'Dakgong' and 'Queen Jangta' Forgot_ Park Sung-hyun on an extraordinary starting line
'Dakgong' and 'Queen Jangta' Forgot_ Park Sung-hyun on an extraordinary starting line
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There is a saying that Korean women's golf is divided into before and after Park Sung-hyun. With her extraordinary long shot and chic charm, Park shattered the stereotypes of women's golf games and women's golf players.
In the meantime, she has swept 10 wins in the Korean Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) and seven wins in the U.S. Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tour. In Korea, she once had seven wins in a season (2016), and posted an average of 265 yards a year as if she were using a magic driver alone. After advancing to the U.S. in 2017, she immediately won the U.S. Women's Open, which is considered the best major tournament. U.S. President Donald Trump, who "intuitively" mentioned this, wrote a congratulatory message on Twitter (currently X). By 2019, she had achieved two or more wins each, down from three years.
Golf fans may have become more accustomed to Park, who bowed her head. How about Park in the new season.
Having virtually taken the entire year off due to injury and surgery, he seemed to have missed golf and competition very much. He went to training in Thailand separately from his caddie, and started the new season this week after going through tempering in the U.S. The Founders Cup, which will kick off in Bradenton, Florida on Thursday, will make his comeback.
"When I think about the number 17," said Park Sung-hyun, whom she met last month before leaving for the U.S., "I suddenly remember that I did a good job." I was even more surprised to hear that I had never thought of such a thing before. Park had no choice but to ask a lot of gloomy things such as injuries and sluggishness, but Park smiled a lot and when talking about the new season, she expressed her excitement with a fresh look like a rookie 11 years ago.
I heard that he went to the first training session before the full-fledged winter training.
"I went to Bangkok, Thailand for a month last December. I only went there with my caddie."
I wonder what the best score was when I went round in Thailand.
"I hit six under par (laughs)."
Didn't you train so much by yourself without a coach in the past?
"That's right. I'm used to it. But sometimes it's not fun to do it alone. I have a team in the U.S., so I can do it alone for about a month. I think it's important to work with my caddie separately. He has been with me for more than two years. He played professionally in copyright."
I've been learning from professional Cho Min-joon, the old swing coach, for a few years.
"This is my third training session in the U.S. as well. I don't get many lessons from professionals because my stay in Korea is not that long, but I do go to the camp. Hitting and practicing with the players there helps a lot. After training in Palm Springs, I am considering the Founders Cup in Florida in February as my first competition of this season."
I didn't even get to a single competition last year. I don't think I ever did that.
"It's not that I couldn't go to the tournament at all because I went to two Korean competitions, but it's the first time in my life that I've taken such a break."
Many people must have asked "How many points did you get in this season?" Last year, you were on leave, but if you were to score points in terms of recovery from your physical condition, what would you score?
"It's hard to grade them. I had to focus on rehabilitation for about seven months after the surgery. Since then, I have played only two competitions. Actually, I used to feel depressed. Whenever I saw other players playing well on TV, I kept thinking that I wanted to play. I just thought that I wanted to run and that I hope it doesn't hurt. So, there were times when I was down. Rather than giving them points, I try to be satisfied that I played two matches and confirmed that I have no problem with my wrist because I did well in rehabilitation."
When did you get a medical extension on the LPGA Tour and how you spent that time.
"I put it out in late December, 2023. It was the first time I've been in Korea for such a long time since I entered the U.S. I went on a trip with my family and friends. I ate a lot of delicious food and had a lot of fun. So I gained some weight."
If you could tell me more about your family trip.
"I went to Osaka with my mom. For 3 days and 2 nights, I woke up and ate until I went back to sleep. I love Japanese food so much, and when I travel, I plan my schedule by focusing on eating rather than looking at tourist attractions. When I eat something that I can eat in that country, it's very memorable."
I remember about two years ago. At the clothing sponsor event, he set his goal for this season to win three major championships. He seemed confident. If you look back on why he said so and why it didn't go as he thought.
"I thought it would be better to set a high goal. I had injuries and it wasn't that my performance improved or anything. However, I learned a lot even though things were not going my way. This year, I went to training earlier to prepare better based on those experiences. I am thinking that the goals that I said then will come true even a little closer this year."
The atmosphere was amazing at the 2022 KLPGA Tour Major Hite Jinro Championship. By tying for third in the popular and difficult course, he could not afford to keep up with fans' enthusiastic cheering. What was the reason for not being able to continue that feeling?
"After a long time, I was able to concentrate well on the game and felt like, 'I might be close to winning.' It would have been nice if my performance at that time had continued, but it's a pity that there were no more games to play at the end of the second half of the year. Anyway, I think the reason why I couldn't continue the feeling was that I lacked preparation. I tried many things at that time. It was time to keep learning new things in the swing and short game, and to make a lot of attempts. I couldn't make those things a little more round, and there was a bit of unevenness left. It went well in the Hite competition, so I got some results. I'm a little disappointed that if the schedule had continued since then, it would have been better."
