[Field Story] Growing Hong Ji-won's Strengths

Second Major Win at Korea Women's Open
Giving Up Long Drives for Short Hits: A Life Turnaround
"If You Hit Short, You Won't Lose the Ball"

There are various ways to become the best. One style is to complement weaknesses and become more perfect. Another option is to maximize one's strengths. Hong Ji-won, in her third year on the Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Tour, chose the latter and reached the top.

The global golf scene is dominated by long hitters. Players like Scottie Scheffler (USA), Jon Rahm (Spain), Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland), Nelly Korda (USA), Jung Chan-min, and Bang Shin-sil lead the tours with their powerful drives. Female players also showcase incredible distances exceeding 300 yards. The Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews (R&A) and the United States Golf Association (USGA), which govern the rules of golf worldwide, are considering limiting driving distances. The two organizations plan to change regulations within three years to ensure that when a ball is struck at a swing speed of 127 mph (approximately 204.4 km/h), the distance does not exceed 317 yards.

Hong Ji-won is a 'Major Queen' who has reached the top by focusing more on her strength, accuracy.

At a time when long drives are the keyword, there is a player who stands alone advocating for shorter shots. That player is Hong Ji-won. On the 18th, she won the ‘National Title’ DB Group 37th Korea Women's Open after a second playoff against long hitters Kim Min-byeol and Ma Da-som. Since her debut in 2021 and her first career win at the Hanwha Classic last August, this is her second major victory.

Hong Ji-won is a representative ‘short hitter.’ She ranks near the bottom in driving distance. As a rookie in 2021, she was 80th (231.55 yards), and last year she was only 91st (229.28 yards). This year, her ranking dropped further to 115th (224.02 yards). Her distance is shorter than that of most male amateur golfers. The top player in this category is the ‘rising star’ Bang Shin-sil, who drives 260.65 yards. The difference in driving distance between Hong Ji-won and Bang Shin-sil is 36.63 yards, meaning Hong Ji-won plays with clubs about two sizes longer.

Due to her short driving distance, Hong Ji-won did not receive much attention even during her junior years. She was never selected for the national team or even the reserve squad. She tried to increase her driving distance but gave up because she couldn’t hit the sweet spot consistently. She said, "Long hitters have distance as their weapon, but my weapon is accuracy," emphasizing, "Even if my ball is behind other players', as long as it’s on the fairway, I’m confident I can get it closer."

Hong Ji-won excels in fairway hit rate. Although her tee shots are short, she places them accurately on the fairway. She ranks first in this category this year with an 88.00% fairway hit rate. Because she keeps the ball on the fairway, her greens in regulation rate has naturally improved. She explained her success secret, saying, "I have no intention of increasing my driving distance. It would be nice to have more distance, but I accepted my distance and focused on maximizing my strengths."

Hong Ji-won's major tournament wins are no coincidence. Jade Palace (Hanwha Classic) and Rainbow Hills Country Club (Korea Women's Open) are notorious for deep roughs and fast greens. Missing the fairway on these courses costs strokes. Hong Ji-won prefers difficult golf courses over easier ones. After improving her driver accuracy and dedicating herself to putting practice last winter, she earned the nickname ‘Major Queen.’

Hong Ji-won knows her abilities precisely. She said, "I hesitate to go to the U.S. stage because I might get hurt emotionally due to lack of distance. After playing domestically for about 10 years, I have the intention to try the Japanese stage." Hong Ji-won takes great pride in being a short hitter. She laughed, "These days, fans cheer for powerful long drives, but ‘Hong Ji-won style’ golf is also fun to watch. The ‘Hong Ji-won style’ golf, which avoids risky shots, is something I would recommend to amateur golfers. You never lose your ball." We look forward to the exciting march of Hong Ji-won, who has equipped herself with accuracy and a positive mindset.