South Korean professional golfer Lee Ye-won recently secured a crypto prize exceeding $457,000 by winning a KLPGA Tour event in Busan. The tournament, known as the WEMIX Championship, was sponsored by WeMade’s crypto and blockchain gaming subsidiary. This event stood out due to its unique reward system.
Lee secured victory with an impressive score of 67, finishing five strokes under par over the two days. Instead of the usual fiat prize money, she was awarded 250,000 WEMIX tokens.
The KLPGA tour, a major competitor to the LPGA tour, attracts renowned women’s golf stars. WeMade, a prominent gaming company, allocated a total of 1 million WEMIX tokens (equivalent to approximately $1,828,000) as prize “money” for the tour. Additionally, the company distributed NFTs to golfers who qualified for the second day and issued NFT tickets for the event.
Golf Triumphs and Crypto Challenges: Lee Ye-won and WeMade’s Journey
The championship took place at the Haeundae Beach Golf and Resort in Busan, South Korea’s second-largest city, featuring a par 72 course. Lee Ye-won, a 20-year-old golfer, holds the current global ranking of 34th by Rolex. With her recent victory, there is the potential for an upward revision in her ranking.
Last year, WeMade encountered challenges as DEXA, the listings committee for the nation’s five fiat-trading crypto exchanges, mandated the immediate delisting of WEMIX. This action was prompted by irregularities discovered in the reported data concerning the circulation of WEMIX coins.
Despite this setback, WeMade successfully “relisted” its coin, gaining support from two DEXA member exchanges and securing overseas listings. The company aims to restore its reputation and establish itself as a leading gaming-related token in South Korea.
Crypto and Golf: Global Trends, Controversies, and Unique Intersections
Globally, there have been diverse interactions between crypto and golf. However, in the South Korean golf community, controversy arose when prosecutors sought the arrest of Ahn Seong-hyun, a former coach of the national golf team. The coach, a former professional golfer, was accused of bribing crypto exchange officials to list an altcoin.
In previous years, British golf clubs made headlines by announcing their acceptance of Bitcoin payments. In March of this year, a crypto community named LinksDAO furthered this trend by expressing interest in acquiring a historic Scottish golf course.
The convergence of crypto and golf is evolving, and events such as the WEMIX Championship play a pivotal role. These occasions bring a unique dimension to traditional prize structures in the sport, showcasing the dynamic nature of their intersection.
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