Ko Soars as Asian Women Golfers Dominate LPGA Tour

Asian Women

Lydia Ko celebrates her record breaking win at the Lotte Championship

Lydia Ko, 2021 Lotte Champion – photo Honolulu Star Advertiser

Lydia Ko is a Korean-born New Zealand professional golfer who achieved World Number One status at the ripe old age of 17.  This week’s win at the Lotte Championship was Ko’s first in three years, and came after she made physical, mental, and coaching changes. The “new” Lydia, some are saying, is far better than the old when she dominated the LPGA Tour in her march to number one.  However, today’s LPGA Tour has many other women professionals who can putt, think well, and drive the ball longer than many men. These elements of the new LPGA player will inject themselves weekly and will provide an ever-present challenge to Ko’s putting and iron skills.

The revolving door at the top of the World’s Golf Rankings has a distinct Pacific Rim flavor, and the dominance of Asian players on the LPGA tour continues grandly with the re-emersion of Lydia Ko.  In fact, eight of the top ten finishers in the Lotte Championship are Asian players. Nine Asians finished or tied for the top ten positions in the ANA at Mission Hills CC, Palm Springs, CA. Six of the top ten finishers at the ZKIA Classic were also Asian.

This is refreshing and reflective of a trend toward golfing excellence that began nearly forty years ago.

Changing social and economic norms over time.

Asian interest in golf emerged during a time when the Far East countries were enjoying a relative period of peace from military conflict and threats. The conflicts in the Viet Nam region and stable peace in Korea, and booming economies throughout the Far East became a catalyst for recreational development. Olympic competition, tennis, basketball, baseball (and, yes, golf) became central to a nascent youth movement.

Why golf, you ask? As women’s golf increased in popularity in the Western world with increased exposure to television and commercial markets, parents began to steer their young women toward this advancing sport. As the Far East is a largely patriarchal society, few opportunities were available to women and golf offered an acceptable alternative.

Through the Far East, the shortage of public golf courses proved to be a halting challenge to men and women seeking a career in professional golf. As late as 2001, public golf facilities were practically non-existent in many regions. A typical private club membership could easily cost upwards of $2 million per year, where the cheapest green fee on one of the few public courses was typically close to $300.00.

One of the early pioneers in Asian golf development was Kenji Nakajima, president & CEO of NKS America, Inc., a commercial real estate development company. He founded the ASMEDIA San Geronimo Golf School, which began in July of 1994. The $55,000 tuition per student was not out of reach for the well-to-do-parent who sought an alternative career for their young men, and, particularly, for their young women. This trend was also evident in the career preparation of Michelle Wie, the daughter of a wealthy medical practitioner, who thought little about the expense of securing travel, instruction, and top-of-the-line course access for his very talented daughter.

 Dedication to achieving.

Australian golfer and LPGA winner Jan Stephenson once complained, “Asian women are killing our tour. “ Her complaint to then-Tour Commissioner Ty Votaw prompted a meeting with the Asian players, requesting that they become more publicly assessable, less reserved, and that they seek learn and speak English more quickly.  However,  as Se-ri Pak and others demonstrated, the winning and dominance continued, and it soon became evident that the single most factor to winning was a dedication to the sport. Discounting distance for accuracy and practice without the distraction of TV commercials, bathing suit ads, and talk show appearances, and yes, marriage and kids.

The 1998 U.S. Women’s Open at Blackwolf Run looms larger with each passing year. Twenty years on, the 20-hole playoff won by Pak, a 20-year-old pro from Korea, over Jenny Chuasiriporn; also 20 and an American-born amateur from Duke University whose parents were from Thailand, comes into focus now as the beginning of both the global explosion of golf and the youth wave that has swept over the game today as demonstrated by players like Lydia Ko.

Pak, who had won a dozen times on the Korea LPGA, burst into prominence seven weeks before the U. S. Open when she won what is now the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship wire-to-wire. It was the first of her five career major championships, and the first of her 25 LPGA wins. But the Open was different in that it was televised back in Korea. “In Korea, it’s quite expensive to play, and a lot, of course, don’t even have driving ranges,” said Inbee Park. “So, we have to go to actual driving ranges to practice and don’t get an opportunity actually to play the golf courses that much.

“Most often, we hit on the practice ranges, just striking the ball. Not much of a putting green or short game.” This shortage of affordable public courses makes it even more impressive that so many Asian players are successful on the LPGA Tour.

Young Asian players often practice their swings in front of a mirror for hours, weeks, and years before stepping foot on a legitimate course. They hone their skills without hitting a ball.

“Everything in Korea is expensive to practice golf,” said Korea’s So Yeon Ryu. “But they do have a great national team program. I spent four or five years with the team. It’s a great program. The players would have access to all the golf courses around the country and their practice facilities.”

The courses, the national golf programs, and the government work in tandem to churn out dozens of LPGA Tour candidates each year.  As this dominance continues minoritygolfmag.com will continue to write about this ever-growing segment of professional golf.

 

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