LIV Golf Launch, Kim Joo-hyung Youngest PGA 2-Time Winner
Lydia Ko Marries, McIlroy 'Number 1'
Park Min-ji's Prime Era, Taegeuk Nangja Struggles
Tiger Woods overcame a car rollover accident and returned to the field in good health at the Masters in April.
Full of trials and tribulations. This phrase describes the golf world in 2022. The 'Golf Emperor' Tiger Woods (USA) returned in good health after a car rollover accident, and LIV Golf, backed by Saudi Arabian capital, launched to challenge the PGA Tour, stirring up a fierce storm. Kim Joo-hyung emerged as a rising star and a major draw for the PGA Tour, while Lydia Ko (New Zealand) announced her marriage. These are the top 10 golf news stories of the year selected by the Asia Economy golf team.
Woods made a comeback. After a harrowing experience in February last year when he suffered broken legs in a car accident in Los Angeles, California, he returned in April at the Masters after 1 year and 5 months. He scored 1-under par on the first day and comfortably advanced to the final rounds, finishing 47th in the tournament. Woods later showcased his resilience by competing in major events like the PGA Championship and The Open. He vowed, "I will play more tournaments next year."
The LIV Golf wave was also strong. With massive financial backing, it predicted a seismic shift in men's golf. 'The Great White Shark' Greg Norman (Australia) took the helm. Cameron Smith (Australia), Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, Patrick Reed, Phil Mickelson (all USA), and others joined. The PGA Tour imposed bans on players who moved to the new organization, leading to lawsuits in response. LIV Golf plans to expand its scale further.
Kim Juhyung made a remarkable achievement by becoming the youngest player to win two titles on the PGA Tour.
20-year-old Kim Joo-hyung rose as the biggest star. In August, he won the Wyndham Championship as a 'special member,' then triumphed again at the Shriners Children's Open in October. He set a remarkable record as the youngest PGA two-time winner (20 years and 3 months). His world ranking soared to 15th, the highest among Korean players. Kim Joo-hyung became a 'precious asset,' even invited to the Japan Golf Tour Organization (JGTO) Dunlop Phoenix Tournament as a special invitee.
Lydia Ko joined the ranks of 'married women.' On the 30th of this month, she will marry Jung Joon, the only son of Jung Tae-young, Vice Chairman of Hyundai Card, at Myeongdong Cathedral in Jung-gu, Seoul. They will start their newlywed life in the United States. Lydia Ko had an outstanding year, winning three times including the LPGA Tour's final event, the CME Group Tour Championship. She swept individual titles such as prize money leader, Player of the Year, scoring average, and the CME Group Race.
Kim Si-woo and Oh Ji-hyun became a 'pro golf couple.' They completed their wedding photoshoot on October 26 and will marry on the 28th of this month. They publicly revealed their relationship in August last year. Oh Ji-hyun cheered for Kim Si-woo at the Korean Professional Golfers' Association (KPGA) Korean Tour Shinhan Donghae Open held in Japan in October. Kim Si-woo showed his affection by caddying for Oh Ji-hyun at the Korean Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Tour SK Networks·Seoul Economic Ladies Classic held in Jeju the same month.
World No. 1 Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland) announced his prime era. In August, he won the Tour Championship, the final event of the PGA Tour FedEx Cup Playoffs. He became the first-ever three-time FedEx Cup champion in history, having won in 2016 and 2019 as well, and received a bonus of $18 million (2.37 billion KRW). McIlroy also became the European champion on the DP World Tour (formerly European Tour). He is enjoying great momentum, successfully defending his title at The CJ Cup, a PGA Tour event in the 2022/2023 season.
Im Sung-jae's brilliant finish cannot be overlooked. He qualified for the Tour Championship for the fourth consecutive year and made history by finishing runner-up in the FedEx Cup. He broke the previous best FedEx Cup finish by an Asian player, 5th place, set by 'Tank' K.J. Choi in 2007. His previous best was 11th in 2020. Im Sung-jae earned a bonus of $5.75 million (760 million KRW). He is off to a good start in the new season with 7th place at the Shriners Children's Open and a tie for 8th at the prestigious Hero World Challenge.
This year was also 'another Minji' year. Park Min-ji dominated the KLPGA Tour. She participated in 22 tournaments, winning 6 times including 2 majors. With a total of 16 wins on the KLPGA Tour, she became the active player with the most victories. She was the top winner and prize money leader for two consecutive years. This back-to-back top winner achievement is a rare record, the first in 14 years since Shin Ji-ae in 2008. She entered the top 10 eleven times, earning 1.47792 billion KRW in prize money, and surpassed 5 billion KRW in total earnings, ranking second after Jang Ha-na.
The Taegeuk Ladies suffered a severe drought in wins on the US stage. Ko Jin-young, Kim Hyo-joo, Ji Eun-hee, and Jeon In-ji were the winners. They only secured 4 wins in 32 tournaments. This was the lowest number of wins in a season since 3 wins in 2011, denting their pride. No individual title winners emerged from Korea. In contrast, the US dominated with 9 wins, including 3 by Jennifer Kupcho. New Zealand had 3 wins, while Australia, Thailand, Japan, and Canada each had 2 wins.
Yoon Yi-na's 'Ogu Play scandal' cannot be left out. In June, during the first round of the DB Group Korea Women's Open at the 15th hole, she committed a rules violation. About a month later, in July, she voluntarily reported the Ogu Play to the Korea Golf Association and stopped participating in tournaments. Yoon Yi-na received a severe penalty of a 3-year ban from all tournaments from both the Korea Golf Association and the KLPGA. She has not requested a reconsideration of the penalty and is currently reflecting quietly. She expressed remorse, saying, "I am very sorry. I will come back as a better player."
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