Beautiful Golfer Park Gyeol "Changed All Sponsors and Clubs, I'm Rising Again"

74-Day Longest-Ever US Training Camp
Strength Training with 95kg Squats
Slump Since First Win in 2018
Second Golf Career... Challenging for 2nd Victory

This is the transformation of "Beauty Golfer" Park Gyeol.

During the off-season, she devoted all her energy to weight training to build solid physical strength. In an interview with Asia Economy on the 17th, Park Gyeol said with a bright smile, "During training camp in the U.S., I squatted up to 95kg," adding, "The coach in charge of my fitness praised me, saying I could even become a bodybuilder." She expressed her determination, saying, "This year, I changed everything?sponsors, clubs, and clothing?and I want to enjoy playing with a fresh mindset."

Park Gyeol chose a new challenge this year by changing everything, including sponsors, club, and clothing.
[Photo by Initial Sports]

Park Gyeol is a star player representing the Korean Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Tour. She won the individual gold medal and team silver medal at the 2014 Incheon Asian Games. In November of the same year, she earned the honor of being the top qualifier at the KLPGA Tour qualifying tournament. She maintained steady performance and popularity until 2017, and in 2018, she tasted the joy of her first victory at the SK Networks·Seoul Economic Ladies Classic. It was surprising that her performance declined after her first win.

Park Gyeol had her worst season in 2021. She participated in 28 tournaments but only made the top 10 once. She ranked 69th in the prize money standings and lost her regular tour card. She returned to the first division tour by placing 27th in the qualifying tournament. She confessed, "There has never been a tougher time in my golf career," and "I even considered quitting." Through the qualifying tournament, Park Gyeol learned an important lesson: if you don't work hard, you can fall to the bottom.

Park Gyeol is starting her second golf life this year. She left Samil Pharmaceutical, which had sponsored her for six years, and took a new nest with Doosan Construction. She also switched her clubs to Callaway. Her driver, irons, and putter are all Callaway products. She wears clothing from Berutum Golf, a newly launched domestic brand. Park Gyeol said, "I am grateful to everyone who trusted and sponsored me," and added, "Since we are starting together, I want to repay with good results."

Park Gyeol perfectly filled her shortcomings through 74 days of training camp in the United States.
[Photo by Initial Sports]

Park Gyeol made a firm resolution. On December 23 last year, she began training camp in Moorpark, Los Angeles, California. After training for a full 74 days, she returned to Korea on the 8th. She said, "I wanted to go to the U.S. early to rest and train," adding, "This is the first time I have done such a long training camp." She trained alongside KLPGA members Kim Ji-hyun, Heo Da-bin, and Kim Jae-hee. She received pinpoint lessons from coach Ahn Seong-hyun to improve her green hit rate. Park Gyeol especially focused on building stamina. For the first time, she trained with a fitness specialist rather than a golf trainer. She proudly said, "The trainer said, 'When you can lift 95kg, the training will end,' so I lifted it right away." She confidently stated, "I felt my stamina drop in the latter half of the season, but this year, I will have energy until the very end."

Park Gyeol is a meat enthusiast. She loves steak. She smiled and said, "I don't eat seafood," and "I've eaten up to 1kg of meat at once." After returning to Korea, Park Gyeol took time to recharge. She enjoyed delicious food with her family and visited a hair salon where her younger sister, Park Sang-eun, who is a hair designer, works. Park Gyeol said, "I changed my mood by getting a haircut," and "I like to dress up when I have free time."

Park Gyeol set her goal for this year to achieve her second career win in five years. She said, "I was envious when I saw players preparing coffee trucks and snack trucks after winning," and pledged, "If I win, I will definitely treat not only the players but also the fans." Park Gyeol's dream is to roam the field for a long time. She respects players like Kim Ji-hyun, Lee Jeong-min, and Jung Yeon-joo, who are still competing for wins even after turning 30. She said, "Watching the older players makes me think they are truly amazing," and evaluated, "Seeing them overcome difficult challenges, stand at the top, and give winning interviews is impressive."

Park Gyeol is preparing for the domestic season opener, the Lotte Rent-a-Car Women's Open, held on the 6th of next month at Lotte Skyhill Golf Club in Seogwipo, Jeju. To prepare, she plans to play practice rounds in Gangneung and Sangju. She is determined to sharpen her competitive edge and maximize the training camp's effect. Park Gyeol promised, "Golf is what I do best," and added, "Although I will eventually leave the field someday, I will give my best performance at the top workplace this year as well."

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