"We Have Unique Genes"... 'Sibling Golfers'

Twin Golfer Hoigor Brothers 'Add 1 Win Each'
Jutanugarn and Koda Sisters 'Taking a Breather This Year'
Park Heeyoung-Park Jooyoung, Go Jiwoo-Go Jiwon Sisters Shine

The PGA Tour in the United States holds a family event every year in mid-December. It is the PNC Championship. This year, it will be held over two days starting on the 16th (local time) at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club in Orlando, Florida. Families with outstanding golf skills, including the 'Golf Emperor' Tiger Woods (USA) playing alongside his son Charlie, will participate. Family golfers are also making a strong impact on tours worldwide. The expression 'We have extraordinary genes' fits these brother and sister golfers perfectly.

Nikolai (left) and Rasmus Hoigorr brothers are 'twin golfers' who each added one win this year on the DP World Tour.

The Danish brothers Nikolaj and Rasmus Højgaard are representative examples. They are the first twins in men's golf history to be ranked within the top 100 in the world. Born in 2001, they are identical twins. They mainly compete on the DP World Tour. As of the 1st, the elder brother Nikolaj is ranked 50th in the world, and his younger brother Rasmus is 84th. In 2021, the two players created an unforgettable memory by becoming the first brothers to win consecutive titles in DP World Tour history.

This season, they each secured one win. Rasmus earned his fourth career victory last July at the Made in HimmerLand, and Nikolaj won the DP World Tour Championship final on the 19th of last month. It was his third career win after a year and nine months since winning the Ras Al Khaimah Championship in February last year, with a prize money of 3 million dollars (approximately 3.9 billion KRW).

American sisters Jessica and Nelly Korda also possess special genes. Older sister Jessica has six wins on the LPGA Tour, while younger sister Nelly has eight wins. Nelly won a gold medal at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics and has also reached world number one. Their parents were also famous athletes. Their father, Petr, was the 1998 Australian Open tennis singles champion, and their mother, Regina, reached the round of 16 in the US Open tennis singles in 1989 and 1991, making them a 'sports family.' Both players struggled with back injuries this year and had a slump. Jessica took a break from the field after the Cognizant Founders Cup in May last year. The Korda sisters have had no wins this year, with nine top-10 finishes.

Moriya (left) and Ariya Jutanugarn sisters are the pride of Thai golf, playing together on the LPGA Tour for nine years.

Thai sisters Moriya and Ariya Jutanugarn are also highly skilled players. Younger sister Ariya became the first Thai player to win on the LPGA Tour at the 2016 Yokohama Tire Classic. Since then, she has added four more wins, sweeping titles such as the money list queen, Player of the Year, and CME Globe Race. Ariya has consistently added wins every year, totaling 12 career wins (including 2 majors). This year, she had no wins but five top-10 finishes. Older sister Moriya is a two-time champion. The two players teamed up to win the 2021 Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational, a two-player team event.

Among Korean players, there are sisters Park Hee-young and Park Joo-young. Older sister Park Hee-young debuted on the LPGA Tour in 2008 and has three career wins. This year, she only participated in the BMW Ladies Championship in October, finishing tied for 18th. Younger sister Park Joo-young, who had been plagued by a severe runner-up curse, ended her win drought this season. In October, she lifted the winner's trophy for the first time in 14 years and her 279th tournament appearance at the Daebo HouseD Open. This is the record for the most starts before a first win on the KLPGA Tour. In July, sisters Ko Ji-woo and Ko Ji-won, winners of the McCol·MonA Yongpyong Open, also competed on the KLPGA Tour.