Tag: South Korea

This small change to Lydia Ko’s setup led to big wins in 2024 and a place in the LPGA Hall of Fame

Ko’s recent surge in form can be credited at least in part to a change off the tee.

Lydia Ko hit 17 greens and didn’t miss a fairway in an opening 5-under 67 at the 2024 BMW Ladies Championship in her native South Korea. The 27-year-old carded yet another bogey-free round, her 135th dating back to the 2014 season, which is 51 more than anyone else in that span.

Ko’s recent surge in form – she hasn’t finished outside the top 10 in her last six starts worldwide, including three victories – can be credited at least in part to a change, quite literally, off the tee.

Put simply: She now tees the ball lower with her driver.

“I think there was a time when I started not hitting my drivers well,” said Ko, “but then I don’t know if it’s a subconscious thing, but like my 3-wood, I was hitting it really well, and I feel pretty comfortable hitting driver off the deck, anyway, when the lie is decent.

“I combined all of the things that I was doing well and something that I felt comfortable. Sometimes when I know for a fact that I want to almost guarantee that the ball is going to go from left to right, I always do that.”

2024 BMW Ladies Championship: Leaderboard | Photos

When Ko won the Kroger Queen City Championship last month, she missed only five fairways in the entire tournament, hitting 91 percent. In her last three starts on the LPGA going into the BMW, she hit 88 percent of her fairways, according to KPMG Performance Insights. In the previous six starts, however, she’d hit only 53 percent of the fairways.

The dip in fairways hit began at the Cognizant Founders Cup in May (61 percent) and extended through the CPKC Women’s Open (48 percent). The low point came at the U.S. Women’s Open when she hit only 35 percent of the fairways.

The shift began at the Paris Olympics.

Lydia Ko tees off on the 18th hole at the AIG Women’s Open in St. Andrews, Scotland. (Luke Walker/Getty Images)

“When she tees it down, we all know that this is the shot that she needs to find the fairways,” said Golf Channel analyst Karen Stupples. “We know that it’s her fairway finder.”

After Round 1 in South Korea, Ko trails leaders Hannah Green, Ashleigh Buhai and Jenny Shin, who all opened with a 64, by three strokes. The winningest active player on the LPGA with 22 titles, Ko won the 2022 BMW by four strokes.

“It’s kind of become, you know, part of my, like, strategy,” said Ko of teeing the ball lower, “and sometimes when it’s firm, like in Cincinnati, it goes further than my normal drives. It might not carry as far, but runs out there.

“So it’s definitely like a good 15th club, kind of, that I’ve had in the bag. For sure it’s not really a club at all golf courses, but I think I’ve been able to be smart and utilize it well to my advantage.”

Lydia Ko kicks off BMW Ladies Championship week in South Korea by hosting a large BBQ dinner

Ko returned to the LPGA in her native South Korea with a kind gesture of hospitality.

Lydia Ko returns to the LPGA this week and kicked things off in her native South Korea with a kind gesture of hospitality. The newly-minted LPGA Hall of Famer treated a large number of LPGA players and staff to a Korean-style barbecue dinner near the BMW Ladies Championship’s official hotel.

Rose Zhang, Jeeno Thitikul, Lauren Coughlin, Megan Khang, Hinako Shibuno and Celine Boutier were among those in attendance.

Chella Choi, who is currently on maternity leave, began a similar tradition as a thank you to LPGA staff nearly 15 years ago at the tour’s annual South Korean stop.

“Yeah, Chella used to do that, give a little, I guess, experience to the LPGA staff and some of the players that came over for this event,” said Ko. “You know … my thought behind it as well, especially [since] I’ve had such a grateful year, a lot of positives.

“I think one of the fortunate things for me is I’ve gotten a lot of support from my fellow competitors and players who play on the LPGA. As much as we are playing against each other, and we want to be the one that finishes at the top of the leaderboard every week, they have been super supportive and some of them are girls that I’ve just known for a really long time.”

Ko, currently ranked No. 3 in the world, won this event in 2022 and has the best record on tour at the BMW over the past three seasons. Her combined score of 52 under par is 11 strokes better than any other player in that span, with Alison Lee coming the closest at 41 under, according to KPMG Performance Insights. Ko also finished in the top three at this event in 2021 and 2023.

A three-time winner on the LPGA this season, Ko qualified for the LPGA Hall of Fame this summer with her gutsy victory at the Paris Olympics. The popular Kiwi became the 35th member to enter the Hall and the youngest under the current criteria at 27 years, 3 months and 17 days.

She ranks fourth on the LPGA money list this season with $2,569,317.

The BMW’s field of 78 boasts 17 of 18 winners this season, with No. 1 Nelly Korda noticeably absent after suffering a minor neck injury during practice. This marks the second year the event has been held at Seowon Valley Country Club, with Minjee Lee winning in 2023.

