[2021 New Start①] 'Top Seed Qualifier' Yoo Su-yeon "My Goal is Happy Golf"

'Seed Match Leader' Yoo Su-yeon expressed her determination, saying, "This year, I will create a sensation while enjoying golf."

[Asia Economy Reporter No Woo-rae] "More desperate than my rookie days."

Welcoming the new year of 2021, the Year of the Ox, they aim for a strong takeoff. These are players who, after bitter reflection in the 2nd-tier tour, have joined the main tour or are challenging the 'big leagues' in the US and Europe. Due to the impact of COVID-19, they are sweating it out domestically instead of overseas training camps. Asia Economy Newspaper is running a series called [2021 New Start]. The first feature is on Yoo Soo-yeon (28), who is returning to the Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Tour this year.

Yoo Soo-yeon proudly secured the top spot in the qualifying tournament last November. She picked up a golf club at the encouragement of her parents when she was in 6th grade. "I just liked golf when I was young," she recalled. She joined the KLPGA in 2012 and opened up possibilities by winning the Jump (3rd-tier) Tour Gunsan CC Cup 12th round in October. She advanced to the 1st-tier tour in 2015 but lost her tour card the following year, returning to the main tour in 2017 and competing for three years until 2019.

Her best performance was 8th place at the Nexen Saintnine Masters in April 2018. In 2019, she failed to rank within the top 60 in prize money and was relegated again to the Dream (2nd-tier) Tour. "Golf is fun, but it was tough because the results didn’t come," she said, adding, "I renewed my determination and am happy to have jumped back to the 1st-tier tour in just one year." She also mentioned, "Many around me gave warm advice and support, and with the confidence I gained from that, I achieved good results."

Yoo Soo-yeon’s average driving distance is 238 yards, and above all, her precise iron shots stand out. In fact, she ranked first in green hit rate on the Dream Tour in 2016 with 81.58%. "I am confident in my iron shots," she boasted, "They don’t stray far from the pin, and especially with the 9-iron, I can get the ball very close to the hole." Currently, she commutes between Gwangju and Suwon in Gyeonggi Province, practicing 3 to 4 hours a day. "Indoor training is impossible, so I mainly focus on running," she explained.

She is the same age, 28, born in 1993, as Park Sung-hyun and Lee Mi-hyang (Volvik), Bae So-hyun, and Choi Min-kyung (Huons). Her coach is Lee Si-woo, who also coaches world No. 1 Ko Jin-young (26) and Lee Bo-mi (33). Her goal is 'happy golf.' Yoo Soo-yeon said, "This year feels even more important than my rookie year," adding, "I will focus on every shot and cherish this precious time," and expressed her ambition, "Usually my performance picks up after summer, but this year I want to sprint from spring."

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