Taeguk Nangja, This Time It's About Restoring Honor [Paris Olympics]

Opening of Women's Golf Division on the 7th at Le Golf National
Ko Jin-young, Yang Hee-young, Kim Hyo-joo Representing Korea
Yang Hee-young Recovers Pride with Medal Wins from Her Only Victory This Year
Ko Da, Lee Min-ji, Lydia Ko Expected to Compete for the Title

Korean women's golf is set to restore its honor.

Kim Hyo-joo, Yang Hee-young, and Ko Jin-young (from left) are smiling brightly at the official press conference for the 2024 Paris Olympics. [Giancourt (France) = Yonhap News]

The women's golf event at the 2024 Paris Olympics, held over four days starting on the 7th (local time) at Le Golf National Olympic Course (par 72, 6,374 yards) in Guyancourt near Paris, France, is a fiercely contested battleground. Golf was first adopted as an official Olympic sport at the 1900 Paris Games but disappeared from the Olympics after the 1904 St. Louis Games for a while. It made a comeback to the Olympic stage 112 years later at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games. At the Rio Games, Inbee Park won the gold medal, and at the 2021 Tokyo Games, Nelly Korda (both USA) took the gold.

Korea is aiming for its second medal since Inbee Park at this Paris Games. World No. 3 Hee-young Yang, No. 4 Jin-young Ko, and No. 12 Hyo-joo Kim will compete. All three players have Olympic experience. They are determined to erase the regrets from the Tokyo Games. They arrived in France on the 3rd and began adaptation training by visiting the course for the first time on the 4th. On the 5th, the day after the men's event ended, they played an 18-hole practice round.

Jin-young Ko, who has won 15 times on the LPGA Tour, leads the team. She has made a name for herself as a tour powerhouse, winning Rookie of the Year, Player of the Year, lowest scoring average, and 'Money Queen' awards. Until last year, she suffered from wrist and shoulder injuries and admitted to struggling mentally to the point of not wanting to play golf. She climbed back into form by finishing tied for second at the KPMG Women's PGA Championship in June. Although she has no wins this year, she has improved her condition by finishing in the top 10 in two consecutive tournaments over the past three weeks.

Ko Jin-young (left) and Yang Hee-young are cheering in front of the Olympic rings after finishing a practice round for the 2024 Paris Olympics. [Giancourt (France) = Yonhap News]

This will be Ko's second Olympic appearance following the Tokyo Games, where she finished tied for ninth. She said, "I want to play without regrets in my second Olympics," adding, "My condition is good, and I am fully focused on the Olympics, so I believe I will achieve great results." She emphasized, "This is a once-in-a-lifetime Olympic opportunity in my life. I want to bring a gold medal to the people of Korea."

Korea is placing its hopes on Hee-young Yang, who has been in good form recently. She secured her spot on the Paris flight dramatically by winning the KPMG Women's PGA Championship. She is the only Korean player to have won a trophy on the LPGA Tour this year. She performs well in big events, having finished tied for fourth at the Rio Games. Although she had struggled without a sponsor for a long time, she signed a main sponsorship deal with Kiwoom Securities ahead of the Olympics. She said, "I am happy to have a reliable sponsor. I will do my best at the Olympics to repay the support I have received."

Joining them is Hyo-joo Kim, who finished tied for 15th at the Tokyo Games. Consistency is her strength. She has six LPGA Tour wins, including one major. "I was very nervous in Tokyo. This time, I am much less nervous than then. I believe I will do better. I consider this my last Olympics. Since all three of us are competing, it would be great if each of us could return with a medal around our necks."

2020 Tokyo Olympic gold medalist Nelly Korda will challenge for a consecutive win at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Korea's competitors are also formidable. Most of the top-ranked players are participating. Korda is aiming for a second consecutive Olympic gold wearing the Stars and Stripes. World No. 2 Lydia Ko, Rose Zhang (both USA) are also threats not to be underestimated. Lydia Ko (New Zealand), making her third Olympic appearance, along with clutch players Minjee Lee (Australia) and Brooke Henderson (Canada), are strong contenders for the title. Familiar with European courses, C?line Boutier (France), Charlie Hull, and Georgia Hall (both England) are also dark horses.

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