The Doosan Match Play Championship has become a tournament of upsets. Last year's winner Lee Ye-won, 2024 champion Park Hyun-kyung and 2023 winner Sung Yu-jin all suffered the bitter taste of elimination in the round of 16. With last year's Player of the Year Yoo Hyun-jo and this year's runner-up in Player of the Year points Kim Min-sol also failing to advance, this year's Doosan Match has thoroughly become a "graveyard for top-ranked players." Another notable feature is that long hitters largely failed to advance to the round of 16, while a significant number of short hitters made it through.
The most anticipated match on the third day of group stage play, held Saturday at Ladena Country Club in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, was the showdown between Bang Shin-sil and Kim Min-sol in the "group of death" featuring long hitters. Bang, with two wins, would clinch a spot in the round of 16 with a victory, while Kim, at 1-1, could force a playoff with a win. The expected close contest ended somewhat anticlimactically as Bang took control from the start and won by 3 holes.
Bang was the longest driver of the year among the 16 players who advanced to the round of 16. Among the top 10 in driving distance, only two reached the round of 16: Bang at sixth (251.55 yards) and Seo Kyo-rim at eighth (250.95 yards). Just six players ranked within the top 50 in driving distance advanced, including Shin Da-in at 17th (245.14 yards), Kim Si-hyun at 21st (243.85 yards), Choi Ga-bin at 33rd (242.24 yards) and Yang Hyo-jin at 48th (239.21 yards). As many as 10 players ranked outside the top 50 in driving distance reached the round of 16. While long hitters are typically considered to have an advantage in match play, this tournament saw a revolt of the short hitters.
The 10 players ranked outside the top 50 in driving distance who advanced to the round of 16 were: Hong Jin-young II at 53rd (238.74 yards), Hong Jung-min at 77th (234.12 yards), Ahn Song-yi at 79th (234.06 yards), Lee Chae-eun II at 81st (233.33 yards), Choi Ye-rim at 91st (231.88 yards), Jo A-yeon at 92nd (231.87 yards), Noh Seung-hee at 97th (229.87 yards), Choi Eun-woo at 98th (229.70 yards), Yoo Seo-yeon II at 100th (229.57 yards) and Park Gyeol at 110th (221.67 yards).
Park's advancement, in particular, can be considered the biggest upset of the tournament. After defeating Liu Xuying of China in the first match of the group stage, Park created a stir in the second match by taking down formidable opponent Yoo Hyun-jo. Park lost to Cho Hye-rim on Saturday but secured the sweet fruit of advancing to the round of 16 by winning a playoff against Yoo Hyun-jo.
