■ Re-leap of K-golf, meet the heroine
– (1) Q Series Champion ‘Miss Plan’ Yoo Hae-ran “Nothing
has changed just because
I was in the top spot. If I hit the Korean line straight , I
‘ll get used to the new environment quickly”
My parents live together and support me
Excellent English skills for the game On the
16th, I went to Bangkok to quench my putt . In
March, the U.S. debuts on the LPGA Tour.
Korean golf has consistently stood out on the international stage since the appearances of Kyung-Joo Choi and Se-Ri Pak. Yang Yong-eun, Bae Sang-moon, Shin Ji-ae, and Choi Na-yeon continued to perform, and now a new generation represented by ‘K-golf’ is preparing for another leap forward. Munhwa Ilbo met and listened to golfers who will be active on the world stage in 2023, the Year of the Rabbit. The first player is Yoo Hae-ran (22), who passed the LPGA Tour Qualifying (Q) Series as the top scorer.
On November 13 last year, the SK Shielders-SK Telecom Championship, the last tournament of the 2022 season Korea Women’s Professional Golf (KLPGA) Tour, ended. Yoo Hae-ran, who finished the tournament in a tie for 7th place, said on social media, “The finish is a bit disappointing, but I will still think I did well. I still have work to do this year, so it’s not the season off, but I’ll try harder so that I can finish it satisfactorily.” After that, I went straight to America for a bigger dream.
On the first day of the Q Series of the LPGA Tour held in Alabama, USA on December 1st, Hae-Ran Yu shot a 1-over-par 73 and tied for 58th place. The Q Series plays eight rounds over two weeks, and the top 20 players join the LPGA Tour.
Although the start was not smooth, Yoo Hae-ran wrote a reversal drama that reduced 30 strokes in the remaining 7 rounds. The final score was 29 under par 545 strokes. He became the 7th senior Korean player to pass the LPGA tour. After the change to the 8-round system, it is the third Q Series victory after Lee Jung-eun 6 in 2018 and Annarin in 2021. After joining hands with a new management company last year to advance into the US, the dream came true exactly one year later.
Hong Mi-young, executive director of Sema Sports Marketing, who observed Ran Hae-ran closely, said, “I say no, but Ran Hae-ran is a very meticulous style. He explained that entering the LPGA Tour was the result of achieving what he had planned since he was young.”
He achieved his most desired goal, but he was not excited. Yoo Hae-ran, who we met over the phone on the 3rd, said, “It doesn’t change anything even if I passed the Q series as the top. He just passed through one intermediate gateway,” he said. Yoo Hae-ran consistently achieved high rankings. He received the KLPGA Tour Rookie Award in the 2020 season, and while winning 5 wins in his career, his eyes were on the ‘dream stage’ across the Pacific Ocean.
The US stage challenge is unfamiliar, but it is a new start. Yoo Hae-ran, who evaluated, “As long as you play well in a relatively limited environment in Korea, you can get good results,” said Yoo Hae-ran. That’s why my goal is to quickly adapt to a new environment rather than immediate grades.” A foreign caddy contract to help analyze unfamiliar LPGA tour courses is also in the final stages. 토토
The experience of the Q series, which wielded heavy blows for 7 rounds after the sluggish 1st round, is the most reliable asset. Yoo Hae-ran said, “Honestly, after the first day of the game, I was worried about whether I should go home this week.” I will show you,” he said.
Yu Hae-ran’s American adaptation is supported by her manager and her parents, who will live as one body. In particular, his parents directly accompany their youngest daughter to the challenge.
Yu Hae-ran decided to live in a local hotel during his first year in the United States without finding a place to live in. There is absolutely no problem with his communication either. Even when he participated in the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta and Palembang as a national team member, he showed off his English skills. He doesn’t care about food, so it is evaluated by those around him that he completed all preparations for entering the US early on.
Starting from the 16th, Yoo Hae-ran will train for about a month with a coach he has been with near Bangkok, Thailand, and will begin his final hardening. He set a goal to intensively refine his short game and putts. His official debut on the LPGA Tour is undecided. After moving to the U.S. mainland in early March and completing local adaptation, it is highly likely that he will participate in the Drive-On Championship held at Superstition Mountain Golf and Country Club in Gold Canyon, Arizona.