I Bomi "Sad about retirement in Japan... Excited to return home after 13 years"

Debuted in JLPGA in 2012 with 21 wins over 13 years
'Bomi-zzang' syndrome... Slump in 2017
Retirement plans solidify amid COVID-19
Permanent Korean tour card holder... Excited to meet fans
"Will rest and spend lots of time with family"

There are various nicknames used to describe I Bomi, such as ‘Bomi-zzang’ and ‘Smile Candy.’ Japanese fans gave her these names because of her cute appearance and her always smiling face. Her skills are as outstanding as her looks. She debuted on the Korean Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) first division tour in 2009 and won the prize money championship for two consecutive years. In 2012, she moved her main stage to the Japan Ladies Professional Golf Association (JLPGA), where she achieved 21 wins over 13 years. In 2015 and 2016, she became the first player ever to win the JLPGA prize money championship two years in a row, sweeping awards for Player of the Year and lowest scoring average. She is the protagonist behind the ‘Bomi-zzang Syndrome’ in Japan.

I-Bomi Profile Photo
Photo by Jiad Sports

Japan’s ‘flagship star’ I Bomi has bid farewell to the Japanese stage where she has been active for 13 years. Although she has not declared retirement from active play, she expressed her intention to gradually wind down her career. In an interview with Asia Economy on the 20th, I Bomi said, “I originally planned to announce my retirement earlier, but I was so focused on the tour that it was a bit delayed,” adding, “It was only last year that I decided on a specific retirement date.”

Like many athletes, she began to plan her retirement as she entered her mid-30s. It was a time when she had been holding a golf club since she was 11 years old without a proper break, and fatigue had accumulated greatly. On top of that, the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, and shortly after getting married, she experienced a long separation from her husband. I Bomi said, “During a physically and mentally difficult time, COVID-19 overlapped, preventing me from seeing my family,” and added, “For the first time, I thought, ‘Do I really have to keep playing in tournaments like this?’ These feelings accumulated and led me to decide to retire.”

A prolonged slump also influenced her decision to retire. After lifting the trophy at the JLPGA Tour CAT Ladies in August 2017, I Bomi has yet to announce another victory. She ended 2016 brilliantly as the first player to win the prize money championship two years in a row, but a severe slump soon followed. It was a period when the pressure to perform better intensified her obsession with results. I Bomi recalled, “I gave my all for a year to achieve the goal of becoming prize money champion, but having to run toward the same goal again the following year was overwhelming,” and said, “I crushed myself under the burden of needing to perform better, and days when nothing was satisfying continued.”

Lee Bo-mi is posing for a shot.
Photo by Jiad Sports

Nevertheless, when she actually declared her retirement, she felt more regret than relief. After announcing her retirement from the JLPGA through her management, three days later on the 2nd, I Bomi participated in the season-opening Daikin Orchid Ladies Tournament. In that event, she recorded a 2-over-par 74, finishing tied for 44th place. I Bomi said, “Thinking that I can no longer participate in this tournament as a golfer made my feelings complicated and subtle,” and laughed, “The Daikin Orchid Tournament is a competition I personally love because I have had many good results there as a player. But this year, I think I was especially nervous because I wanted to leave no regrets.”

When asked what she wants to do to rest after retirement, she replied, “I want to just stay at home all day without doing anything special.” She usually finds joy in quietly cooking at home rather than going out. Recently, she has become deeply absorbed in taking care of her niece, traveling back and forth an hour to her parents’ home. I Bomi said, “The first letter of my MBTI is ‘I’ (Introverted). I prefer being at home rather than going out,” and added, “Since I haven’t been able to spend much time with my husband even after marriage, I want to feel small happiness with my family on my days off.”

Although she has declared retirement from the Japanese stage, her path back to Korea is wide open. As a permanent KLPGA tour cardholder, she can participate in domestic tournaments anytime. This year, after the JLPGA Tour Nobuta Masters held in October, she plans to appear once or twice in the domestic league. It will be her first return to Korea in a long time. I Bomi said, “I was active in Korea for only a short two years before moving to Japan, so I have always felt sorry to domestic fans,” and expressed, “I am excited and overwhelmed at the thought of meeting fans again after a long time.” She continued, “I haven’t decided which tournaments I will enter yet, but whatever tournament I play in, I will do my best with the mindset that it is my last.”

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