Many were skeptical after hearing that Simone was looking to hold a golf tournament overseas in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. At the time, it was hard to hold a tournament even in Korea, yet alone in a country like Indonesia where golf was still being developed. However, the tournament was a success only through the full support and determination of Simone Group Chairman Eun-kwan Kenny Park.

Chairman Park joined as a founding member of the Asia Golf Leaders Forum (AGLF) in October 2019 and promised that he would one day hold a tournament in Asia under Simone’ s name. “Countries where the golf infrastructure, market and system have developed and matured such as Korea, Japan, Australia, and Thailand, should play the bigger role in helping the other Asia Pacific countries,” said Mr. Park.

He was well aware that to achieve such a goal would be long and timeconsuming. However, he firmly believed that the Simone Asia Pacific Cup would be the turning point in the development of golf in these countries and serve as a stepping stone for them to take the next step. Above all, Chairman Park gave further significance to the tournament by having it held in Indonesia, where the Simone production plant is located.

As a global leader in luxury handbag production with factories in Vietnam, Indonesia, and Cambodia, and with more than over 10,000 local employees, Simone has played a vital role in helping grow Indonesia for more than 20 years. Mr. Park said in confidence, “AGLF will be the future of Asian Golf. I think that it can become a stage that can encompass and host the entire Asian market and as an organization, play the pivotal role Asia so desperately needs. But first it needs to hold many tournaments. That’s why I boldly invested.”

However, the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic proved detrimental with social activities and the number of golf tournaments being greatly reduced. But with resolute determination that such a meaningful tournament can no longer be delayed, the Simone Asia Pacific Cup was officially held in August 2022. After years of hard work, it became the first international tournament created by the AGLF, which was launched to develop women’s golf in the Asia-Pacific region.

There are several prerequisites and requirements for a tournament to be successful. Firstly, the players to participate is crucial. As the first women’ s golf tournament in the Asia-Pacific region since COVID-19, famous and popular players were needed above all else. Korean representatives, such as Soyeon Ryu, Bo-mee Lee, Hyo-joo Kim, and Youmin Kwang, were to be a spectacle. In addition, Lydia Ko, the youngest Korean to ever reach number one in the world rankings, Hinako Shibuno, a major winner, Korean-American Yealimi Noh, and Hong Kong’s only LPGA Tour player Tiffany Chan, were all set to hit the stage.

With such a heavy-hitting lineup, the Pondok Indah Golf Course filled with galleries cheering for their favorite players. Dersi Suwita, secretary of the Indonesia Golf Association(IGA), expressed her delightful surprise when finding out that “for the first time in the history of the Indonesia Golf Association , a total of more than 10,000 people came in attendance for the tournament.” It was the largest gallery at the Pondok Indah Golf Course since its opening, where the Golf World Cup and the Asian Tour tournament is held. The level and scale of the tournament felt matched with a tournament held in Korea. The tournament also proved to play a meaningful role in friendship between South Korea and Indonesia.

Simone also drew attention by awarding the winner of the tournament a Boston bag and a mini bag specially made by the “0914 Masters” using an ‘Embossed Croco Leather’ of ‘Conceria Samata’, a world-class Italian tanner.

Furthermore, exciting news was revealed shortly before the start of the tournament. It was determined that a new tournament by Celltrion would be held in New Zealand in 2024 under the Ladies Asian Tour (LAT) Series.

The news of the Celltrion tournament was deemed ‘outrageous’. Attending as an invited guest of Chairman Kenny Park, Celltrion founder Jin Seo Jung, expressed his intention to create the tournament during the Gala Dinner, in front of all the participating players and related officials. He revealed the reason for his surprise announcement.

“I was very impressed by the contribution to golf development by Simone Chairman Kenny Park, who started his Indonesian business 25 years ago and turned it into a global handbag company. Celltrion is along dealing lots of business in Oceania, and we would also like to support golf in the region by contributing a golf tournament of our own.”

This news of the Celltrion tournament was first born during the Simone Asia Pacific Cup.