Around 20,000 Participants in ‘2026 GOLFZON CHINA OPEN’ Successfully Concluded.. Domestic Qualifier Pro Division Sees Ha Seung-bin 2 and Lee Jun-hee Tie for First

• A tournament with a total prize pool of KRW 4.25 billion, the domestic qualifiers held from March 10 to May 31 drew a total of 19,984 participants who played around 40,000 rounds, wrapping up to great success
• Main-round entry passes awarded to the 300 players who advanced through the domestic qualifiers in the Pro and Amateur divisions, with the domestic main round to be operated this July and August at CITY GOLF Yanji in China
• Anticipation builds for the showdown among global golfers at CITY GOLF, an urban golf course combining screen and field play, with the finals to be held this December

GOLFZON Co., Ltd. (CEO Park Kang-soo) announced on the 5th that it had successfully concluded the domestic qualifiers for the global screen golf tournament ‘2026 GOLFZON CHINA OPEN.’ This year’s domestic qualifiers drew approximately 20,000 golfers, including 4,461 in the Pro division and 15,523 in the Amateur division, surpassing 40,000 rounds played, offering a glimpse of the enthusiasm for the global screen golf tour that runs over a span of 10 months through the finals this December.

The global screen golf tour ‘2026 GOLFZON CHINA OPEN,’ held with a total prize pool of 20 million yuan (approx. KRW 4.25 billion) and a winner’s prize of 5 million yuan (approx. KRW 1.05 billion), is a tournament open to golfers worldwide from pros to amateurs across China, Asia (excluding Korea and China), the Americas, and Europe. After online and offline qualifiers and main rounds in each region, the finals will be held this December at the CITY GOLF venue in China, and the domestic qualifiers were held over roughly three months from March 10 to May 31.

The Pro division of the Korean qualifiers saw the leading stars of Korea’s domestic screen golf tour, GTOUR, participate in large numbers, competing in a fierce qualifying round. Lee Jun-hee, with one career GTOUR win, and Ha Seung-bin 2, the 2024 season GTOUR Rookie of the Year, finished tied for first, while Park Chan-hee 1, with one career GTOUR win, finished third, and Lee Yong-hee 1, the 2025 season Player of the Year who shines on both skill and showmanship, finished tied for fourth alongside Ha Ki-won, who has seven wins. Lee Jeong-woong and Gong Tae-hyeon, who command a large following of golf fans through various GOLFZON content and their performances on GTOUR, also placed within the rankings to earn main-round entry passes.

The ‘GOLFZON CHINA OPEN’ is a mixed tournament, and the performances of female pros also stood out. Sim Ji-yeon, with eight career WGTOUR wins, recorded a tie for sixth, and Han Ji-min, the AlphaGo of the screen golf world, holed out tied for 14th alongside Song Han-baek, known as the AI of screen golf. Lee Seong-hoon, who is leading the Player of the Year and prize-money points race this season, finished the qualifiers with a strong tie for eighth alongside WGTOUR powerhouses Park Dan-yu and Hong Hyeon-ji.

In the Amateur division, the competition for main-round entry was even hotter than in the Pro division. A total of 15,523 members entered the tournament, and more than 30,000 rounds were played. As a result, the member with the GOLFZON nickname Daejeontanbangjoy recorded 19 under par on both Course A, Mission Hills-Blackstone (18 holes, Par 73), and Course B, Mission Hills-World Cup (18 holes, Par 72), for a total of 38 under par from early in the tournament, tying for first place with the member Oncheon!!v.i.p. Following them, members Golfwangjaeseo and Michinhwangsotv tied for third, and Larry Pink and Masakki tied for fifth. With Pro division leaders Lee Jun-hee and Ha Seung-bin 2 at 33 under par—a five-stroke difference from the Amateur division leading record of 38 under par—a key point to watch is whether Korea’s amateur players will fully showcase the skills they have honed on screen at this ‘2026 GOLFZON CHINA OPEN.’

Through this qualifier, main-round entry qualification was awarded to a total of 300 players (200 in the Pro division, 100 in the Amateur division), and the main round will be held offline at GOLFZON CITY GOLF Yanji in China, split into two schedules in July and August. The main round will likewise be divided into Amateur and Pro divisions and contested in a two-round stroke-play format, selecting 20 players to advance to the finals.

In particular, the Korean main round scheduled for this July will feature numerous renowned pros from the KPGA and KLPGA top tours, enhancing the competitiveness of the global screen golf tour and conveying the tour’s appeal to many golfers and golf fans. Participating players are expected to include, leading the way, the golf two-way player Kim Hong-taek—holder of the most GTOUR wins and three top-tour wins including major tournaments—as well as Im Jin-young, winner of the 2026 season KLPGA opening tournament Rejuran Championship, and pro Cho A-yeon, a former youngest-ever national team member. In addition, Kim Bi-o, Kim Han-byeol, and Jeong Chan-min, who have been active in the KPGA, and Song Min-hyeok, who recorded his first career win in the 2026 season, will also participate, and a fierce contest is anticipated.  

The ‘2026 GOLFZON CHINA OPEN’ will proceed through the regional main rounds in Korea, China, and elsewhere until this August, after which the final champion will be determined over four days from December 17 to 20 at GOLFZON CITY GOLF in China. It will also be broadcast worldwide to promote the appeal of a screen golf tour staged at CITY GOLF, an urban golf course.

Son Jang-soon, head of GOLFZON’s New Business Division, said, “As someone preparing this tournament, I am grateful that so many golfers took part in this global screen golf tour qualifier, and I am very much looking forward to the main round at CITY GOLF,” adding, “We will ensure that the main round and finals—a true global screen golf tournament where golfers from around the world gather in front of GOLFZON simulators—are held with great success.”