Golf and Women Golfers in South Korea
It is probably true that golf appeals to business men because it is seen as an athletic pursuit during which it is easy to maintain face. It is well known that Korean golfers are very generous toward their competitors, an act that pleases everyone involved. For instance, in South Korea, it is the caddies who mark the scorecards, and it is left up to the caddies’ discretion as to what the score should be. A golfer seldom is given a score above a double-par: If you shoot an 11 on a par 5, you will be given a 10. On the first hole of every match, a generous golfer in the U.S. or Great Britain might give his or her opponent a mulligan if the initial tee shot goes astray. In Korea, every golfer can be counted on receiving a score no higher than a bogey. In this way, each player is allowed to demonstrate his courtesy toward a business guest while ensuring that his own score does not suffer unduly.
Aside from these obvious advantages of etiquette, the popularization of golf in South Korea can be attributed to the phenomenal success of Korean women golfers in the last few years. Until recently, the traditional role of women on the golf course was that of a caddy. Pretty young women are trained in the sport as well as in the conditions of individual courses, after which they can work as caddies. However, with the play of golfers such as Pearl Sinn and Se Ri Pak, women are quickly making the transition from caddy to expert golfer.
More than any other golfer, Se Ri Pak has made a name for herself on the international golfing circuit. As a rookie, she dominated the LPGA tour, winning the Rookie of the Year award by an amazing 904 points. She won her first Major on the LPGA tour, the McDonald’s LPGA Championship. In her second Major, the U.S. Women’s Open, she became the youngest woman to win the tournament after battling through an 18-hole playoff round followed by 2 holes of sudden death play against Duke University amateur Jenny Chausiriporn. Throughout her rookie year, she blazed a path of glory across the LPGA circuit, becoming only the third player in LPGA history to win a tournament immediately following a victory at the U.S. Women’s Open and carding the lowest 18-hole score in LPGA history.
Se Ri Pak’s
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