South Korea has been selected as the host of the Presidents Cup golf competition in 2015, the PGA Tour announced Wednesday.
On the eve of this year‘s Presidents Cup in Melbourne, PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem said the biennial international event will make its first trip to Asia in four years’ time.
The Presidents Cup pits U.S. players against a team of international golfers representing non-European countries in match play over four days. This year, Choi Kyoung-ju, Yang Yong-eun and Kim Kyung-tae are South Korean members of the international team.
“The growth of the game in Asia is well documented,” Finchem was quoted as saying on PGA Tour‘s website. “And the fact that we have three South Korean players on the international Presidents Cup Team this year illustrates the strength of golf in that country, which is only going to get stronger in the next four years. Each Presidents Cup has been bigger and better than the one before, and I’m confident South Korea will serve as the perfect stage for the event when it enters its 21st year.”
Under the rotation system, the competition is held alternately between the U.S. and a non-European nation. Australia, Canada and South Africa have been other international hosts.
Finchem said the tour has “a number of options” for the South Korean venue but will not announce the specific course until the first half of next year.
South Korean women have dominated the LPGA Tour for years, but male golfers have also made strides. Yang famously edged Tiger Woods in the final round to win the 2009 PGA Championship, becoming the first Asian to win one of golf‘s four majors. Choi won this year’s Players Championship, called the “fifth major” as the most lucrative PGA tournament.
Kim last year became the first Korean to win the money title on the Japanese tour. Although he‘s not yet a full-time PGA Tour member, Kim is ranked 24th in the world.
(Yonhap News)
