South Korean pro golfer remains unfazed by the intense heat, ready to compete in the 'Rejuran Championship 2026,' the KLPGA Tour season opener with a total prize fund of 22.44 million baht, held from 12-15 March at Amata Spring Country Club in Chonburi Province.
Golfers participating in the KLPGA Tour are battling Thailand's hot weather. Recently, six female golfers from both international and Thai ranks—Lee Soo-hyung from China, Erica Schmidt from the U.S., Thai pro Natkrita Wongtaweelap, and Koreans Ro Seon-hui, Park Hyun-hyung, and Cho Hae-rim—gave interviews after official practice rounds. The new season's opening event, the 'Rejuran Championship 2026,' offers a total prize of 12 billion won (approximately 22.44 million baht) and will take place from 12-15 March at the par-72 Amata Spring Country Club in Chonburi. The champion will receive 216 million won, about 4.65 million baht.
The atmosphere was lively as KLPGA Tour golfers arrived in Thailand and officially practiced on 11 March, preparing for the new season's opening event of the 2026 KLPGA Tour this week. The tournament will be played as a four-day stroke play over 72 holes, with a cut after the first 36 holes to the top 60 players and ties, who will advance to the final two rounds to compete for the prize money.
Lee Soo-hyung The female golfer from China, currently competing on the South Korean KLPGA Tour, expressed her desire to perform well in this event. She acknowledged challenges due to the hot weather but views it as a certain level of challenge.
Erica Schmidt The 26-year-old golfer from the United States said she is constantly working on self-improvement, training hard with her coach in the U.S. to fix various errors. She described this course as beautiful, especially the 17th hole, a par-3 signature hole that is very challenging.
Ro Seon-hui The South Korean female golfer stated that this is an important KLPGA event, and she hopes to perform well as she begins the new season with clear goals.
Park Hyun-hyung She said she trained hard during the winter and admitted that this tournament is very important. Having played in Thailand three times before, she noted the course is in excellent condition and emphasized the importance of reading the lines well and placing shots precisely. Meanwhile, Cho Hae-rim said she is very excited about the important tournament and hopes to perform as well as in previous events.
Natkrita Wongtaweelap She revealed that this is her first tournament back after a long break and she aims to perform her best before competing in the China LPGA Tour. During practice, she noticed many changes making the course more challenging, especially the 17th hole, the challenging par-3 signature hole. Fortunately, the green has been expanded this year, but it remains uncertain how much this will affect the competition starting soon. Being a major international event, it is a great opportunity for Thai female golfers to all participate. She plans to focus on doing her best each day.