[On the Scene] Cheers at the 9th, a relaxed atmosphere at the 18th... A look at the Lexus Masters

[Financial News] As visitors entered Club72 in Yeongjongdo, Incheon, where the 2026 Lexus Masters hosted by Lexus Korea was being held, they were greeted by the flagship multipurpose vehicle (MPV), the Lexus LM 500h. Music and cheers rang out at the 9th hole, while Lexus owners watched the action calmly at the 18th. The lounge, with its black pillars and solid wood tables, put to rest any preconceptions that it was a temporary facility.
Unlike the rainy, windy weather the previous day, warm sunshine fell on the 2026 Lexus Masters venue when we visited on the 30th. Spectators continued to arrive despite the somewhat muggy weather. After passing the clubhouse at Club72’s Ocean Course in Yeongjongdo and entering the Fan Village, we spotted a booth displaying and selling Lexus merchandise. The LM 500h was on display right beside it, bringing home how the event combined a golf tournament with an automotive brand.
The tournament, which Lexus Korea opened on the 29th, is a regular event on the Korea Professional Golfers’ Association (KPGA) Tour and runs through the 1st of next month. Now in its third year, it has a total purse of 1 billion won, with 200 million won going to the winner. Last year’s champion Kim Jae-ho is competing, along with Lexus-sponsored players Park Sang-hyun and Ham Jeong-woo.
The standout attraction in the Fan Village was the Lexus Young Farmers Zone. Since 2018, Lexus has identified and supported “Young Farmers”—young people who practice sustainable agriculture based on their own philosophies and values. A Young Farmers Zone was also set up at this year’s tournament, selling products the farmers had grown or processed themselves, including strawberry jam, honey, milk tea and hojicha.
A Lexus Korea representative explained, “We launched a social contribution program to support Young Farmers in 2018,” adding, “We are also promoting their products at events such as Lexus Awards 2026 and working to develop sales channels for them.”
Spectators were also eager to take part. The Fan Village featured a 150-meter nearest-to-the-pin experience zone, an approach challenge and a putting event, with golf balls and various other golf items offered as prizes. More than 10 spectators were lined up in front of the approach challenge in particular. There were also hands-on activities, including free lessons from professional golf coaches and a golf simulator.
Food trucks and a racing experience area were set up at the other end. Lexus vehicles, including the RX 450h+ plug-in hybrid (PHEV) sport utility vehicle (SUV), were displayed between the booths. Particularly eye-catching were the ES 350e and ES 500e, battery-electric versions of the eighth-generation “all-new ES,” recently launched in Korea. The ES 350e can travel up to 478 km on a single charge, based on Korea’s certified combined-cycle rating. It combines the ES’s signature quietness and ride comfort with the smooth acceleration of an electric vehicle.
At the fork leading into the tournament grounds, the Masters Lounge at the 9th hole came into view on the left, and the Lexus Lounge, reserved for Lexus owners at the 18th, on the right. Since the spaces were temporary setups at a golf course, we had not expected much from the facilities, but our impression changed as soon as we entered the Masters Lounge. The combination of black pillars and solid wood tables created a polished atmosphere.
The Masters Lounge at the 9th hole was lively with music and spectators’ cheers. Spectators responded to the players’ performances by shouting, “Let’s go,” “You’re the best,” and “Great!” This is the tournament’s signature hole, where players tee off to music they have selected themselves. This year, the 9th hole, originally a par 4, was changed to a par 3 to make watching and cheering more enjoyable. A “High-Five Zone,” where players and spectators could slap hands, was also set up.
On the 29th, the first day of the tournament, An Ji-min recorded a hole-in-one at this very 9th hole. An will receive a new Lexus electric sedan, the ES 350e, as the hole-in-one prize. The cheers and music at the 9th hole had become more than just a spectacle—they were a way for players and spectators to enjoy the tournament together.
By contrast, the Lexus Lounge in front of the 18th hole had a calm atmosphere. Lexus-owner spectators could sit at tables and watch the action, with coffee, cake and salad also provided. Unlike the 9th hole, where spectators cheered players to music, this was a place to enjoy the tournament comfortably with friends or family. Lexus Korea also ran shuttles between the owners-only parking lot and the tournament grounds, making it easier to get around.
The two lounges had distinctly different characters. The 9th hole, where anyone could raise their voice to cheer on the players, embodied the tournament slogan, “Passion and Cheers.” The 18th hole, meanwhile, was designed to let visitors experience Lexus’s philosophy of “omotenashi” (hospitality), with its thoughtful care for customers.
A Lexus Korea representative said, “We wanted to create a tournament where the KPGA and Lexus could grow together,” adding, “We set up programs at the 9th hole, including music and high-fives, to engage with spectators so that even people who don’t know much about golf can cheer and enjoy it together, like at a baseball game.” The representative went on to emphasize, “We will build it into a golf tournament everyone can enjoy, where players and spectators connect and cheer together, rather than simply watching golf.”   

[email protected] Kim Dong-ho Reporter