Pro Golfer 'Season of Sold-Out'

Lydia Ko Marries Jung Joon, Only Son of Chung Tae-young, Vice Chairman of Hyundai Card
Golfers Kim Si-woo and Oh Ji-hyun Wed; Im Sung-jae Marries New York University Graduate Woman

Lydia Ko will marry Jung Joon, the only son of Jung Tae-young, Vice Chairman of Hyundai Card, at Myeongdong Cathedral on December 30.

[Asia Economy Reporter No Woo-rae] December is a time for recharging for golf players.

It is a period when they can travel, which they usually cannot do, or learn something other than golf. Most players start their training camps from January in the United States, Australia, Thailand, Vietnam, China, and other countries. They have only one full month of free time to rest. Some golfers are busy making the most of the off-season. These are players who are about to welcome their life partners.

◆ Daughter-in-law of the ‘Hyundai family’ = Lydia Ko (New Zealand) will get married on December 30 at Myeongdong Cathedral in Jung-gu, Seoul. Her fianc? is Jung Joon, the only son of Jung Tae-young, Vice Chairman of Hyundai Card. Lydia Ko had only been in contact with Jung Joon for about six months since the winter of 2020, and they officially started dating in April 2021. They grew their affection while playing rounds in Florida and California, USA.

Jung Joon majored in philosophy and data science at the prestigious Claremont McKenna College in California. He earned a qualification in interaction design from the global UX consulting agency Nielsen Norman Group. He worked as a UX intern related to payment solutions at Hyundai Card starting in October 2018, and participated in an MZ generation car purchase project at Innocean USA, an advertising subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Group. Since this year, he has been working at a Hyundai Motor affiliate in San Francisco.

Lydia Ko debuted on the U.S. Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tour in 2014 and has won a total of 19 titles including two majors, currently ranked 2nd in the world. After winning three tournaments in the 2016 season, she fell into a slump but made a perfect comeback after falling in love with Jung Joon. This year, she won three tournaments including the season finale CME Group Tour Championship. She swept individual titles such as prize money, Player of the Year, scoring average, and the CME Group Race. Lydia Ko will start her newlywed life in the United States.

The 'professional golfer couple' Kim Si-woo and Oh Ji-hyun will become husband and wife on December 18.

◆ Birth of a star golf couple = Kim Si-woo (27) and Oh Ji-hyun (26) will become a married couple on December 18. Last August, Oh Ji-hyun revealed her relationship with Kim Si-woo, officially becoming a ‘pro golfer couple.’ They completed their wedding photoshoot on the 26th of last month. Oh Ji-hyun and Kim Si-woo have been publicly dating. Oh Ji-hyun cheered for Kim Si-woo, who participated in the Korean Professional Golf Association (KPGA) Korean Tour Shinhan Donghae Open held in Japan last month.

Kim Si-woo acted as a helper for Oh Ji-hyun at the Korean Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Tour SK Networks·Seoul Economic Ladies Classic, which ended in Jeju the same month. Although he did not plan to caddie, he carried the caddie bag while cheering along the course. Kim Si-woo and Oh Ji-hyun said, "We draw great strength from each other." Kim Si-woo is a skilled player who has won three times on the U.S. Professional Golfers' Association (PGA) Tour, including ‘The Players Championship,’ known as the ‘fifth major.’ Oh Ji-hyun is a ‘beautiful golfer’ who has won seven times on the KLPGA Tour.

◆ New York University graduate wife = Im Sung-jae (24), the ace of Korean men's golf, is also becoming a ‘married man.’ He will hold his wedding at Lotte Hotel in Jamsil, Seoul, in December. His fianc?e is 25 years old this year and a talented graduate of New York University’s music school. She currently resides in Virginia, USA. Im Sung-jae met and fell in love through an introduction by an acquaintance last year. During the Masters ‘Legends of the Game’ in April, his girlfriend visited the golf course to cheer for him.

Im Sung-jae will start his newlywed life in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. It is a house he purchased last year. It has a basement and two floors above ground. It includes a home bar, personal fitness center, screen practice room, and a movie theater. Before the wedding, he renovated the landscaping and interior around the house. He also newly constructed a swimming pool. Im Sung-jae has won two titles on the PGA Tour and was the first Asian player to receive the Rookie of the Year award. He had his best year by finishing runner-up at the Tour Championship, the final event of the FedEx Cup Playoffs, in August.