■ Re-leap of K-golf, meet the protagonist – (3) Hwang Yoo -min who dreams of becoming ‘Pro No. 1’ in ‘ Probably
No.1 ‘ Part 1 tour seed confirmed “I feel sorry for the ups and downs over the past year , so I will learn how to relax from senior Kim Hyo
-joo ” Hwang Yu-min (20), the ‘Amateur Number One’, dreams of becoming ‘Pro Number One’ on this year’s KLPGA Tour. Of course, his goal in the first year of his pro debut is to win.
Hwang Yu-min left a strong impression on the professional golf world as an amateur in May of last year. At the NH Investment & Securities Ladies Championship held in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, she competed for the championship with Minji Park, the KLPGA ‘King of Many Wins’. Hwang Yu-min, who participated as an invited player, tied for the lead with Park Min-ji until the second round, and on the final day, they played closely in the championship group and narrowly tied for second place with a one-stroke difference. Despite his not-so-tall body of 163cm, he surprised the galleries with his long hits with an average driving distance of 240m. Golf fans generously applauded the thrilling match between the ‘present’ and ‘future’ of Korean women’s golf.
Park Min-ji, who played together, gave a thumbs up to Hwang Yoo-min’s bold play. At the time, Park Min-ji said, “I was actually a little ‘scared’ to play in the same group as Hwang Yoo-min. He was a really good player.” Regarding such praise, Hwang Yoo-min said on the 10th, “Through that experience, I gained confidence that I can win enough on the KLPGA Tour.”
Hwang Yoo-min is a ‘cotyledon with a strong reputation’ that the Korean women’s golf world is paying attention to. She served as a national team member for two years from 2019, and was active as a national team member in 2021 and 2022. Her world amateur ranking soared to number three. In April of last year, she was invited by the Augusta National Golf Club, Georgia, USA, and she also competed in the Augusta National Women’s Amateur Tournament held right before the Men’s Golf Masters. Thanks to her, she earned the nickname ‘Super Ama (Cheer)’, and while eating rice with her senior Kim Hyo-joo, she received strong support from her sponsor. In July of last year she became an associate member of the KLPGA. She and she showed explosive skills. In the 11th round of the Jump Tour, which is part 3 of the KLPGA, she lifted her championship trophy a month after becoming an associate member of the KLPGA. In the 12th match that followed, she also won consecutively. She later moved up her weight class and competed on the second division Dream Tour. Regarding her past achievements, Hwang Yu-min said, “As a result, the first division tour seed was confirmed and it can be seen as a year with many achievements, but it is regrettable that there were severe ups and downs.” I think she needs to maintain a certain level of performance,” she said.
When Hwang Yu-min was in the fourth grade of elementary school, he accidentally caught a golf club for the first time at an indoor golf driving range where he followed his father. Then, in the tournament he participated in the following year, he succeeded in hitting 86 and raised his dream of becoming a golf player. His role model is Kim Hyo-joo. Hwang Yoo-min said, “I feel that Hyo-joo Kim plays much more leisurely than other players. I often have an impatient personality during a game, but I want to learn that from professional Kim Hyo-joo.” 먹튀검증
Hwang Yoo-min has been sweating in Chiang Rai, Thailand since the end of last month. He is being taught by former national team coach Han Yeon-hee, who also coached Kim Hyo-joo. The 2023 KLPGA Tour Rookie of the Year award is being evaluated as ‘a prize that has been won’.
“In this training camp in Thailand, I want to make my own pitch and make a shot with a high trajectory. Rather than seeking competitiveness on the KLPGA tour, I want to play better golf than I do now. I think if you win a lot, the Rookie of the Year award will follow. Rather than winning the rookie award without winning, I think it would be better to win a lot even if you don’t win the rookie award.”