'103 Attempts 104th Time' Yoo Yoju: "Haneul-i Unni is My Role Model"

Last Year’s First Win with Caddy Dad "Happy Golf Begins"
Strengthening Weaknesses from Vietnam Training Camp "Major Victory Goal This Year"

Yoo Hyo-ju is the ‘Smile Queen.’ Her smiling face is beautiful. Since achieving her first victory in seven years since her professional debut on the Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Tour last year, she looks even happier. In an interview with Asia Economy on the 10th, Yoo said, "I want to be remembered as a player who always plays the tour brightly and joyfully." She added with a bright smile, "It is important not to be stressed. This year, I want to enjoy happy golf with my dad (Mr. Yoo Kwang-soo) again."

Yoo Hyo-ju’s start was humble. She began playing golf in the second year of middle school, which is considered a late age to start as a player. Yoo revealed, "My dad, who liked golf, agreed, but my mom opposed it, saying that arts and sports are tough." She did not achieve good results during her amateur days. Her best result was third place at the 2014 Sports Chosun Cup. She recalled, "When I hit 100 shots, friends like Lee So-young and Park So-hye, who were national team reserves, shot under par. I couldn’t play well as a student, but I developed a desire to play well as a pro."

'Smile Queen' Yoo Yo-ju expressed her ambition, saying, "I will make the most of my specialty, the iron shot, to challenge for a major tournament victory."
[Photo by Korea Mizuno]

Yoo turned professional in 2015 and won the 13th event of the Kingsdale GC Jump (3rd tier) Tour in September. In 2016, she played on the Dream (2nd tier) Tour. That same year, she placed 45th in the KLPGA Tour’s regular tour seed ranking final, entering the first-tier stage the following year. In her first year in 2017, she maintained her seed by finishing third in the major KB Financial Star Championship, but due to poor performance in 2018, she was relegated to the Dream Tour. After struggling for two years, she returned to the regular tour in 2021.

While Yoo was struggling, her friends born in 1997 were thriving. Lee So-young, Lee Da-yeon (both with 6 wins), and Han Jin-sun (1 win) tasted the joy of victory. Yoo achieved her first win last October at the WEMIX Championship. It was a valuable victory after 104 events on the first-tier tour. She recalled, "I was envious when my friends won, but it also motivated me that I could do it too. It felt even better to win after overcoming difficult times." She added, "Since I started golf, it was my dream to win while my dad was caddying for me. Sharing the glory of my first win with my dad made it meaningful."

Yoo considered quitting golf while playing on the Dream Tour in 2020. She faced her greatest crisis with a shoulder injury on top of everything. She said, "People around me often said my expression was dark. It really hurt my heart." Meeting swing coach Kim Dae-won at that time became a turning point. Coach Kim is the younger brother of Kim Ha-neul, who has 14 wins in Korea and Japan. Yoo expressed gratitude, saying, "After correcting my swing with Dae-won oppa, my accuracy improved noticeably. He is the best teacher to me."

Yoo’s main weapon is her iron shots. She has been using Mizuno irons for 10 years since her second year of high school. Yoo explained, "Compared to competitors’ irons, Mizuno offers better accuracy and feel. I think Mizuno suits me well." Her most confident clubs are the 8-iron (135m) and 9-iron (125m). She said, "I am confident I can create birdie opportunities at these distances." From the 6th to the 27th of last month, she trained in Vietnam with Kwak Bo-mi. After returning to Korea, she continues to sweat from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., improving her condition through various exercises such as shots, short game, weight training, and Pilates.

This is a photo of Yoo Hyo-ju throwing the first pitch before the Incheon LG-SSG game in July last year.
[Photo by Yoo Hyo-ju Instagram]

Yoo likes baseball. When things go wrong, she relieves stress by going to the baseball stadium. She is a fan of SSG Landers’ ace pitcher Kim Kwang-hyun and outfielder Choi Ji-hoon. Yoo said, "I watched the Korean Series Game 5 live last year as well. I think I go to watch baseball about 5 to 6 times a year." In July last year, Yoo threw the ceremonial first pitch at the SSG-LG game held at Incheon Munhak Stadium. The story behind Yoo, who had never won before, throwing the first pitch is interesting. She always uses a yardage book case with the SSG logo, a gift from her close friend Jeon Woo-ri, when competing. An SSG official saw this and contacted her, leading to the first pitch opportunity. Yoo hit the jackpot by winning three months after throwing the first pitch. "Golf and baseball are similar. You never know who will win. It’s a sport where you can’t let your guard down until the end. Watching baseball also helps with mental management."

Yoo is working with a new sponsor this year, Doosan Construction. She is determined to work hard and show a good performance. Yoo’s role model is Kim Ha-neul. She said, "I learned a lot by watching her closely. Ha-neul unnie manages herself well. I want to follow her example. Her life itself is admirable." She also expressed admiration, saying, "Ha-neul unnie’s irons are in a league of their own. They go a long way and are very accurate." Yoo has set winning as her goal this year. She also expressed ambition to win a major tournament. She stated, "I will work hard to be recognized as the best player in Korea. I want to go abroad like Ha-neul unnie."

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