Yoo Hyun-ju Shines in Vibrant Attire Showcasing Her Magnificent Play
South Korean professional golfer Yoo Hyun-ju (31) participated as a host professional in the “Doosan Construction We’ve Championship” (April 3-6), the first domestic match of the Korean Tour held last week.
She has gained attention as the successor to the “Sexy Queen” Ahn Shin-ae (34), who retired last year, and in Japan, she has even been dubbed the “next-generation Sexy Queen.” Known for her standout fashion style, she has captivated fans, with around 400,000 followers on Instagram, making her one of the top South Korean female professional golfers in terms of social media following.
This season, her primary focus is on the second-tier “Dream Tour,” and her appearance on the regular tour has been limited since September of last year. As a result, media outlets have been following her from the practice days. Despite the attention, the tournament proved challenging from the very first day. Her shots were overall unstable, leading to a score of “78,” 6 over par, with 2 birdies, 6 bogeys, and 1 double bogey. On the second day, she tried to recover with a score of “73,” which included 1 birdie and 2 bogeys, but she missed the cut with a cumulative score of 7 over par, tied for 100th.
Before the season began, she shared her determination with the Korean media:
“I hope to meet many fans by participating in the regular tour, but just because I’m in the second-tier tour doesn’t mean it’s meaningless. If there’s a stage where I can show the results of my hard work and an opportunity to showcase my skills, I’m fine playing anywhere.”
Response to form correction
Now 31 years old, Yoo Hyun-ju shared her thoughts on continuing her career, regardless of the category she plays in. She also mentioned:
“The swing adjustments I started last year are almost complete, and now I’m focusing on improving the finer details, such as club selection, approaches, and diverse strategies on the course.”
However, it seems that achieving stable results in competitions will still take some time. Despite this, she remains positive, saying, “Golf gets more difficult the more you play, but I’m starting to enjoy it little by little,” with a smile, indicating a positive outlook on her current situation.
What Yoo Hyun-ju needs most right now is results. In 2020, although she played in 10 events on the first-tier regular tour, she couldn’t secure a seed and has since remained on the second-tier tour. Since turning professional in 2011, she has yet to win a tournament on the first-tier tour.
In 2018, she even challenged the Japan Tour’s Final QT, considering playing in Japan, but was unable to secure a spot on the regular tour, ultimately giving up on her Japan aspirations. Despite this, her popularity and impact were undeniable, and she even received an invitation to the 2019 “Yamaha Ladies Open Katsuragi.”
When results are lacking, it’s easy to be labeled as a “player with only appearance.” However, remaining on the second-tier tour for the past few years has not been easy.
“As a child, I wanted to become the best player and one who wins many times, and I’m still working hard toward that goal. Although I haven’t won yet, I’m still following the path I want to take. That effort has been the support of my golf career.”
She has revealed that she continues to work hard with sincerity. Her visibility is certainly high, and if she can finish among the top earners on the second-tier tour and earn a spot on the first-tier tour, accompanied by a victory, her value as a professional golfer will undoubtedly increase.
Interview & Writing： Myung-Woo Kim PHOTO： MHN Sports
