Declared Challenge to Enter the US Stage After Dominating Domestic Scene
Ko Jin-young and Park Sung-hyun Sign with Sema Sports Marketing
Will Participate in LPGA Q-School Final on the 5th of Next Month
Yoo Yi-na, the three-time champion of the Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Tour, has completed all preparations for her overseas debut.
Yoo Nina, who has dominated the domestic stage, is starting a new challenge to advance to the LPGA Tour. Photo by KLPGA
She recently signed a management contract with Sema Sports Marketing. This is the final step toward joining the U.S. Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tour next year. Sema Sports Marketing previously managed players such as Choi Na-yeon and Shin Ji-ae, and currently manages star players competing on the LPGA Tour, including Ko Jin-young, Park Sung-hyun, Yoo Hae-ran, and KLPGA Tour’s Bang Shin-sil. The company actively supports players venturing onto the international stage to ensure their success.
Yoo Yi-na said, "I feel very reassured to be working with Sema Sports Marketing. With a mindset of starting golf anew, I will continue to strive tirelessly to become a player who keeps improving." She added, "Based on my experience on the domestic stage, I want to move toward a broader world. Especially to achieve the big goal of entering the U.S., I believe the professional and systematic support from Sema Sports Marketing will be a great strength."
Lee Sung-hwan, CEO of Sema Sports Marketing, stated, "Yoo Yi-na, who has established herself as the next-generation leader of Korean women’s golf, will receive customized support so she can demonstrate her potential on various stages. We will carefully manage her to ensure a successful debut on the LPGA Tour."
Yoo Yi-na was the player who sparked the long-drive syndrome on the 2022 KLPGA Tour. In June 2022, she received a three-year suspension for the Korean Women’s Open ‘Ogu Play’ incident but had her penalty reduced and made her comeback at the domestic season opener, the Doosan Construction We’ve Championship, last April. In August, she secured her second career win at the Jeju Samdasoo Masters, her first victory in 2 years and 1 month since the Ever Collagen Queens Crown in July 2022, proving her solid presence.
This year, she competed in 25 tournaments, showcasing consistency with 14 top-10 finishes, including one win. She topped the rankings in points (535), prize money (1,211,415,715 KRW), scoring average (70.05), and top-10 finish rate (56%). She attacked courses with an average driving distance of 254.98 yards (2nd place). Her greens in regulation rate was 78.36% (2nd place), and she led with an average of 4.05 birdies per round (1st place).
Ranked 30th in the world, Yoo Yi-na is exempt from the LPGA Tour Qualifying (Q) School preliminary round and will proceed directly to the final stage. If she finishes within the top 25 at Q School, she will secure playing rights for the LPGA Tour the following year. The Q School final will be held from next month on the 5th at Magnolia Grove Golf Club in Mobile, Alabama, USA.
Yoo Yi-na expressed her determination ahead of the Q School final, saying, "Even during the (Ogu Play) suspension period, I never put down my golf clubs and kept training, which allowed me to reach this point. I am grateful to everyone once again." She added, "I thought it would be better to enter the U.S. while I am still young." After finishing the KLPGA awards ceremony on the 27th, Yoo Yi-na departed for the U.S. on the 28th to adjust to the time difference, scout courses, and begin personal training.
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