Jang Hana "Goodbye 2023, Welcome 2024"

20 Wins in Korea and the US, Top Domestic Prize Money Earner
Slump After Swing Correction, 5.79 Million KRW Prize Money This Year
Determined to Learn from Mistakes with Scores Over 80
Departing for Vietnam Training Camp "I Believe in Winning Next Year"

There is a player who had the worst year in 2023. It is Jang Hana, the flagship star of the Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Tour. She participated in 28 tournaments this year, making it to the final round only twice. She was cut 17 times and withdrew 9 times. Her total earnings for the year were 5,795,000 KRW (ranked 123rd). This is a performance record that does not suit Jang Hana. In an interview with Asia Economy on the 28th, she said, “I struggled as my rhythm and form collapsed,” but also smiled, saying, “Still, I saw hope.”

Jang Hana, who experienced a severe slump this year, expressed strong confidence, saying, "I will show my former self next year."

Jang Hana has been a ‘golf prodigy’ who attracted attention since childhood. In 2004, Tiger Woods (USA), the ‘Golf Emperor’ who visited Korea, praised her highly after seeing the then sixth-grade elementary school student hit 260 yards. Jang Hana, who was exceptional from the start, debuted on the KLPGA Tour in 2011 and swept up 15 wins, including 4 majors. She ranks fifth in total wins behind the late Ku Ok-hee and Shin Ji-ae (both with 20 wins), Park Min-ji (18 wins), and Ko Woo-soon (17 wins). She has earned a total prize money of 5,767,630,000 KRW, ranking first in this category. On the U.S. Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tour, she won 5 times from 2015 to 2017, proving her skills on the global stage. Even after returning to Korea in 2017, she steadily collected championship trophies.

However, Jang Hana has been in a severe slump for the past two years. She is the type who does not comfortably settle but chooses to take risks. This time, the new changes she made became the root of the problem. She explained, “I abandoned the old and tried something new. I corrected my swing.” While there were no problems during practice, her tee shots were very unstable in tournaments. This year, her average driving distance was 203.73 yards (ranked 120th). Even the ‘icon of passion’ Jang Hana became discouraged. The pressure of others’ gazes was also burdensome. Jang Hana candidly revealed, “Others say it’s encouragement, but it hurt my feelings. Passing by, people said things like ‘What’s wrong these days?’ or ‘What are you worried about?’ and that stuck with me.”

It became ‘normal’ for Jang Hana to score over 80 strokes in every tournament she entered. She said, “There was talk about resting in the first half of the year and competing in the second half,” but added, “Still, I thought of those who sponsor me. I felt a sense of duty to work harder.” Having had outstanding results in the past, Jang Hana had little experience with missed shots. Missing the green was considered a mistake. She gave meaning to her experience by saying, “Although my results were not good, there was definitely something to gain from competing. Even in the worst situations, you can learn lessons and gather information.”

Jang Hana came to know precious people who sincerely cared for her when she hit rock bottom. She expressed gratitude, saying, “I had no results for two years, but I am truly thankful to the sponsors who supported me. I think they sponsored me more for the care they had than for my results.” She also expressed thanks to Ahn Sun-joo. “Sun-joo unnie was also very kind. She is a senior with twice as many wins as me. She spoke honestly about her experiences in professional life. It was a great comfort. Sometimes she scolded me, but I felt her sincerity. She told me, ‘You can come to me and cry.’ I felt like she was like a real older sister.”

Despite the difficult situation, Jang Hana practices love for her neighbors. She was influenced by her father, Jang Chang-ho. Jang Hana said, “My father ran a meat restaurant and fed the children at Gangnam Orphanage about twice a week,” adding, “Seeing this, I made up my mind that if I earn a lot of money, I will definitely donate. I have been blessed a lot, so I donate a lot,” with a shy expression.

Jang Hana plans to focus on increasing driving distance and strengthening her short game during the training camp in Vietnam next year.

Jang Hana saw hope toward the end of the season. She smiled and said, “My performance in the second half was definitely better than in the first half. Although there were mistakes, I believe I can win if I strengthen my weapons.” After the season ended, Jang Hana has been focusing on physical training. She is concentrating more to compete with players in their late teens and early twenties. She is also finding balance through rest. She is healing by meeting university friends. Occasionally, she visits a ‘Bulmeong Cafe’ near her home.

Jang Hana will leave for training camp in Haiphong, Vietnam, on January 8 next year. She is scheduled to return on February 24. She said, “I will be with Coach Kim Chang-min. The coach told me, ‘You will train like when you were a junior. Prepare yourself firmly.’” At the training site, she plans to focus on increasing distance and improving her short game. Jang Hana is full of confidence that she can win again. “I am confident. I am getting better and better. I just need to get rid of my fear of the course. If I find a breakthrough, I think I can improve rapidly.”

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