"We are meticulously designing not only the course conditions and tournament operations but also the spectator experience and content. Beyond a simple golf tournament, we aim to provide a new experience combining golf, culture, and leisure. I hope The Siena Open helps reignite the golf boom."
Shin Dong-hyu, chairman of The Siena Group, shared these thoughts in a recent interview with Seoul Economic Daily at his office in The Siena Dosan in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, discussing his plans for hosting the 2026 KLPGA Tour domestic season opener.
The Siena Group will hold "The Siena Open 2026" from April 2-5 at The Siena Veluto Country Club in Yeoju, Gyeonggi Province. The domestic opener carries total prize money of 1 billion won ($690,000). This marks The Siena Group's first solo tournament sponsorship on the tour. The KLPGA Tour, which began its season with a Thailand event this month, will enter full swing with The Siena Open as its first domestic and newly established tournament.
"Many golf tournaments focus solely on the competition itself, but we want this to become a cultural festival where players, fans, and the local community can all enjoy together," Shin said. "Our goal is to create golf culture content that goes beyond a simple tournament."
Ahead of The Siena Open, Chairman Shin is personally overseeing both major and minor aspects of tournament preparation, including practice facilities for players and gallery routes. He considers every ingredient in the food and beverages provided to competing players so important that he has the head chef attend related meetings. Notably, this tournament will provide players with two days of practice rounds instead of the usual one day. With practice rounds available on Tuesday and Wednesday, players will have double the opportunity to adapt to the course.
"As this is the first button of this year's season, we are doing our best to ensure players lack nothing," Shin said. "Noh Hee-young, former advisor to CJ Group and a branding expert, is overseeing the entire planning of this tournament to present 'a new experience unlike anything before.'"
