Lee Min-jee, a three-time runner-up at the event, looms as her chief rival

Lee Da-yeon plays an iron shot on the fourth hole during the third round of the Hana Financial Group Championship at Bears Best Cheongna Golf Club in Incheon on Sept. 20 last year. [KLPGA]
Lee Da-yeon plays an iron shot on the fourth hole during the third round of the Hana Financial Group Championship at Bears Best Cheongna Golf Club in Incheon on Sept. 20 last year. [KLPGA]

Defending champion Lee Da-yeon will bid for back-to-back titles and a third career victory at the KLPGA Tour's Hana Financial Group Championship.

The tournament runs Thursday through Sunday at The Heaven Country Club's West and South courses (par 72) in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province. The total purse is 1.5 billion won ($1.11 million), with the winner taking home 270 million won.

The event holds particularly fond memories for Lee. She won in 2023 and last year, and a victory this week would give her consecutive titles and a third career win at the championship.

Lee had battled back pain following a car accident last year, but her win at the Hana Financial Group Championship signaled she was back in form. She reinforced that momentum by winning the Aurora World Championship in August.

"It is meaningful to be competing for a third title at the same tournament," Lee said. "I want to prepare my iron game — my strongest suit — and put on a good performance."

Her rivalry with Australian-Korean Lee Min-jee adds another layer of intrigue. World-ranked No. 15, Lee Min-jee has finished runner-up at this event three times — in 2021, 2023 and last year — each time after a playoff. In both 2023 and last year, Lee Da-yeon denied her in the extra holes. For Lee Da-yeon, Lee Min-jee is the fiercest obstacle to a third title; for Lee Min-jee, this is a chance to finally settle the score.

A strong international field will also contend for the title. New Zealand's Lydia Ko, a 23-time LPGA Tour winner, tees it up alongside Japanese twin golfers Iwai Aki and Iwai Jiji, as well as former world No. 1 Tseng Ya-ni of Taiwan.

Among domestic contenders, Seo Gyo-rim leads the season money list and points standings with four wins, while Kim Min-sol brings three victories into the week. Asian Games national team member Yang Yun-seo will also compete against the world-class field.


yjc@heraldcorp.com