Suyoun Jang Scores 14 Points: "Letting Go Helped My Shots Come Alive"

Top of the Leaderboard in Round 1 of the Dongbu Construction and Korea Land Trust Championship
Eight Birdies in Modified Stableford Format Spark Momentum
Ranked 88th on This Year's Money List, Aiming for Top 60 Finish

She made a spectacular return.

Suyoun Jang, known as the epitome of consistency, delivered an impressive performance at her sponsor's tournament after a long time. On October 1 at Iksan Country Club (par 72, 6,662 yards) in Iksan, North Jeolla Province, she scored 14 points by carding eight birdies and two bogeys in the first round of the Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Tour Dongbu Construction and Korea Land Trust Championship, which has a total prize fund of 1 billion won. She finished the opening day among the leaders, seizing a chance to win the title.

This tournament is played in a modified Stableford format. Players receive 0 points for par, 2 points for birdie, 5 points for eagle, and 8 points for albatross, while a bogey is -1 point and double bogey or worse is -3 points. Rankings are determined by the total score. Because the points gained from lowering scores outweigh the points lost from mistakes, players tend to take a more aggressive approach.

Suyoun Jang is teeing off at the 2nd hole of the first round of the Dongbu Construction and Korea Land Trust Championship. Photo by KLPGA

Suyoun Jang debuted on the KLPGA Tour in 2013 and has accumulated four career victories. She has consistently performed every year, ranking 19th on the career prize money list with 3.10947 billion won. For 13 consecutive seasons up to this year, she has never lost her KLPGA Tour card.

However, this year she has fallen short of expectations. As the season nears its end, she is ranked 88th in prize money with 76.99 million won. Only players ranked within the top 60 receive a tour card. Maintaining her KLPGA Tour card for a 14th consecutive year is now in jeopardy. After the first round, Suyoun Jang said, "For the first time in a while, I was able to hit the iron shots I wanted, which created many birdie opportunities," and added, "I will focus on hitting the shots I want in the remaining rounds."

She struggled throughout the season as her signature sharp iron shots dulled due to a back injury sustained during winter training. Suyoun Jang confessed, "Honestly, until recently, I felt a lot of pressure because I was worried about keeping my tour card." She continued, "Now, I've let go of those worries a bit. Maybe that's why my shots came alive from the very first day of this tournament," she said with a bright smile.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.