'Hana Bank Invitational Winner' Yang Jiho: "Thanks to My Wife"

Winning Streak for 2 Years with Wife Caddie Kim Yujeong
"So Grateful. I Want to Buy a Nice Watch"

There is a player who succeeded by listening well to his wife.

This is the story of Yang Ji-ho, who is active on the Korean Professional Golf Association (KPGA) Korean Tour. On the 18th, at the Hana Bank Invitational (total prize money 1 billion KRW), co-hosted by the Korean Tour and the Japan Golf Tour Organization (JGTO) at Isumi Golf Club (par 73) in Chiba, Chiba Prefecture, Japan, he achieved a come-from-behind victory. Since his first win after 133 matches at the KB Financial Live Championship last May, this is his second career win on the Korean Tour, with a prize of 200 million KRW.

Yang Ji-ho is posing with his wife Kim Yu-jeong, who served as his caddie immediately after winning the Hana Bank Invitational.
[Photo by KPGA]

Yang Ji-ho debuted on the Korean Tour in 2008 but rarely had the fortune to win, which frustrated him. Things changed after he married Kim Yoo-jung in December 2020. With Kim carrying the caddy bag and providing solid support, he began to stand out, conquering not only the Korean stage but also the Japanese circuit. Yang said, "This tournament felt like a Korea-Japan showdown. Since it’s sports, of course, I wanted to win. I was able to win because I enjoyed it."

Yang Ji-ho, who made headlines when his wife served as his caddy during his first win, collaborated with Kim Yoo-jung again for this victory. At the awards ceremony, he even shed tears while talking about his wife. He said, "After last year’s win, I became very ambitious and felt a lot of pressure. I also heard people say the win was just a coincidence, which hurt my feelings," adding, "My wife told me, ‘Believe in your skills,’ and ‘Winning is not something just anyone can do,’ and I’m very grateful for that."

Kim played a significant role by actively advising on club selection during critical moments when Yang won domestically. Yang expressed his gratitude, saying, "I’m thankful to my wife who always accepts me whenever I get sensitive or complain during matches. I want to take this opportunity to say thank you and I love you. I want to buy her a nice watch."

Kim smiled and said, "My husband was originally good at golf, but I thought he lacked stability, so his skills didn’t fully show. After marriage, he seems to have gained stability, which I think led to his wins. Whenever bad habits started to appear on the course, I just kept telling him not to do that." With this tournament win, Yang Ji-ho earned two-year tour cards on both the Korean and Japanese tours. He explained, "This year, I will focus on domestic tournaments first, and next year, I plan to balance the Korean Tour and the Japan Tour while looking at the schedules."

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