Lydia Ko of New Zealand poses for a photo with her caddie and team during a pro-am ahead of the AIG Women’s Open at St. Andrews Old Course on August 21, 2024, in St. Andrews, Scotland. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

Ko’s hot streak dates back to August when she took a share of eighth at the CPKC Women’s Open. She followed that with an Olympic gold medal and her third career major championship victory at the AIG Women’s British Open at St. Andrews.

After a brief respite, Ko returned to action at the Kroger Queen City Championship in Ohio last month where she won again. She then immediately flew to South Korea, where she finished 10th at the Hana Financial Group Championship on the KLPGA.

Ko’s 11th season on the LPGA marks the fifth time in her career that she’s won at least three times in a season. The most wins she’s recorded in a single season is five back in 2015.

An Olympic medal would drastically change the lives of Tom Kim, Byeong Hun An. Here’s why

Rarely does a sporting event carry true-life implications like this tournament.

SAINT-QUENTIN-EN-YVELINES, France — No matter your interest in Sunday’s final round of the Olympic men’s golf tournament, root for South Korea’s Tom Kim and Byeong Hun An to win medals.

It’d change their lives. Really.

We often talk about the pressure to win in sports, but rarely does a sporting event carry true-life implications like this tournament could for these two golfers.

In South Korea, able-bodied men between the ages of 18 and 35 are required to serve in the military for at least 18 months to as long as two years. Application of this is nearly universal, fame or not. Internationally famous boy band members, for instance, have been made to serve.

“I guess the other Koreans would say, ‘Everyone goes, so why do we get exempt from it?’” An told reporters this week at Le Golf National.

More: 2024 Olympics | How to watch | Men’s field | Women’s field

Exceptions are granted for special situations, though, and one of those is winning an Olympic medal. For South Korean golfers, winning no other tournament besides the Asian Games – even a major championship – meets these qualifications.

Kim, 22, and An, 32, are both within shouting distance of a medal entering Sunday. They’ll need to play well.

An (7 under) is seven strokes behind leaders Xander Schauffele and Jon Rahm after playing his way back into contention Saturday with a 66. An was 8 under through the first 11 holes, climbing within a couple shots of the lead, before finding the water on No. 13 and making double bogey.

Kim (10 under) opened with a 66 and a 68 to start Saturday’s round only three shots back. But he was unable to gain much ground on the leaders Saturday, finishing with a 69. He’ll start Saturday four shots off the lead, tied for sixth.

2024 Olympics
Byeong Hun An (KOR) putts on the 18th green in the third round of men’s golf stroke play during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Le Golf National. Mandatory Credit: Michael Madrid-USA TODAY Sports

One of the PGA Tour’s bright young stars, who was profiled on Netflix’s “Full Swing” golf series, Kim hasn’t wished to discuss the topic much this week. Asked after Friday’s second round how he can block out what it means for him to be in contention at the Olympics, Kim replied, “Good question.”

“I want me and Ben to be standing in that stadium not for exemption but for our country,” Kim told reporters before the tournament. “That’s the most important part. That’s the pride of being a South Korean. We have our services, and it is what it is.”

This topic has come up before in golf. Last year, Si Woo Kim and Sungjae Im earned an exemption from service by helping the South Korean team win a gold medal at the Asian Games.

Sang-Moon Bae is perhaps the most well-known example. He played and won on the PGA Tour before serving in the military, and after returning to golf, his performance dipped.

“It’s not easy,” An told reporters this week. “You don’t get to practice or play for a year and a half-ish. It’s very harsh for golfers.”

South Korea’s Olympic archery dynasty was just saved by a magnifying glass

THIS IS SOOOOO CLOSE!

The South Korean women’s archery team is arguably one of the greatest dynasties in Olympic history. Simply put, they don’t lose.

After winning yet another gold medal on Sunday, the team has won 10 straight Olympic gold medals in the team archery event. They’ve won every women’s team archery event since 1988. By the time the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles come around, they’ll have maintained the gold position on the podium for 40 years. No matter what way you slice it, that’s incredibly impressive.

That streak was a magnifying glass away from being over this year.

The gold medal archery match between South Korea and China was so close that it came down to a shoot-off between the two sides. And the shoot-off was so close that it came down to the final arrow. And the final arrow was so close to the border between a 9 and 10 (which is the score South Korea needed for gold), that it had to be determined by a magnifying glass.

A. MAGNIFYING GLASS. Unreal.

Here’s more from Rodger Sherman:

Apparently, the magnifying glass use is pretty commonplace. Could’ve fooled me. This seems pretty wild. You could cut that tension with a knife. SO much was riding on that spot.

South Korea’s final arrow turned out to be a 10 instead of a 9, which it was originally scored. So the dynasty was officially preserved.

But, man. That’s CLOSE.

