“I’m the one who made the hole-in-one on the 13th hole!”
The Korea Professional Golf (KPGA) Korean Tour’s KB Financial Live Championship, which opened on the 25th, is attracting attention for its efforts and practices to spread the ‘culture of giving’ through golf tournaments.
It is especially meaningful that the organizer, KB Financial Group, the players, and the gallery participated in the event with one accord.
The first thing that caught my eye was the Charity Hole-in-One Program. The organizers set up a never-before-seen ‘special prize’ on the 13th hole (par-3) of the tournament venue, Blackstone Golf Club (Icheon, Gyeonggi-do).
If a hole-in-one is made on this hole during the tournament, the organizers will donate KRW 100 million to a charity. Players who score a hole-in-one will also receive a GOLD&WISE the First travel voucher (worth 10 million won).
On the first day of the tournament, players who had their eyes on the special hole-in-one prize took careful shots at this hole, and the gallery gathered around the green cheered enthusiastically as they watched the ball fly. Unfortunately, no hole-in-ones were made. One player commented, “This is a beautiful event that you don’t see in other tournaments. I wish I could be the one to do it,” said one player.
The idea was inspired by a $1 million donation for a hole-in-one at the Chevron Championship on the U.S. Women’s Professional Golf (LPGA) Tour in April. The honored golfer was Jeon Ji-in of KB Financial Group.
The 17th hole will feature the KB Live Mobile Charity Zone. Every time a player’s tee shot lands in the zone, a charity fund will be accumulated and used to pay for the cell phone bills of 100 underprivileged youths in Icheon and Yeoju for two years.
The Gallery Plaza, the largest venue of the Korean Tour, also hosted various events to spread the culture of donation.
As you pass by the promotional booths where you can experience the financial platforms of KB Financial Group’s affiliates, you will find the K-BEE Honey Café, where young baristas sell a variety of drinks using honey harvested from urban beekeeping.
The cafe is part of the K-BEE project to restore the bee ecosystem, and all proceeds are donated to the local community.
In addition, a food truck space was provided in the center of the gallery plaza to help young entrepreneurs from Icheon and Yeoju establish stable businesses.
Finally, the gallery runs a “plogging program. It is a combination of the Swedish words “plocka up” and “jogging” and refers to the activity of picking up trash while running. In line with the program’s purpose of ‘protecting the environment,’ fans who bring trash into the ‘K-BAG’ will receive generous prizes.
A representative from KB Financial Group said, “KB Financial Group, which is making a good impact on creating a ‘better world,’ is always thinking about mutual benefit.” “Through this tournament, we will contribute to the development of men’s golf, support vulnerable youth, and take the lead in coexistence with local communities.”
Meanwhile, the ‘Caddie Support Program’, which has been running since 2021, is being implemented at this tournament. Caddies who wear a hat with the KB Financial Group logo will receive KRW 500,000 in support. Players who miss the cut will also receive support (300,000 won) 메이저놀이터.