Starting next year, players competing in LPGA Tour events held in South Korea will no longer need approval from the Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association.
The KLPGA announced Tuesday that its board of directors, at its third meeting of the year held Monday, had revised the authorization rules within its tournament and event approval regulations to remove the requirement for domestic LPGA events.
"Until now, KLPGA Tour players were required to obtain KLPGA authorization before competing in LPGA events held in South Korea," the association said. "With this revision, players will be able to enter LPGA events without going through a separate approval process."
The KLPGA recently issued a joint statement with the LPGA Tour and reached a final agreement on KLPGA Tour player participation in the BMW Ladies Championship. The two tours agreed to guarantee 15 KLPGA Tour player spots at this year's event and 30 starting in 2027.
The revision aims to create an environment where domestic players can compete across a wider range of international stages and engage with top-ranked players worldwide. The KLPGA described it as an extension of its ongoing globalization policy.
Last year, the KLPGA also expanded player choice by scrapping a rule that had required players to prioritize KLPGA major events over LPGA majors when the two were scheduled in the same period.
KLPGA Chairman Kim Sang-yeol said the revision was "a decision to create an environment where players can more freely take on international challenges," adding that the association would "continue to improve the system in line with the times and actively support domestic players in strengthening their competitiveness on the world stage."
yjc@heraldcorp.com
