'278 Jeon 279 Gi' Park Ju-young "Now I Have to Play Longer"

Daebo House D Open First Victory in 14 Years
‘Mom Golfer’ Champion Balancing Childcare and Golf
Strict Self-Management “Now Aiming to Be a ‘Major Queen’”

‘278 attempts, 279th time’s the charm’.

This is the power of a ‘mom golfer.’ The phrase refers to Park Ju-young. On the 1st, she claimed her first-ever victory at the KLPGA Tour Daebo House D Open held at Seowon Valley Country Club in Paju, Gyeonggi Province. It took her 14 years since her regular tour debut in 2010 and her 279th tournament appearance to collect her first winner’s trophy. She became the new record holder for the most appearances before a first win on the KLPGA Tour. The previous record was held by Seo Yeon-jung, who won at her 260th tournament last month at the KG Ladies Open. In an interview with Asia Economy on the 6th, Park Ju-young said with a bright smile, “I thought I would never win because it had been so long,” adding, “Now I am fully enjoying the joy of victory.”

Park Ju-young is smiling brightly, holding his son Ha-yul in his arms after winning his first career victory in 14 years since his debut at the Daebo Housedi Open.

Park Ju-young, along with her older sister Park Hee-young, represents Korean women’s golf as a ‘sister golfer’ duo. Park Hee-young debuted on the U.S. LPGA Tour in 2008 and has won three times in total. Park Ju-young gained attention in 2021 by finishing runner-up at the Doosan Match Play Championship and the SK Shieldus·SK Telecom Championship. She showcased a boyish charm with her unique fashion and made a splash in golf fashion with her one-piece jumpsuit.

Park Ju-young got married in 2021 and gave birth to a son (Kim Ha-yul) last September. After dedicating herself to childcare, she made her field comeback after 11 months at the domestic season opener, the Lotte Rent-a-Car Women’s Open, in April. Park Ju-young became the fourth ‘mom golfer’ winner on the KLPGA Tour, following Kim Soon-hee, Ahn Si-hyun, and Hong Jin-joo. She also set a rare record as the first sisters to both become tour champions. Her sister Park Hee-young has won six times on the KLPGA Tour. This year, Park Ju-young has competed in 22 tournaments, boasting consistency with four top-10 finishes including one victory. She ranks 21st in prize money (KRW 378.13 million) and 24th in points (191 points) for the season-long awards.

Balancing childcare and golf is impressive. She said, “It’s not easy to be both a golfer and a mom,” expressing respect for mothers who juggle work and childcare. She compensates for reduced training time with concentration. “Compared to before marriage, my training is indeed lacking, but I try to practice as much as possible whenever I can,” she smiled, “I practiced putting in the living room when my son was asleep.”

Park Ju-young is a player with strong maternal love. “Returning to the tour and having to be apart from my baby was the biggest concern,” she said. Until the first round of the Daebo House D Open, she commuted from home to the tournament venue. Park Ju-young said, “Before, I only had to focus on myself, but now I have to do housework and take care of the baby, so it’s a bit confusing,” adding, “I wish there was a daycare center where I could leave my baby even for a short time during holidays.” She expressed gratitude, saying, “Actually, my husband helps a lot with childcare. I trust him to do his part well, so I can focus on my work.”

Park Ju-young was thirsty for a win. Before her first victory, she had finished runner-up five times. She secretly planned to retire if she won. However, her thoughts changed. She confessed, “Honestly, I was going to retire if I won. But after winning, I gained confidence and ambition, thinking ‘I can do it again.’” She continued, “I feel like I can keep going even after having a child. Now that I’ve won my first title, I have a goal to win a second one,” adding, “Thinking about what I need to do or add for my second win will be another experience.”

Park Ju-young is cheering after succeeding in '278 attempts and 279th try' at the Daebo Housedi opening.

Born in 1990, Park Ju-young is a role model for younger players. She continues her career through thorough self-management. Park Ju-young smiled, “I once considered quitting golf to just raise my baby. But winning seems to have a positive influence on juniors, so I feel good about it.” She did not forget to offer advice to her juniors, emphasizing, “If you work hard, you can achieve it someday,” and “Opportunities will definitely come.”

Park Ju-young is still hungry. She dreams of becoming a major champion. She expressed her determination, saying, “I want to win a major tournament. Especially, I want to stand at the top of the Hite Jinro Championship.” Park Ju-young promised longevity. “I want to be remembered by golf fans as a player who always works hard,” she said firmly, “I will continue my career as long as I have the opportunity and my body allows.”

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