No Seung-yeol Entrusts Caddie to 'Cheonsaengyeonbun', Passes PGA Monday Qualifier

Went on honeymoon but competed in Monday qualifiers
Recently married wife makes a 'surprise debut' as caddie

No Seung-yeol, who recently entrusted his wife as a caddie, passed the Monday qualifier for the PGA Tour Fortinet Championship. Photo by PGA Tour Twitter

[Asia Economy Reporter Jang Hee-jun] Cheonsaengyeonbun (天生緣分).

No Seung-yeol (31) made headlines for passing the Monday qualifier of the 2022-2023 PGA Tour season opener, the Fortinet Championship, held on the 15th (local time). His wife, whom he recently married, made a surprise appearance as his caddie.

On the 13th (local time), No Seung-yeol secured a spot in the main tournament at the Monday qualifier held at El Macero CC (par 72) in Napa, California, USA. Although he lost his PGA Tour entry by failing to qualify at the Korn Ferry Tour Championship qualifier earlier this month, he earned his spot after a playoff against five others, including Aaron Baddeley (Australia).

The post-match story was revealed through a brief interview posted on the PGA Tour’s social media. Originally, No Seung-yeol had come to Napa, famous for its wine region, to enjoy a vacation with his recently married wife. Then he decided to participate in the qualifier, entrusting his caddie bag to his wife for the first time.

No Seung-yeol said, "It was my wife’s first time caddying, and it was a great time because we could talk a lot," adding with a smile, "Since we came not to compete but to enjoy a vacation, my wife was surprised every time I made a birdie."

With the power of this "Cheonsaengyeonbun," four Korean players, including Kang Sung-hoon (35), An Byeong-hoon (31), and Kim Seong-hyun (24), will participate in the Fortinet Championship held over four days starting from the 15th. The total prize money is 8 million dollars (about 11.1 billion KRW). The favorites for the championship include Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) and Max Homa (USA).