For Overcoming Slumps, Avoiding Namesakes, Having Special Circumstances, and More 'Various Reasons'
[Asia Economy Reporter No Woo-rae] 'Choi Mal-ju.'
'Tank' Choi Kyung-ju (50, SK Telecom) is his original name. He was born as the eldest son among three sons and one daughter in Wando, Jeollanam-do, and his current name was changed at a very young age upon the recommendation of his grandfather's friend. Perhaps thanks to changing his name, Choi Kyung-ju swept a total of 8 wins on the PGA Tour and rose to prominence as a world star representing Korea. Golfers are changing their names for various reasons. These are players whose names have changed although they were golfers we knew before.
▲ "To break out of a slump" = Kim Tae-hoon (35) of the Korean Professional Golfers' Association (KPGA) is a representative case. He boasted a brilliant amateur career as a national team member and a two-time winner at the National Sports Festival. However, after joining the Korean Tour in 2007, he entered 11 tournaments but never made it to the final round even once due to driver yips. In 2008, at his mother's suggestion, he changed his name from Kim Beom-sik to Kim Tae-hoon, and in 2013, he earned his first career victory at the Boseong CC Classic.
He secured his third career win at the 2015 Tour Championship and the 2018 Dong-A Membership Group Busan Open. He emerged as a representative player on the Korean Tour by winning the Long Drive Award in 2013 and the Popularity Award in 2015 and 2018. Kim Tae-woo (27) changed his name from Kim Hyo-seok in 2012. He won the Rookie of the Year Award in 2016 and the DGB Financial Group Daegu Gyeongbuk Open in 2018. Kim Joon-sung (29), Park Seung (24), Kim Geon-ha (28), and Ma Kwan-woo (30) also changed their names hoping for better results.
▲ "Too many with the same name" = There are as many as eight Lee Jeong-euns on the Korean Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Tour. They are Lee Jeong-eun 1 through 6, and Lee Jeong-eun A and B. For KLPGA Tour players with the same name, associate members are distinguished by adding letters after their names, while full members are numbered in order of joining. The Lee Jeong-eun (32) first known to golf fans is '5.' After winning five times on the KLPGA Tour, she moved to the United States in 2015 and has been active there.
Lee Jeong-eun 6 (24, Daebang Construction) is the star. She won the KLPGA Tour Rookie of the Year in 2016 and claimed six titles in 2017. Last year, she debuted on the LPGA Tour and won the U.S. Women's Open, immediately earning Rookie of the Year honors. She actively uses '6' and has the nickname 'Hot Six.' Among the eight Lee Jeong-euns, Lee Jeong-eun 3 switched to Lee Ji-woo (35). Kim Min-seon (25, Korea Land Trust) is listed as 'Kim Min-seon 5.' Lee Su-ji 2 changed her name entirely to Lee Sim-bi (30).
▲ "For special reasons" = Lee Si-on (31) changed his name in July 2015 after using his original name for 26 years. He explained, "My original name was Seong-un, using the characters for 'holy' (聖) and 'cloud' (雲), but it felt like there were clouds over my life, so I changed it to Lee Si-on." Park Seo-young (35) used to be named Park Haet-nim. In July 2014, she invested a large sum to receive a new name from a naming center. She said, "It means to have a smooth and successful path ahead," adding, "I felt the name Haet-nim was too childish and wanted to make a change."
Mel Reid (England) has a unique reason for changing her name. Her previous name was Melissa. She won six times on the Ladies European Tour (LET) and was the 2008 LET Rookie of the Year. After moving to the LPGA Tour in 2017, she came out as gay in December 2018. Reid said, "I hid my sexual identity for a while," and explained, "There is only one me in the world, and life is only once anyway. I realized that I have to be proud of myself to be happy."
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