Bae So-hyun (left), defending her Aurora World Championship title, and Ko Ji-woo, who is seeking back-to-back wins. [Provided by KLPGA]
Bae So-hyun (left), defending her Aurora World Championship title, and Ko Ji-woo, who is seeking back-to-back wins. [Provided by KLPGA]

The KLPGA Tour returns from a two-week break with the Aurora World Championship, which carries a purse of 1 billion won ($682,000).

The tournament — the 17th event of the season and the last on the KLPGA Tour's first-half calendar — tees off Thursday at Aurora Golf & Resort (par 72, 6,620 yards) in Wonju, Gangwon Province, for four days of competition. A field of 120 top players will vie for the title.

Defending champion Bae So-hyun (33, Mediheal) enters the week looking to repeat. Bae said she used the break to sharpen the shots and putting feel she felt had been lacking, and that her form is now where she wants it. "I want to focus on tee shots and the short game to suit the course, build on the play I've prepared, and carry the momentum all the way to a title defense," she said.

The field is equally determined to deny Bae a repeat. Ko Ji-woo (24, Samchully), who won her previous start — the High1 Resort Ladies Open 2026 — by five strokes, is chasing consecutive victories.

Ko said her sights are set on her own game rather than a winning streak. "I want to focus on the play I need to execute," she said. "The win last time gave me good momentum and confidence, and I'll go out and play every hole without regrets, drawing on the shots and form I refined during the break."

Seo Gyo-rim (20, Samchully), who has two wins this season and sits second in both the Welcome Savings Bank Player of the Year points standings and the money list, is also a strong contender. Seo said the break left her feeling physically fresh and in good shape. "Aurora Golf & Resort has a lot of dogleg holes, which makes tee shots tricky, but my plan is to go for the green in two on every par-5," she said, signaling an aggressive approach.

Several other players chasing a second win of the season add to the competitive field. They include Ko Ji-won (22, Samchully) — who joined her sister Ko Ji-woo in becoming the first pair of siblings to each win in the same season in back-to-back years — along with Yoo Hyun-jo (21, Lotte), Bang Sin-sil (22, KB Financial Group), Lee Ye-won (23, Mediheal), Lim Jin-young (23, Daebang Construction) and Park Min-ji (28, NH Investment).

Kim Min-sol, who leads the tour in wins (three), Player of the Year points and prize money this season, will skip the event to compete in the AIG Women's Open, an LPGA Tour major.


yjc@heraldcorp.com