Park Ji-young (27-Korea Land Trust), the 2015 Korean Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Tour Rookie of the Year, is enjoying a career-high season. With seven career wins, three of which have come in the 2023 season, she is on pace for her first career multi-win season and is tied for the most wins. He ranks second in prize money (965 million won) and third in stroke average (70.97). Most notably, she won the title of “Major Queen” at the KB Financial Star Championship in September, her 40th career major. We caught up with Park, who had her best season yet in her ninth year of playing, and is looking forward to next year’s event, in the SK networks-Seoul Economic Ladies Classic’s regular 18 Questions 18 Answers segment.
-2023 will be a special year for me personally.
I want to improve myself, so I tried a lot of different things this year. Honestly, I’m not sure when I’ll be able to play like this again, but I think I’m becoming a better and better player every year compared to my rookie season.
-This is the first multi-win season since your debut. Can we expect four wins this season?
It would be great to win again, but this season I’m looking at next year and making the biggest changes to my swing, so instead of winning, I’m going to work hard in the remaining three tournaments and if it works out, I’ll be happy, and if it doesn’t, I’ll be happy with that.
-On anything new you’ve tried this season.
I’ve been trying to fix things in my swing for a couple of years now, and this year I’ve been doing it drastically, and in the past, if I’ve made changes to my swing, they’ve been subtle, but this year I’ve made really big changes, and I’m still working on my backswing and everything else, but I’ve been winning and playing well this season, and I think the timing has been right, and I’ve been working on my swing in a good way, so I’ve gained a lot of confidence this year.
-On her best and worst day as a golfer.
My best day is when I make five or more shots I want. My worst day is when I don’t get the shots I want and I have a ‘meltdown’. I actually had a meltdown this year and I think I have one every year.
-What do you think about when you have a mental lapse during a match?
“I think, ‘Today’s not my day,’ and then sometimes the second or third day it goes well. I’ve been on tour for a long time, so I’ve gotten a little bit jaded.
-Do you have any in-match routines?
-Chewing gum. I’ve been chewing gum during matches since five or six years ago. At first, I chewed gum because I heard that chewing gum relieves tension, but now I chew it more to feel the coolness in my mouth than to relieve tension.
-Park on giving.
I’ve been donating 20,000 won a month since I was very young, and my parents told me, ‘Live by giving to others,’ so I’ve been doing it ever since. It’s also a bit of a motivator when I’m on tour.
-Do you have a bucket list of things you want to do before you die?
Actually, I don’t really have a bucket list because I’m happy with my life right now. I’m happy with my house, I’m happy with my car, I’m happy with my life. I guess I’m full. (Laughs)
-What is your life motto?
I try to enjoy whatever I’m doing, so I try to enjoy my meals, I try to enjoy my practices, I try to enjoy my competitions as much as possible, and I try to keep everything positive.
-Do you have any special words you write in your yardage book?
Sometimes I hit the ball without thinking about the ball, so I wrote “I’m a draw (a ball that curves slightly to the left)” to remind myself to think about it.
-What are your favorite things to do and what are you best at besides golf?
I’ve been driving since I was 20, so I’ve been driving for about 8 years now, but I’m not accident free, I had a minor collision with a tiller a few years ago.
-What do you think your career path would be if you didn’t play golf?
I’ve wanted to be a soldier since I was a kid, my dad was a career soldier and I thought he looked so cool in uniform.
-If you had a day off in Jeju, how would you spend it?
I would wake up late and go to the Jeju market to buy medicine and grill meat for dinner. I would also drive to the coastal road at night and eat sashimi at a sashimi restaurant with a view of the ocean.
-Top 3 best friends on tour.
I’m the youngest and they’re all my older sisters, and I look at them and think, ‘How can they play golf so passionately at their age?’ They’re amazing.굿모닝토토 주소
-On her vacation plans after this season.
I’m planning to go to Japan, Namhae, and Busan, and I want to eat good food and rest well. I’m also planning to come to Jeju Island and play golf for a day.
-How would you grade yourself this season?
My score is 95, but my total score is 80. The 15-point minus is because I didn’t have much confidence in myself compared to my good performance. It’s also a shame that I didn’t immerse myself in my play because I was focused on correcting my swing.
-9th year debutant What would you say to Park in nine years?
△I think she’ll be taking lessons, but I’d say, ‘Don’t spend a lot of money, save a lot.’ I hope she’ll have at least 10 wins by then.
-Park Ji-young on her keyword for golf.
“Consistency. I’m always disappointed because I don’t feel like I’ve done incredibly well, but I think I’ve been consistent on the tour.
Leave a Reply