[Field Story] Now Lower Your Expectations

Korea's 27 Tournaments This Year, 2 Wins Combined
Korda and Lydia Ko Harvest 9 Wins 'Duo System'
Domestic Players Hesitant to Enter LPGA Tour
Skill Level Equalization, Prize Money Increase as Motivation

"Ah! Those were the days."

This is not the title of singer Lee Sun-hee's song. It reflects the true feelings of Korean players competing on the U.S. Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tour. There was a time when they swept up 15 wins a year, but now it is rare to see them lifting the winner's trophy.

Nelly Korda has become a formidable threat to Korean players by winning six titles this year on the LPGA Tour, including five consecutive tournament victories.

This year, the LPGA Tour has held 26 tournaments. Among them, Korean players have won only twice. Yang Hee-young claimed her first victory on June 23 at the major KPMG Women's PGA Championship, and Yoo Hae-ran secured her second win last month on the 1st at the FM Championship. There are now seven tournaments remaining. It is uncertain how many more wins Korean players will add, but expectations should be lowered.

Korea’s first LPGA Tour win was by Ku Ok-hee in 1988 at the Standard Register. This year, Yoo Hae-ran’s victory brought the total to 212 wins on the LPGA Tour. Korea’s golden years were 2015, 2017, and 2019, with an impressive 15 wins each year. Especially in 2017, as many as 11 players became champions.

However, since the onset of COVID-19 in 2020, there has been a decline. Korea recorded seven wins each in 2020 and 2021, four wins in 2022, and only five last year. This year, even fewer wins are expected. Critics around say, "The players have become complacent. They lack the hungry spirit." In response, Yoo So-yeon, who retired last April, pointed out, "The players really work hard. Saying they don’t put in effort is wrong."

Korea was once a country admired by female golfers worldwide. There was a craze of "I want to be like Korean players. I want to learn their training methods." But that is now a thing of the past. Korea is now in the position of a challenger. The time Korean players appear on LPGA Tour broadcast screens has sharply decreased, meaning they are out of the spotlight.

The problem is the lack of supply of "new blood." The competitiveness of Korean players is declining. Domestic players do not prefer the LPGA Tour because there is no need to suffer unnecessarily. The Korean Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Tour is holding 31 tournaments this year with a total prize money of about 33.2 billion won, the largest ever. The average prize money per tournament is about 1.07 billion won. There is no guarantee of good results on the LPGA Tour. After taxes and expenses, there is little left. Sponsorships also drop when going abroad. Players judge that enjoying wealth and fame domestically is better.

Lydia Ko made a perfect comeback by winning three titles, including a gold medal at the Paris Olympics and a major victory on the LPGA Tour.

The resurgence of players with overwhelming skills is also blocking Korea’s chances of winning. In the first half of the year, world No. 1 Nelly Korda (USA) dominated the tour with six wins. In the second half, world No. 3 Lydia Ko (New Zealand) won the gold medal at the Paris Olympics and then the major AIG Women’s Open. She has three wins this year.

The leveling of golf skills is also a burden on Korea’s dominance in wins. The United States has shown overwhelming ability with 11 wins this year. Thailand (5 wins), New Zealand (3 wins), Australia and Japan (2 wins each), Sweden and China (1 win each) have also tasted victory. The increase in prize money has played a part. This year, the LPGA Tour features 33 tournaments with total prize money of $118 million. With support from the PGA Tour and the United States Golf Association (USGA), the prize money has grown further, motivating players. The golden era when Korean players dominated may never return.

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