Women’s Golf In South Korea ‘Is Like Football In The States’ Because Of The Ladies That Dominate The Sport
Women’s golf is a big deal in South Korea, so much so that golfer So Yeon Ryu said that the sport “is like football in the States,” according to the Golf Channel.
The sport is receiving well-deserved attention as of late because of the women who have topped rankings world-wide.
Seven of the top players in the world rankings are reportedly Korean born while five of the last six major championships have been won by Korean-born players.
Currently, the top two women’s golfers in the world are Park In-bee of South Korea and Lydia Ko of New Zealand, according to the news outlet Korea Observer. Ko was reportedly born in South Korea and moved to New Zealand when she was 6.
As the women of South Korea have continued to dominate the sport, the country has worked to support them.
“What I love about Korea is the way they embrace their players,” stated Juli Inkster, a Hall of Famer.
“They have so much respect for women’s golf. I wish the United States would do more of that. These players coming up – and Se Ri Pak really set the stage – they respect their games and they respect women’s golf, which I think is marvelous right now.”
Park and Ko are reportedly in the field for this week’s LPGA KEB Hana Bank Championship, the only LPGA event held in South Korea each year. Park holds her title as number one with 12.87 points while Ko is reportedly right behind her at 12.38 points.
“The LPGA is largely U.S. based,” said Park.
“We don’t get an opportunity to play in front of our Korean fans, [but] we get to play in front of our family and fans [this week]. So that, in itself, is a great experience.”
Despite the success of these two women, they’re not focusing on numbers.
“I’ve won the money title and the Player of the Year honors, and they’re all very important,” said Park.
“But if I start worrying about them, I will lose focus on more important things. I think the most important thing for me is to keep playing my game.”
