Dong-A Membership Group Open opens the second half with a new venue for the third consecutive year
The Korea Professional Golf Association (KPGA) Tour, which concluded its Gunsan CC Open last June, will enter its full second-half schedule after a roughly two-month break. The tour will hold the Dong-a Membership Group Open from August 20th to 23rd at the Sol Course of Solago CC in Taean, Chungcheongnam-do (par 72, 7,440 yards). This tournament, the 11th of the 2026 season, has a total prize money of 700,000,000 won, with a winner’s prize of 140,000,000 won. It will be a four-round, 72-hole stroke play tournament with 144 professional golfers participating.
A prestigious tournament that transforms itself for three consecutive years
The Dong-A Membership Group Open, established in 2024, is being held for the third time this year. An interesting aspect is that the tournament venue changes every year. The inaugural tournament was held at Jangsu Golf Resort in Jangsu, Jeollabuk-do; last year, it was held at Gangnam 300 Country Club in Gwangju, Gyeonggi-do; and this year, it moved to the Sol Course at Solago CC. Each year, the players face the challenge of adapting to a new course.
In particular, Solago CC is a familiar venue for players in the KPGA Challenge Tour (second-tier tour) because it has hosted the Challenge Tour opening tournament for six consecutive years, from 2021 to this year. However, this is the first time that a KPGA Tour stroke play tournament has been held at Solago CC, and it appears to be a new challenge for professional tour players.
Defending champion Park Sang-hyun aims for a second-half comeback
Last year’s champion, Park Sang-hyun (43, Dong-A Pharmaceutical), is expected to face even more intense competition in the second half of the year due to his poor performance in the first half. At the opening-tournament photo call, Park Sang-hyun stated, “I am grateful and excited to participate in the tournament as the defending champion. Because my performance in the first half of the year was not good, I want to achieve more satisfactory results in the second half.”
Strong contenders poised to challenge Jang Yu-bin’s dominance
The main highlight of this tournament is the performance of Jang Yu-bin (24, Shinhan Financial Group), the only player with multiple wins in the first half of the season. Jang Yu-bin won consecutive tournaments, the “KPGA Classic with Aimvita” and the “Hana Bank Invitational,” and currently ranks first in both the Genesis Points standings and the prize money rankings. It is also noteworthy whether he will surpass 1,000,000,000 won in single-season earnings.
This tournament, which marks the start of the second half of the season, features the first-half winners who are once again challenging for the top spot. The participants include: Moon Dong-hyun (20, Woori Financial Group), the winner of the ‘KPGA Championship’; Choi Chan (29, Daewon Plus Group), the winner of the ‘Woori Financial Championship’; Song Min-hyeok (22, Dong-A Pharmaceutical), the winner of the ‘GS Caltex Maekyung Open’; Oh Seung-taek (28, COWELL), the winner of the ‘KPGA Founders Cup’; and Jeong Han-mil (Kyunghee), who achieved his first KPGA Tour victory 10 years after his debut. A total of 5 first-half champions are on the list of participants.
A meaningful stage for fans and the local community
The Dong-A Membership Group Open is expected to play a positive role not only in sports but also in revitalizing the local economy. It is likely to increase the sales of local small business owners in areas such as accommodation and food, and also to effectively promote the tourism resources of Taean. The tournament will be broadcast live on SBS Golf, and can also be viewed on the SBS Golf official website and the OTT platform Wavve.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- Q. When will the Dong-A Membership Group Open take place?
- A. The event will be held from August 20th to 23rd, for a total of 4 days, at the Solago Country Club, Sol Course, in Taean, South Chungcheong Province. The competition will be a 4-round, 72-hole stroke play format.
- Q. What is the total prize money for this tournament?
- The total prize money is 700,000,000 won, with a winning prize of 140,000,000 won. The winner will receive a KPGA tour exemption for 2 years and 1,000 Genesis points.
- Q. How many athletes are participating?
- A total of 144 professional players will compete. After the second round, the top 60 professionals (including those tied for a position) will advance to the third round.
- Q. Who are the main contenders for the championship?
- It is expected that the competition will be fierce, with contenders including Jang Yu-bin, the only player with multiple wins in the first half of the year, as well as first-half winners Moon Dong-hyun, Choi Chan, Song Min-hyeok, and Jeong Han-mil, and defending champion Park Sang-hyun.
- Q. What is the history of the Dong-A Membership Group Open tournament?
- A. This tournament, established in 2024, is being held for the third time this year. The first tournament was held at Jangsu Golf Resort in Jangsu, Jeollabuk-do Province, and last year it was held at Gangnam 300 Country Club in Gwangju, Gyeonggi-do Province. This year, it is being held in Taean, Chungcheongnam-do Province.
- Q. Where can I watch the game?
- The event will be broadcast live on SBS Golf2, and can also be viewed on the official SBS Golf website and the OTT platform Wave. Rounds 1 and 2 will be broadcast live from 12:00 PM to 6:00 PM, while rounds 3 through the final round will be broadcast live from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
