‘Warm Yujin’... "Support Continues"

Sung Yujin Wins Doosan Match Play, Late Bloomer Golfer
Peers Im Heejeong, Cho Ayeon, Park Hyunkyung Inspire Each Other
Consistent Donations, Role Model Yoo Soyun, Challenges Big Stages

‘Match Queen’ Seong Yoo-jin has a warm heart. She remembers the benefactors who have helped her grow so far. In her childhood, she received support from the Green Umbrella Children’s Foundation, ING Life Insurance, and the Yuwon Golf Foundation. Since debuting on the Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Tour, she has been consistently doing good deeds. In an interview with Asia Economy on the 2nd, Seong Yoo-jin said, "I wanted to sponsor because I want to give opportunities to players who are not good at golf to keep learning," and smiled brightly, adding, "It’s not a large amount, but I hope it helps even a little."

Seong Yoo-jin was ‘quiet’ during her amateur days. She started golf at the age of 9 and participated in her first tournament in the third grade of elementary school. She made a name for herself by winning the 2016 Korea Middle and High School Federation Cup, the 2017 Gyeongnam Governor’s Cup, and being named MVP at the Korea-Japan match, but she did not receive as much attention as her peers. Im Hee-jeong (5 wins), Jo Ah-yeon (4 wins), and Park Hyun-kyung (3 wins), who are leading the KLPGA Tour, are all born in 2000, the same year as Seong Yoo-jin. She has never been a national team member. She honestly said, "I wasn’t jealous of friends who played well," and "I made a resolution to work hard on my own golf."

Sung Yujin is a warm-hearted golfer who has been consistently providing sponsorship funds since her debut on the KLPGA Tour.

Seong Yoo-jin won her professional debut at the Grand-Samdaein Jump (3rd division) Tour 9th round in May 2018 and steadily improved her results, earning full membership status just one month after joining. She did not achieve notable results on the Dream (2nd division) Tour, but ranked 4th in the November 2018 seed ranking tournament, entering the regular tour she had dreamed of the following year. Her first year was tough. She participated in 24 tournaments but was cut 12 times. She ranked 85th in prize money, which forced her back to the qualifying tournament.

Seong Yoo-jin survived the seed ranking tournament in 21st place but struggled to create a turnaround story. She recalled, "The rookie season was very difficult. I came to the regular tour with big dreams, but the reality was harsh," and "It was hard to accept that I had to go to the qualifying tournament. However, when I finished as runner-up at the 2020 McCol·Yongpyong Resort Open, my passion for golf was revived." Seong Yoo-jin clearly changed after winning the Lotte Open last May, her first victory in four seasons.

Having escaped the winless streak, Seong Yoo-jin gritted her teeth to take a step forward. While living the tour life, she deeply felt the need for endurance and focused on physical training. Last winter, she went on a training camp to Thailand for the first time in three years. She prepared for the new season by supplementing her previously lacking short game. Seong Yoo-jin explained, "I definitely felt that my shot touch improved early in the season after going to the training camp," and "Thanks to overseas training, I think I am achieving good results."

Sung Yujin won the Doosan Match Play Championship in collaboration with caddie Jang Dongju.

Seong Yoo-jin reached the top at the Doosan Match Play Championship last month. It was her second career win, 11 months after the Lotte Open. She defeated Jo Eun-hye, Kim Min-byeol, Jo Ah-yeon in the preliminaries, Im Hee-jeong in the round of 16, Yoo Seo-yeon in the quarterfinals, Hong Jeong-min in the semifinals, and Park Hyun-kyung in the finals. She won against all the friends who are doing well. Seong Yoo-jin suffers from low blood pressure and overcame a grueling schedule of 7 rounds over five days. She humbly said, "I was lucky," and "Thanks to my caddie oppa." This year, Seong Yoo-jin chose a new caddie, Jang Dong-joo, who worked with ‘mom golfer’ Park Joo-young for four years. Two years ago, she and Park Joo-young finished as runners-up at the Doosan Match Play Championship. Seong Yoo-jin expressed her gratitude, saying, "Oppa knew the course very well," and "He really helped me a lot."

Seong Yoo-jin finished as runner-up at the LPGA Tour Lotte Championship in the U.S. last April, where she participated as an invited player. She competed for the championship over four days but lost the trophy to Grace Kim (Australia) after a playoff. Seong Yoo-jin recalled, "I learned a lot while playing on overseas tours," and "It was a good experience." She added, "If I get the chance, I definitely want to compete on big stages," and "First, I will become a player recognized domestically." Seong Yoo-jin’s role model is Yoo So-yeon, who has six wins on the LPGA Tour, including two majors. She said, "She is so cool. I like her playing style," and "I want to emulate her diligent attitude."

Seong Yoo-jin is a player without weaknesses. Her average score is 71.47 (11th), driving distance 242.37 yards (34th), fairway hit rate 80.22% (12th), greens in regulation 70.00% (32nd), and average putts 29.93 (23rd). Among these, her specialty is the approach shot. Seong Yoo-jin confidently said, "I can stick the ball well from 10 to 20 meters," and "I have the belief that I can save par." She feels reassured after winning early this year. She stated, "I want to win multiple times," and "I will also aim for good results at the Hanwha Classic, a major tournament sponsored by my sponsor."