opener Lotte Mart Women’s Open, in the first round.

FIVB World League

Korea vs. Japan
2 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, Suwon Gymnasium, Suwon, Gyeonggi

Korea faces archrival Japan this weekend, trying to avenge its semifinal defeat in the Asian Games last year.

Both teams have one win and three losses in Pool D of Group 2, but Korea sits third by set-difference against Japan, meaning that the two matches in this weekend will be critical.

France is the leader with four wins, followed by the Czech Republic with two wins and two losses.

Coach Moon Yong-kwan already emphasized that the team will put all its effort into the matches against Japan.

While setter Lee Min-gyu will build the attack, much will depend on whether left attacker Jeon Kwang-in has fully recovered from his left knee injury.

BY JOO KYUNG-DON [joo.kyungdon@joongang.co.kr]