Overview

This week marks the 45th staging of the GS Caltex Maekyung Open, one of Korea’s premier events, which as you know regularly attracts large galleries.

Koreans consider the event their version of the Masters, with the winner also donning a Green Jacket.

Maekyung is a Media Group that operates a newspaper, broadcasting network, weekly and monthly magazine publications, and an electronic newspaper. It has been the main title sponsor since the event’s launch in 1982.

The organisation’s Maeil Business Newspaper also became a media partner of the Asian Tour this year, helping to cement the relationship with extensive coverage in Korean and English.

The Korea Golf Association are the guardians of the event, along with the forthcoming Kolon Korea Open, and have always been a strong supporter of the Asian Tour.

Doyeob Mun pictured winning last year.

Namseoul Country Club

Described as an ‘old-school course’, with greens sloping almost exclusively from back-to-front, Namseoul Country Club has hosted nearly every edition of the GS Caltex Maekyung Open since the inception of the tournament.

Opened in 1971 and designed by Japanese course architect Seiichi Inoue, the Club traverses hilly and mountainous terrain which places an emphasis on being able to carefully master the slippery greens.

Jeong-soo Hur, former Chairman of the Korea Golf Association, founded the club – which is also one of the venues for the Korea Amateur Golf Championship.

Jeongwoo Ham won the Singapore Open on Sunday. Picture by Graham Uden/Asian Tour.

Tournament Information

• Tournament: The 45th GS Caltex Maekyung Open Golf Championship
• Date: 30th April – 3rd May 2026
• Venue: Namseoul Country Club, Seongnam, Korea
• Par/Yards: 71 / 7,083 yards
• Purse: KRW1,300,000,000
• Asian Tour leg: Fifth
• Edition of tournament: 45^th
• Prevoius winner: Doyeob Mun (KOR)
• Winning score in 2025: 274 (-10)
• Total number of players: 138
• Format: Stroke play tournament over four rounds of 18 holes with a cut after 36 holes to leading 65 players (including amateurs) plus ties.

Pavit Tangkamolprasert. Picture by Graham Uden/Asian Tour.

Field Breakdown

• Order of Merit winners: Andy Ogletree (2023), Sihwan Kim (2022), Jazz Janewattananond (2019)
• Nationalities: 19
• Top contenders: Doyeob Mun (KOR), Jeongwoo Ham (KOR), Seonghyeon Kim (KOR), Pavit Tangkamolprasert (THA), Jazz Janewattananond (THA)
• Highest ranked player on OWGR: Seonghyeon Kim #138
• Highest ranked player on the Order of Merit: Jeongwoo Ham #2
• No. of amateurs in the field: 7
• No. of Korean players in the field: 88

Tournament Notes

• Defending champion Doyeob Mun from Korea fired a final round 63 to win the prestigious tournament, known in Korea as the “Korean Masters”, last year. At last week’s Singapore Open he fired an impressive 65  in the final round to finish T6, so he’s coming into the week in good form. This week he will also attempt to become the second player to win the prestigious tournament back-to-back, although should he achieve the feat it will be something of a first. His compatriot Taehee Lee triumphed in 2019 and 2020 but his second win happened when the event was played on the Korean PGA Tour and wasn’t joint sanctioned with the Asian Tour, due to travel restrictions imposed by the global pandemic. On the Korean PGA Tour he posted one more win in 2025, claiming the KPGA Founders Cup.
• Fellow Korean Jeongwoo Ham is also in top form, winning last week’s Singapore Open wire-to-wire by two shots. With the win in Singapore, he also punched his ticket to The Open via the Open Qualifying Series. Prior to his victory last week he has also recorded four wins on his home tour in Korea, the last one coming in 2024.
• Seonghyeon Kim, also from the host country, plays on the PGA Tour after graduating from the Korn Ferry Tour last year. He posted a T7 at the Valspar Championship as his best result in 2026, and a T13 at the season opening Sony Open in Hawaii. He played in three Asian Tour events in 2025 with a sixth place in the Shinhan Donghae Open as his best finish.
• Thailand’s Pavit Tangkamolprasert, currently in third place on the Order of Merit, has started 2026 with excellent results after a T2 in the International Series Japan and a runner-up at the season opening Philippine Golf Championship. He also has an early season T2 on the All Thailand Tour after a playoff loss to compatriot Danthai Boonma.
• Jazz Janewattananond, also from Thailand, was T2 in last year’s edition of the tournament, after having been tied for the lead after three rounds. The 2019 Order of Merit champion is coming off a good week at the Singapore Open, finishing T3. Jazz is currently tied for ninth in all-time Asian Tour wins with seven, with the last one coming at the 2022 International Series Morocco.
• Past champions in the field this week: Doyeob Mun (2025), Hongtaek Kim (2024), Chanmin Jung (2023), Bio Kim (2022, 2012), Inhoi Hur (2021), Sanghyun Park (2018, 2016), Sanghee Lee (2017), Kyongjun Moon (2015), Daehyun Kim (2010), Sangmoon Bae (2009) and Innchoon Hwang (2008).
• The last time a non-Korean won the tournament was in 2004 when American, and winner of the 1989 Open Championship, Mark Calcaveccia took the title.