Korean-made golf shafts are making waves at the Blue Bay LPGA tournament ($2.6 million purse) that opened at Jian Lake Blue Bay Golf Course (par 72) in Hainan Province, China. Attention centers on Lee Dong-eun, Korea's longest driver, who is competing with domestically produced shafts in her LPGA debut.
According to industry sources on March 5, Lee Dong-eun—who ranked first in driving distance on the Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Tour last year with an average of 261.1 yards—is competing with "Delta Radien" shafts produced by Delta Industry, based in Gimpo, Gyeonggi Province. She has equipped the shafts in her driver, fairway woods, utility clubs, irons, and wedges. This tournament marks Lee's official debut after moving her playing career to the United States this year.
Delta Industry is a Korean company that has produced carbon shafts for over 30 years through original equipment manufacturing (OEM) and original design manufacturing (ODM). The company also produces its own brand called "Tank." In 2021, Choi Kyoung-ju used Tank products when he captured his first PGA Champions Tour victory.
Lee Dong-eun first encountered Delta Industry shafts late last year when Lee Jun-seok, CEO of Peters Lab fitting center, introduced them to her. Lee Jun-seok co-developed the Delta Radien shaft with Delta Industry. According to him, after testing the Delta Radien shaft in her driver, Lee Dong-eun said, "The biggest advantage is that it's lightweight yet has high stiffness, so I can swing freely without worry."
Lee previously used shafts weighing 55-60 grams in her driver. The Delta Radien shaft maintains the same stiffness while weighing only in the 40-gram range. This allows her to generate powerful swing speeds more comfortably while minimizing torque for directional stability. Satisfied with the wood shafts, Lee replaced her iron and wedge shafts as well ahead of her debut.
Dumina, another Korean shaft manufacturer, is also drawing attention at this tournament. American "blue-chip rookie" Yana Wilson is competing on tour with Dumina's "Autopower" shafts in her woods. This tournament also marks Wilson's LPGA debut. Wilson secured her tour card for this year after winning twice on the Epson Tour, the LPGA's developmental circuit, last year. Having used Dumina shafts since last year, Wilson plans to compete this season with Autopower Snipe shafts in her driver, fairway woods, and utility clubs.