[New Challenge] 41-Year-Old Park Sang-hyun, 'Symbol of Rejuvenation and Loyalty'

KPGA Tour Veteran with 12 Wins in 20 Years Debut
Last Year’s Prize Money and Average Score Leader, ‘Age Reversal’
All-Time Prize Money Leader... “Next Goal is Lifetime Exemption”

There is a player who is reversing the aging process. He is ‘Mr. Baccus,’ Park Sang-hyun. Born in 1983, he is 41 years old. Even during periods when his skills might decline, he shows the strength of a veteran. “Looking back, it feels very special,” Park Sang-hyun smiled, saying, “I never thought I would stay on the tour this long.”

41-year-old veteran Park Sang-hyun said, "I am very happy to be out on the field with the younger players," and added, "I will work even harder to earn a lifetime exemption."

He is the epitome of consistency. This year marks the 20th anniversary of his debut on the Korea Professional Golfers' Association (KPGA) Tour. After becoming a full member of the KPGA in April 2004, he started playing on the regular tour the following year. His first tournament was the Skyhill Jeju Open in April 2004, and he has participated in 202 events up to last year’s final, the LG Signature Players Championship. He maintains his tour card every year through his own efforts.

His performance is outstanding. He has won 14 times on the professional stage: 12 wins on the KPGA Tour and 2 wins on the Japan Golf Tour Organization (JGTO). He was the leading money winner twice, in 2018 and 2023. His last victory was at the Genesis Championship in October last year. This added a win after about a year and a half since the 17th DB Insurance Promy Open in 2022.

With his Genesis Championship win, he earned 300 million KRW in prize money, becoming the first player in KPGA Tour history to surpass 5 billion KRW (5,168,811,796 KRW) in total domestic career earnings. “Maintaining first place is harder than taking it away,” Park Sang-hyun said. “I have a lot of affection for being the top domestic money earner. I want to widen the gap so much that other players can’t catch up,” he laughed. The second highest domestic career earnings belong to Kang Kyung-nam (4,427,884,226 KRW). The difference between the two players’ earnings is 740,927,570 KRW.

Sanghyun Park is cheering after securing victory at last year's Genesis Championship.

He is a man who has rejuvenated. From 2021 to 2023, he collected trophies for three consecutive years, winning four times in total over those three years. Last year was remarkable. He played in 16 tournaments and won the Genesis Championship. Including two runner-up finishes, he entered the ‘Top 10’ six times. He ranked 3rd in Genesis Points (5136.31 points) and 1st in average score (69.857 strokes). He humbly said, “I didn’t chase titles or wins obsessively. I just wanted to keep performing steadily and stay active on the tour for a long time.”

He values loyalty. He has maintained a partnership with his main sponsor, Dong-A Pharmaceutical, for 10 years since 2015. He emphasized, “Even after forming a relationship with a sponsor, you have to pay attention to your attitude and mindset toward the sponsor. Mutual trust is also necessary.”

He has also developed a tournament he is most attached to. It is the ‘Dong-A Socio Group Charity Open (tentative name),’ hosted by his reliable sponsor. It will be held from October 17 at Seolhaewon CC in Yangyang-gun, Gangwon Province. He is aiming to become the inaugural champion. He said, “We have to treat our sponsors well to be able to create tournaments like this. I will do my best to ensure the tournament runs successfully. From a player’s perspective, I want to help make it a tournament ‘for the players, considerate of the players,’ starting with small efforts.”

His strength lies in solid shots. He competes with precision rather than distance. Last year, his average driver distance was only 285.92 yards (ranked 80th). However, his accuracy is among the best domestically. His crisis management skills are also excellent. Last year, his fairway hit rate was 61.47% (19th), greens in regulation 69.74% (36th), recovery rate 61.64% (11th), bunker save rate 72.55% (4th), and average putts per hole 1.72 (3rd). On par-5 holes, he scored 4.58 strokes (1st). He also ranked first in standard score average birdie rate (24%) and par-break rate (24.40%). He is proving with his skills that age is just a number.

Sanghyun Park advised juniors, "If you work hard and study diligently, you can become a long-lasting athlete."

He is a role model for younger players. When asked about the secret to his long career on the tour, he said, “It’s diligence. Just practice hard. Honestly, sometimes I’m still amazed that I’m doing this.” He added, “You have to keep studying. I still watch TV broadcasts and try to imitate good players’ swings. I think passion and interest are the driving forces that allow you to endure for a long time.”

Park Sang-hyun continues to move forward. To compete with younger players, he manages his body thoroughly. He has set a high goal: to earn a lifetime card on the KPGA Tour. He needs to add 8 more wins. Of course, it won’t be easy. But it’s not impossible either. “Just competing with younger players is meaningful,” Park Sang-hyun said. “Now, I want to earn the lifetime card, which requires more than 20 wins. It won’t be easy, but I will give it a try.” Park Sang-hyun will participate in the 2024 season opener, the 19th DB Insurance Promy Open (total prize money 700 million KRW), held over four days from April 11 at the Old Course of La Vie Belle CC in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province. It is a strong start for the veteran who has passed the age of forty.