'Return from Maternity Leave' Park Ju-young: "I Have to Excel at Both Golf and Parenting"

Returning to the field after 11 months since last May
Exciting start with 2-under par on the first day of Lotte Rent-a-Car Women's Open

She has matured.

This is what people say about Park Ju-young, who returned to the field after maternity leave. On the 6th, she performed well, tying for 11th place (2-under 70) in the first round of the 2023 season Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Tour domestic opener, the Lotte Rent-a-Car Women's Open (total prize money 800 million won), held at Lotte Skyhill CC (par 72, 6,395 yards) in Seogwipo, Jeju Island. After finishing the Doosan Match Play Championship in May last year, she took maternity leave and made her comeback after 11 months. With three birdies and one bogey, she marked a relatively successful start as a ‘mom golfer.’

Park Ju-young is hitting a powerful long drive in the first round of the Lotte Rent-a-Car Women's Open.
[Photo by KLPGA]

In a phone interview with Asia Economy on the 7th, Park Ju-young said, "I was very worried before the game. I felt anxious," adding, "I even had many dreams. The ball sometimes fell off the tee." She continued, "Once I actually took the shot, I felt relieved. I think I played better because I emptied my mind," emphasizing, "I'm glad I returned to the tour."

Park Ju-young and her older sister Park Hee-young are known as the ‘sister golfers’ representing Korean women's golf. Park Hee-young debuted on the U.S. Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tour in 2008 and has won three times in total. Park Ju-young joined the KLPGA first division tour in 2010 and, although she has no wins, has maintained consistent results. She left a strong impression on fans in 2021, finishing runner-up at the Doosan Match Play Championship and the SK Shielders·SK Telecom Championship, among six top-10 finishes. She has a total of 30 top-10 finishes in her professional career. Park Ju-young also showcased a boyish charm with her unique fashion sense. Her jumpsuit, a one-piece top and bottom, made a big hit in the golf fashion world.

Starting this year, Park Ju-young is fully committed to the tour. However, she still has many areas to improve. Her training was severely lacking. Park Ju-young revealed, "I didn’t train on weekends and focused solely on childcare," adding, "Even on weekdays, I only trained for 2 to 3 hours." She expressed, "Balancing being a golf player and a mom is not easy," and showed respect by saying, "It’s really hard to adapt. Moms who manage both work and childcare are truly amazing."

Park Ju-young expressed feelings of guilt toward her husband and their son Hayul, born last September. She said, "My husband has it tough. He goes to work during the week and then has to take care of the baby after work," adding, "I only feel sorry and grateful. Hayul is so adorable, but I feel sorry that I can’t care for him 100% as a mom." She smiled and said, "I still miss the baby so much," and "My husband brings the baby down to Jeju on weekends."

Park Ju-young wants to be a confident mom. She plans to work harder and show her former skills. By participating in tournaments, she aims to regain her competitive edge, improve her weaknesses, and achieve her first career win. Park Ju-young stated, "Once I step onto the tournament course, everyone is just a player," and expressed her determination, "I want to do better for my family."

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