Korean women’s golf has another budding star. Lee Se-young, 16, a freshman from Jeju, won the BC Card-Hankyung Ladies Cup 2023 TaylorMade Dream Challenge at Pocheon Hills CC on Tuesday. Lee shot a 4-under 68 with six birdies and two bogeys. With her victory, Lee earned a spot in the Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Tour’s BC Card-Hankyung Ladies Cup, which begins on Sept. 23, and a one-year membership to Pocheon Hills CC. She also earned Team TaylorMade status, joining the likes of Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, and Park Sung-hyun in receiving a full set of TaylorMade clubs, accessories, and apparel.
“I want to win more than Minji Park”
The tournament, now in its second year, is the result of a collaboration between TaylorMade, The Korea Economic Daily, and Pocheon Hills CC to foster golf dreams. One professional golfer and three amateurs compete in a group. The overall winner of the amateur tournament will receive a full entry into the Ladies’ Cup. 안전놀이터
The inaugural winner is already a star. Lim Ji-yu, 18, of Bangtongo, Soosung, won the tournament last year and is now on her way to becoming the “strongest amateur”. In April, she competed in the Augusta National Women’s Amateur, a pre-Masters event, and finished fifth, the best finish by a South Korean player. In October, she will compete for a medal at the Hangzhou Asian Games under the Korean flag. Playing in her second Dream Challenge, Lim said after the tournament, “I won last year and it gave me a chance to take a leap forward as a golfer,” adding, “I could feel that I have grown even more in a year.” She carded three birdies and a bogey to finish in third place with a 2-under-par 70.
Lee’s victory, just two years after his first attempt at the event, heralded the birth of the “Scary Ama.” He is one of the longest hitters in the amateur ranks. She averages over 230 meters in distance. Her most confident club is her driver. On this day, he hit his tee shots around 230 meters and was flawless in the first round, making four birdies without a bogey. He made two bogeys in the second round, but made up for it with two birdies to finish at four under. “Last year, I shot even par and was very disappointed, so I applied for this year’s tournament as soon as it was announced,” he said. Lee’s role model is KLPGA Tour standout Minji Park. “I want to become a player with more wins than Park Min-ji,” he said.
“A chance to learn from the pros”
For aspiring golfers, a round with a KLPGA Tour professional is a “dream come true. That’s why the TaylorMade Dream Challenge has emerged as the premier event for girls’ middle school and high school golfers in just its second year. Just being on the field with the pros is a huge motivator for the young players. “I played in the same group as Hwang Jeong-mi, but the distance from the tee was different,” said Isa Rang (16, a freshman at Hamyeol Girls’ High School), who finished second on the day. Many participants said the experience of playing a regular tour course gave them new motivation. Song Ji-A (16) said, “It was really hard to hit the ball because the course was long and the fairways were narrow,” adding, “I vowed to increase my distance.”
Receiving tips from the pros was also a great gift. “I didn’t win today, but I’m really happy that I got a lot of tips from Na Hee-won, who played in the same group as me,” said Kim Min-seo (18). “I was worried about my approach, especially when there was a bunker in front of the green and a pin in front of it, but Na Hee-won (29) advised me to go 5 meters back instead of going straight for the pin,” he said.
The round with the dreamers was also meaningful for the professional players. “Last year, the juniors in the same group would ask me, ‘How do you hit your shots,’ but this year, they confided in me, ‘What kind of mindset do I need to have to make a birdie,’ or ‘I’m worried about my driving distance,'” said Na Hee-won, who also participated as a ‘role model for dreamers. Lee Se-eun, 24, said, “Seeing the dreamers’ passion for golf reminded me of my amateur days,” and smiled, “It was a chance to brush up on my basics.”
“We are proud that we were able to give these golfers the opportunity to watch and learn from tour professionals and take a step closer to their dreams,” said Heon-Young Lim, CEO of TaylorMade Korea. “We will do our best to support the development of Korean youth golfers.” 토토사이트순위