Korean stars look to go the distance as LPGA returns to home of golf

Kim Hyo-joo hits from the 10th tee during the final round of the U.S. Women's Open at Pebble Beach Golf Links in Pebble Beach, California on July 9. [AP/YONHAP]

The Freed Group Women’s Scottish Open tees off Thursday at Dundonald Links in Ayrshire, Scotland, with a number of prominent Korean golfers joining the field ahead of the AIG Women’s Open — this season’s last major.

First started as a Ladies European Tour (LET) event in 1986, the Scottish Open has been co-sanctioned by the LET and LPGA since 2017.

The tournament will serve as a tune-up for the AIG Women’s Open, where all prominent golfers will be in the field.

Kim Hyo-joo, who tied for third in last year’s Scottish Open, will be in the field as she looks to claim her first title of the season.

Kim has yet to manage a title, despite showing a good performance so far this season. She has managed six top-10 finishes and tied for sixth at the U.S. Women’s Open last month — the second best finish by a Korean golfer after runner-up Shin Ji-yai.

If Kim wins the Scottish Open, she will be the third Korean to secure the title after two former champions: Lee Mi-hyang in 2017 and Hur Mi-jung in 2019

Lee Mi-hyang will be in the field again as she looks to become the first Korean to win the tournament twice, while Hur is not competing.

Lee Jeong-eun6, runner-up in 2019, will also be headed to the home of golf this week.

To make the event more competitive, defending champion Ayaka Furue of Japan and 2018 champion Ariya Jutanugarn will also join the field.

Kim A-lim has also been in good form among the Korean golfers, tying for third at the latest major Amundi Evian Championship last week, which allowed her to elevate her ranking on the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings from 50th to 37th.

Kim also tied for fourth at The Chevron Championship — another major — in April. The Scottish Open may be a chance for her to secure her first title of the season and become the second Korean golfer to win a trophy after Ko Jin-young.

Multiple top ranked golfers are skipping the Scottish Open ahead of the last major, including world No. 2 Ko, who ceded the No. 1 position on Monday after tying for 20th at the Amundi Evian Championship title.

Ko will compete at the KLPGA's Jeju Samdasoo Masters in Korea instead.

No. 1 Nelly Korda and No. 3 Lydia Ko are also skipping the event, but second highest ranked Korean No. 11 Kim Hyo-joo will be competing alongside such golfers as No. 5 Ruoning Yin, No. 6 Lilia Vu, No. 7 Allisen Corpuz and No. 9 Minjee Lee and No. 10 Atthaya Thitikul.

Vu and Corpuz of the United States and Yin of China are the three major winners this season, with Vu taking The Chevron Championship, Corpuz winning the U.S. Women’s Open and Yin with the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.

Vu will be looking to get back in form after failing to make cut in four out of six tournaments she participated in since she won the major.

Alongside Kim A-lim, Kim Hyo-joo, Ko and Lee Mi-hyang and Lee Jeong-eun6, eight other Korean golfers are teeing off Thursday: An Na-rin, Chella Choi, Chun In-gee, Choi Hye-jin, Ji Eun-hee, Kim In-kyung, Lee Jeong-eun6, Jenny Shin and Amy Yang.

The Scottish Open is the second of four LPGA Tour events to be held in Europe this season. The tour will head next to England for the AIG Women’s Open on Aug. 10, followed by the ISPS Handa World Invitational in Northern Ireland on Aug. 17.

The tour will be back in North America the following week, before it heads to Asia in October.

Korea will also host an LPGA event this year, with the BMW Ladies Championship set to take place at Seowon Valley Country Club in Paju, Gyeonggi on Oct. 19.

BY PAIK JI-HWAN [paik.jihwan@joongang.co.kr]