Let's talk more about the injury. In the final match of the KLPGA Tour season in November 2023, he suffered a torn ligament in his left wrist. Looking back, how painful and serious was it?
I understand that the fan cafe is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. Do you have any special plans?
"I don't have any special plans yet. First of all, it's been so long since I told you about the victory, so you'll be waiting for me. You'll want to see me come out because I took a break last year. I just want to give you a gift."
What does fan mean to Park Sung-hyun?
"I think I've grown this much because of my fans. Whether they play or not, whether their performance is good or not, they support me with their mother's heart. Sometimes I feel like they know me better than my family. That's why I can say that I'm another family member. I'm so grateful."
What kind of person do fans see and what kind of person do I think I am these days?
"Apart from my old fans, I'm sure there are people who haven't watched my game much or only watched me on TV. In their eyes, I don't laugh and don't talk much, so they might think I'm rough and I think I'm going to be rude." In fact, I've heard such things. But I think I'm a good speaker and smile very well, and I lead conversations when I'm with my family or friends. I think there are parts that are different from what you see in real life."
I wonder what treasure 1 is related to golf and treasure 1 is not related to golf.
"First of all, I'm a putter. I think putting is the most important thing. Of course, there are a lot of golf clubs, so I share a lot, but I've never given a putter to anyone until now. I have everything I've been using since I was in elementary school. So when it comes to golf, I can consider it a putter as a treasure. Other treasures are dogs, Daon and Ato, except for the family."
Do you change your putter often?
"That's not true. If it goes well, I tend to keep going, and when I have to change it, I don't look for a new model at all, but go back to what I used in the past. You can use it again."
What is your favorite course at home and abroad?
"I don't know much about the course of the competition in other countries, and I liked Anyang Country Club in Korea. It was good to walk without a cart and it was difficult. I was able to experience the course thanks to my former clothing sponsor."
The proudest award of my golf life, if I were to name a number.
"While playing golf, I met so many good people and there were so many people who helped me. Thanks to those people, I feel that my life is becoming perfect. When I was young, my family lived a hard life. My parents gave me a hard time playing golf, but fortunately, it went well, so I'm grateful that my family is a little comfortable. It's not because I'm good alone. It's because of the people who helped me. Again, I think I'm completing my life because of them."
I guess they think the help they received from good people is an award. Then what are the numbers?
"It's been so long since I won a championship, so I suddenly counted how many times I won. It was 17 times. Korea won 10, the U.S. won 7. Until now, it was a repetition of my life after I played in the next game after another week. Honestly, even if I won the championship, I had to forget about it and focus on it again after the next week, so I didn't enjoy much of the lingering effects of the championship. So, I didn't take the number 17 as a big meaning. However, as it has been a long time since I won the championship and my resting period has become long, I have come to think that I have done a really good job and am proud of what I have built up to now. Before that, I had never thought of such things. I always felt that I lacked in myself and had a lot of complaints about me, but when I think about the number 17, I suddenly remember that I did a good job."
Other than golf, what are some things that people around you acknowledge as talented?
"As a joke, people around me say, 'I'm good at everything except golf.' I think I'm good at everything. I'm good at making people do what I'm told to do."
Should I accept that I'm good at work?
"I don't think I can say I'm good at it, but I think I'm good at it. I had an American home in Florida, and I moved to Las Vegas by myself. I bought a bunch of furniture from Ikea, put them together by myself, put on a doorknob, and changed the doorbell. I looked up YouTube and did it. I thought I could do it."
Which channel do you subscribe to YouTube?
"I don't subscribe. I don't usually watch it at all. I heard that you can listen to songs for free if you subscribe to a premium. I don't watch TV, but I enjoy watching Netflix because I spend a lot of time on airplanes. I finished watching Squid Game 2. I'm waiting for season 3."
In 2015, the second year of the KLPGA tour, he donated 100 million won, continuing his extraordinary good deeds. If you count the total amount of donations, wouldn't it be around 1 to 2 billion won? 메이저사이트
"I've never calculated how much I've donated. I don't think it's going to be a billion."
Have you ever encountered a case of recovering hope and living well thanks to Park's help?
"I don't know about that, but there are things like this. I think there are a lot of female fans. There are a lot of them who are sick. Some people rely on wheelchairs to come to the gallery. Even though they are sick and their health is deteriorating, people say that they cheer up whenever they see me. When I see messages on Instagram, there are messages saying, 'I will cheer up when I see the professional. I'm sick, but I will still try my best'. Those are very grateful words. Recently, a long-time fan died of cancer. He said his last wish was to see my face, so he went to see me and left in a week or two after that. It was so heartbreaking. There are many people fighting against diseases in poor environment, and it leads me to think that it can be fixed with even a little help, regardless of the amount. Fans also raise Buddy funds every year to join me. After the season ends, it's a huge amount of money. I have nothing to say but thank you."
How will Park's "team" be formed this year?
"I have a caddy, a local manager for a management company, and even a mom to act as a manager."
In the past, Park's nickname was "shut up and attack" and "Queen of hitting long balls." This season's keyword is radish