[2020 New Start⑬] 'Hidden Talent' Gurae Hyun "With the Power of the Golf Family"

7th Place in KLPGA Tour Qualifying, Entry to Division 1; Parents Selected as Gu Sang-mo and Oh Yoon-hee, "First Career Win as a Pro" Ambition

Rookie Koo Rae-hyun expressed a confident ambition, saying, "I will achieve my first career victory on the KLPGA Tour." Photo by Dongbu Construction

[Asia Economy Reporter No Woo-rae] Koo Rae-hyun (20, Dongbu Construction).

A name unfamiliar to golf fans. She is a rookie debuting on the Korean Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Tour this year. During her amateur days, she did not leave a strong impression. She has no experience as a national representative or in the national reserve team. However, last November, she proudly ranked 7th in the KLPGA Tour qualifying tournament and entered the dream stage. In a phone interview with Asia Economy Newspaper on the 5th, she expressed her aspirations, saying, "I am looking forward to the season opener" and "I definitely want to win."

Koo Rae-hyun comes from a golf family. Both her father Koo Sang-mo and mother Oh Yoon-hee are professional golfers. Koo Sang-mo joined the Korean Professional Golfers' Association (KPGA) Korean Tour in 1997 and played until 2001. He currently coaches amateur golfers at the Kang Wook-soon Golf Academy in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province. Oh Yoon-hee also competed on the KLPGA Tour from 1994 to 1999. This is why Koo Rae-hyun naturally came into contact with golf when she was in the 4th grade at Seoul Yanggang Elementary School.

"My dad was the head pro at a practice range near Gimpo Airport at that time," she recalled, "and golf was fun." Koo Rae-hyun attended Anyang Girls' Middle School and Shinsung High School and is currently studying in the Golf Rehabilitation Department at Korea Golf University. "I want to study injury prevention and treatment methods in college," she said. She obtained her associate membership in 2018, played the first four tournaments of the Jump Tour last year, and was promoted to full membership, but hardships followed. She struggled to achieve results on the Dream (2nd division) Tour.

Guraehyeon is a long hitter who drives 250 yards with a driver.

One month before the qualifying tournament, she began rigorous training with her father. She woke up at 5 a.m. and sweated it out until 6 p.m. in a grueling schedule. "I even turned off my cell phone for a month," she boasted, "I think I was rewarded for my efforts." Ultimately, she advanced to the finals by ranking 4th in the qualifying round and achieved an impressive 7th place. Her consistency stood out with scores of 68-70-70-69 over four days. "I still feel like I'm dreaming," she recalled, "I'm still in a daze."

Her main weapon is a powerful long drive. She averages 250 yards and can exceed 260 yards. "I am confident in my stamina and driver," she said. During the off-season, she focused on increasing her driving distance domestically. She strengthened her lower body through running and repeatedly practiced explosive power and empty swings. "Course lengths are gradually getting longer," she analyzed, "leaving relatively shorter distances is key to creating birdie opportunities." These days, she is concentrating on her short game.

She is eagerly awaiting the first tournament of the 2020 season, the KLPGA Championship (total prize money 3 billion KRW), held on the 14th at Lakewood Golf Club (par 72) in Yangju, Gyeonggi Province. It is the first event since the tour was suspended due to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). "I am very nervous," she said, "Playing without spectators might actually be advantageous for rookies." She added, "I want to achieve a win as a professional."