[2020 Newstart②] Han Seungji "The 5 Years of Ordeal Are Over"

KLPGA Tour Seed Lost and Thorny Path, Entered Japanese Stage via Last Year's JLPGA Q-Series "With a Rookie's Mindset Again"

Han Seung-ji will start his second golf career in Japan in the 2020 season.

[Asia Economy Reporter No Woo-rae] "Feels like a rookie."

This is the confession of Han Seung-ji (27), a 9th-year professional. She passed the Japan Ladies Professional Golf Association (JLPGA) Tour Qualifying Tournament (QT) held last month on the 6th at Kodama Golf Course in Saitama Prefecture, Japan (par 72), ranking 14th. It is interesting that she had no tour card for the past five years. After a long period of wandering, she gained a precious opportunity to compete on the Japanese stage. In an interview with Asia Economy Newspaper on the 12th, she said, "This is my first time on an overseas tour," and smiled brightly, saying, "My heart is fluttering."

Han Seung-ji, who was a national team reserve, debuted on the first division of the Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Tour in 2012 after ranking 26th in the KLPGA Tour qualifying in November 2011. In 2013, she ranked 3rd at the Lotte Cantata Ladies Open and entered the 'Top 10' three times, finishing 32nd in the prize money rankings (107.8 million KRW), but dropped to 73rd in 2014 and ranked only 128th in the qualifying tournament, shedding tears. From 2015, she walked a thorny path for four years on the KLPGA Dream (second division) Tour.

"I suffered a lot mentally," Han said. "I really practiced hard, but my golf didn't go as before," she confessed, adding, "I even thought about quitting because good results didn't come." However, she confirmed her potential to win on the KLPGA Tour and did not want to leave any regrets. "I didn't want to put down my golf clubs without any achievements," she recalled, "Although my body and mind were exhausted, the time I spent playing golf was very happy and good."

She received help from Kim Sang-gyun, the director of the Hanwha Q CELLS Golf Team, whom she met during her rookie days. "He gave me meticulous advice because he had seen me play well," she said, "I am always grateful." She took on the challenge of the JLPGA Tour as a breakthrough. She first tried in 2017 but failed to pass the final hurdle. This time is her 'third attempt, second success.' "I was worried I might fail again at the final stage," she said, "I am so happy with the good result."

By ranking 14th in the JLPGA Tour QT, she has secured the right to participate in the first half of the season. After earning her card, she rested for two weeks and is now focusing on training domestically. Above all, she is focusing on increasing her driving distance. This is why she is strengthening her physical fitness through Pilates and weight training. She also supplemented her training with technical practice. "I believe that driving distance and strong physical strength are the keys to success anywhere," she said, adding, "How I adapt is another key factor."

She has already secured an agent in Japan. She plans to complete her training in Korea by the end of this month and prepare for actual rounds in Japan next month. She has declared her participation in the 2020 JLPGA Tour season opener, the Daikin Orchid Ladies, which will open on March 5 at Ryukyu Golf Course in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. "My first goal is to pass the qualifiers and maintain my card with consistent performance," she said, adding her bold ambition, "If given the chance, I will compete for the championship."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.