Family Golfers "Our Genes Are Unique~"

Hoigore Brothers Achieve First-Ever "Twin World Ranking Top 100", Koda Sisters Dominate LPGA as the New Trend, Daily Father and Son 'Mirror Image Golfers'

Danish brothers Rasmus (left) and Nikolaj Højgaard are the first identical twins in men's golf history to be ranked within the top 100 in the world.

[Asia Economy Reporter Nowrae Noh] "Blood is thicker than water."

The Rasmus-Nikolaj Højgaard brothers (Denmark) have recently been at the center of attention. They are the first twin brothers in men's golf history to rank within the top 100 in the world rankings. Born in 2001, they are identical twins. Rasmus is ranked 96th, Nikolaj 99th, and there are many players dominating the professional golf tours like the Højgaard brothers. We looked into the special genetics of these ‘family golfers’ who are actively competing today.

The hottest players right now are the Jessica-Nelly Korda sisters (USA). Their father, Petr, was the 1998 Australian Open tennis singles champion, and their mother, Regina, reached the round of 16 in the US Open tennis singles in 1989 and 1991. The youngest sibling, Sebastian, is also a tennis player, making them a ‘sports family.’ Jessica initially made waves, winning six times on the LPGA Tour. Recently, Nelly has become the star, sweeping four wins in the 2021 season, including one major.

Moriya (left) and Ariya Jutanugarn sisters are the protagonists writing the history of Thai golf.

The Moriya-Ariya Jutanugarn sisters (Thailand) are also ‘hot.’ Younger sister Ariya made history as the first Thai player to win on the LPGA Tour at the 2016 Yokohama Tire Classic. That same year, she won the British Women’s Open major and collected five wins in total, sweeping the money list, Player of the Year, and CME Globe Race awards. This year, she added two wins, including two majors, bringing her career total to 12 wins. Moriya tasted her first victory at the 2018 LA Open.

Korea is represented by the Park Hee-young (34) and Park Joo-young (31) sisters. Older sister Park Hee-young stood out by winning the 2004 Hite Cup Ladies Open as an amateur. She has four wins domestically and added three wins after moving to the U.S. in 2008. Younger sister Park Joo-young fell in love with golf while watching her sister’s games as a gallery and started seriously playing in the second year of middle school. She debuted on the KLPGA Tour in 2010 but has yet to win, finishing runner-up 12 times.

The ‘brother golfers’ famous in Italy are Eduardo and Francesco Molinari. They opened the Italian golf renaissance era on the European Tour. Both played simultaneously in the 2010 Ryder Cup, the golf competition between Europe and the U.S., contributing to the victory. ‘Father-son golfers’ include John Daly and John Daly Jr., Fred and Taylor Funk, Jay and Bill Haas, Tiger Woods and Charlie (all from the U.S.), and ‘Tank’ K.J. Choi (51) and K.J. Choi Jr. (18) from Korea.

John Daly (left) and Daly Jr. are identical in both golf skills and appearance.

Daly notably rose to world stardom quickly by winning two majors: the 1991 PGA Championship and the 1995 Open Championship. He is recognized as a long hitter who ushered in the era of averaging 300 yards per season on the PGA Tour for the first time. Daly Jr. was born in 2003 to Daly’s fourth wife, Sherry Miller (USA). He also hits over 300 yards. Not only his golf skills but also his appearance and fashion style are a spitting image of his father.

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