The Korean Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) is engaged in a variety of social contribution activities and is steadily expanding its scope. From sharing activities that deliver charity funds and sponsored goods to neighbors in need through tournaments, to holding amateur tournaments and activating youth sports, the KLPGA is sharing the love of golf fans by conducting various projects to develop golf and expand its base.
Among the KLPGA’s social contribution activities, Dream with a Buddy, which began in 2015, has become the KLPGA’s signature sharing activity and has been bringing hope to the community for nine years. Dream with a Birdie is a donation program initiated by the KLPGA, players representing the KLPGA, and SBS, and since 2018, Mediheal has also joined the cause.
It’s simple. KLPGA players who sign up to participate set a pledge amount for each birdie they make and accumulate funds based on the number of birdies they make in each round of each tournament. (Excluding overseas tournaments, the Korea Women’s Open Golf Championship, and Match Play.) In addition, Mediheal and SBS will select the second par-3 hole of a regularly scheduled tournament as the Dream with a Birdie designation hole and donate KRW 100,000 for each birdie recorded on that hole.
Each year, KLPGA players give back through Dream with a Birdie, and in the 2023 season, 109 players participated in the program, including 60 from the Regular Tour, six from the Dream Tour and 44 from the Champions Tour. Last season, players participating in Dream with a Buddy made a combined 13,208 birdies and raised a total of KRW 51,813,000 in donations. In addition, 1,255 birdies were made on the Dream with a Buddy designated holes, generating KRW 125 million in donations from Mediheal and SBS, totaling KRW 17,731,000.
The player who donated the most money through Dream with a Birdie in the 2023 season was Lee Ga-young (25-NH Investment & Securities), who served as the 15th KLPGA spokesmodel. Lee pledged to donate 20,000 won for every birdie she made in the 2023 season as she did in the 2022 season, making her the largest donation of any participating player. With 263 birdies, she accumulated KRW 5,260,000 in donations.
“I was proud just to be a part of a good cause, but I’m even happier to have earned the most donations for the second year in a row, and I think I’ll continue to be greedy for the top spot,” said Lee. “It’s a way to donate a lot when you’re playing well, so there’s no pressure. I hope to continue to participate in DreamWithBuddy in the future.”
The second-largest donor was Lee Ye-won (20-KB Financial Group), the top performer of the 2023 season. Lee pledged $10,000 for the 2023 season and earned $3,150,000 while making 315 birdies.
Lee has also moved into first place in terms of cumulative donations. Lee, who had donated KRW 6,013,000 up until last year, added another KRW 5,260,000 this year, bringing her total to KRW 11,273,000. The second highest cumulative donor is Ji Han-sol (27, Dongbu E&C), who held the top spot until last year. He has been participating in DreamWithBuddy for seven years and has accumulated a total of KRW 8,463,000 in donations.
By tournament, the tournament that collected the most donations in the 2023 season was the Hiwon Resort Women’s Open 2023, which raised KRW 1,884,000 from player donations and KRW 7,000,000 from the Dream With Buddy designated hole, totaling KRW 8,884,000. ‘Evercollagen Duchessena Queen’s Crown 2023′ followed closely behind. With KRW 2,082,000 from players’ birdies and KRW 6,300,000 from the DreamWith-Birdie designated holes, a total of KRW 8,900,000 was raised.
The KLPGA will continue to share the love of golf fans through various charity programs, not just Dream with a Birdie.