Purse set at 1.5 billion won (about $987,000)

Kim Min-sol takes title

Around 18,000 spectators attend over four days

From left: Lee Sang-guk, executive vice president of digital, marketing and communications at Mercedes-Benz Korea; Matthias Beitl, CEO of Mercedes-Benz Korea; Kim Min-sol, winner of the 40th Korea Women's Open Golf Championship; Korea Golf Association President Kang Hyeong-mo; and Lakewood Country Club CEO Lee Seok-won pose for a photo at the Mercedes-Benz 40th Korea Women's Open Golf Championship. [Mercedes-Benz Korea]
From left: Lee Sang-guk, executive vice president of digital, marketing and communications at Mercedes-Benz Korea; Matthias Beitl, CEO of Mercedes-Benz Korea; Kim Min-sol, winner of the 40th Korea Women's Open Golf Championship; Korea Golf Association President Kang Hyeong-mo; and Lakewood Country Club CEO Lee Seok-won pose for a photo at the Mercedes-Benz 40th Korea Women's Open Golf Championship. [Mercedes-Benz Korea]

Mercedes-Benz Korea announced Monday that it had successfully concluded the Mercedes-Benz 40th Korea Women's Open Golf Championship, co-hosted with the Korea Golf Association.

The tournament ran June 11–14 at Lakewood Country Club in Yangju, Gyeonggi Province. The field featured top domestic and international players, including defending champion Lee Dong-eun, Mercedes-Benz Korea brand ambassadors Park Hyun-kyung and Kim Min-byeol, Shin Ji-ae, Park Min-ji and KLPGA money-list leader Seo Gyo-rim. Around 18,000 spectators visited the course over the four days.

Kim Min-sol claimed the title with a final score of 4-under-par 280. In the final round she carded two birdies and one bogey to pull clear of the field and capture her first national title. National team member Yang Yun-seo, who had shared the lead through three rounds, finished runner-up by one stroke.

Kim took home prize money of 400 million won along with a Mercedes-Benz GLE 450. She also earned starts in the AIG Women's Open, a women's golf major, and the Japan Women's Open Golf Championship, Japan's national title event. The winning caddie received a one-year lease on a Mercedes-Benz GLB.

This year marked Mercedes-Benz Korea's first time serving as title sponsor of the Korea Women's Open. The company expanded the tournament's scale by raising the purse to 1.5 billion won and offering the champion berths in overseas major championships to strengthen the event's international profile.

A range of fan experiences accompanied the competition. Mercedes-Benz Korea displayed key vehicles including the new S-Class, which drew more than 1,000 advance reservations within four days of booking opening. The event also featured a G-Class Zone with camping tables and food trucks, and a Mercedes-Benz Collection shop.

"It is meaningful to have successfully completed the first year as title sponsor of the Korea Women's Open, which represents the best of women's golf in Korea," Mercedes-Benz Korea CEO Matthias Beitl said. "We will continue to support the Korea Women's Open as it grows into a tournament with genuine international competitiveness."

Mercedes-Benz Korea was established as the German automaker's local subsidiary in 2003 and currently operates 65 official showrooms and 73 official service centers nationwide. The company also runs its "Mercedes-Benz Promise" corporate social responsibility program in partnership with 11 official local partners, as part of its long-term commitment to Korean society.


eyre@heraldcorp.com