 

IOC apologizes for wrongly introducing South Korea as North Korea during Opening Ceremony

There are a few mistakes you cannot make when introducing countries. This is among the biggest.

The Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony was an absolutely stunning display of the country’s history of culture and athletics.

We saw a re-enactment of Marie Antionette’s beheading followed by a heavy metal concert immediately after a rendition of Les Mis. We saw Celine Dion perform publicly (atop the Eiffel Tower!) for the first time since she was diagnosed with stiff-person syndrome in 2022. We had plenty of Assassin’s Creed jokes and one of the most sexually explicit scenes in Opening Ceremony history.

Yet the grand opening to the Paris Games wasn’t without a few gaffes.

The Olympic flag was hung upside down while Italy’s flag-bearer lost his wedding ring in the Seine.

But those are pretty minor issues compared to what happened when South Korea made its entrance at the ceremony. In both English and French, the delegation of 143 athletes was introduced to the crowd (and viewers across the globe) as the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea — better known worldwide as North Korea.

The boat, however, correctly displayed the South Korean flag and another flag bearing the country’s official name of the Republic of Korea.

The International Olympic Committee immediately apologized, per ESPN:

“We deeply apologize for the mistake that occurred when introducing the Korean athletes during the broadcast of the opening ceremony,” the IOC’s official Korean language account said in a post on X.

IOC president Thomas Bach will speak with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on Saturday to further convey an apology over the incident, South Korea’s vice sports minister said in Paris.

North Korea does have a small delegation of 16 athletes appearing at the Olympics for the first time since Rio de Janeiro and were correctly introduced during the Opening Ceremony.

Lily Yohannes, 16, makes history with goal in first USWNT cap

The teenager made it a debut to remember on Tuesday night

Lily Yohannes, 16, had a U.S. women’s national team debut to remember on Tuesday, scoring a goal against South Korea in a 3-0 win.

The midfielder entered in the 72nd minute of the friendly in St. Paul, Minnesota, becoming the eighth-youngest USWNT player ever and the youngest since 2001.

That would have been enough for memorable evening for the Virginia-born teenager, but she was not done. Not by a longshot.

Just 10 minutes after stepping onto the pitch, Yohannes found the net with a composed finish to make it 3-0. At age 16 years, 358 days, Yohannes became the third-youngest scorer in USWNT history.

Trinity Rodman got on the end of a short corner and beat her marker before sending a low cross into the area. The ball made its way through a crowd of players before finding Yohannes, who swept home with a cool first-time finish.

“It’s a dream come true, really,” Yohannes said on TNT after the game.

“I played this scenario out in my head like how many times before this game, just having the idea of coming on and scoring. That was really amazing support from my teammates all running up to me. That made it so much more special.”

Yohannes became the youngest USWNT call-up since 2017 when she was named to the SheBelieves Cup roster in March, though she did not play in either match.

This time around the Ajax midfielder did see the field, and made a huge impression in her 20 minutes on the Allianz Field pitch.

Watch Yohannes score on USWNT debut

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USWNT vs. South Korea: Where to watch, TV channel, live stream

The USWNT will face Korea in the second of two friendlies against the Asian side

The U.S. women’s national team will face South Korea on Tuesday night in the second of two friendlies against the Asian side.

The USWNT began the Emma Hayes era with 4-0 win over South Korea in Colorado on Saturday afternoon, and will face the same opponent in Minnesota three days later.

Though the match will only be the second for Hayes in charge of the USWNT, it will be her final chance to evaluate the team before she names an 18-player Olympic roster next month.

[afflinkbutton text=”Watch USWNT vs. South Korea on Peacock” link=”https://imp.i305175.net/4PMNQM”]

Mallory Swanson and Tierna Davidson were the stars in the team’s first match against South Korea, with the forward and defender each scoring a brace. Sam Staab also received her first cap in the match, with two more uncapped players, Hal Hershfelt and Lily Yohannes, looking to join her on Tuesdays

The USWNT is unbeaten in 16 matches against South Korea, with 12 wins and four draws.

Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the match.

USWNT vs. South Korea (international friendly)

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USWNT boss Hayes promises ‘a lot of changes’ for second match vs. South Korea

Expect a much different USWNT side on Tuesday to the one that played over the weekend

The U.S. women’s national team that faces South Korea on Tuesday night will look quite a bit different than the side that faced the same opponent on Saturday.

That is according to USWNT head coach Emma Hayes, who promised “a lot of changes” for the second of two friendlies between the teams.

The USWNT began the Hayes era with a 4-0 win over South Korea in Colorado on Saturday afternoon, and will face the same opponent in Minnesota three days later.

Though the match will only be the second for Hayes in charge of the USWNT, it will be her final chance to evaluate the team before she names an 18-player Olympic roster next month.

So it wasn’t entirely unexpected to hear Hayes say in her pre-game press conference that she will shake things up on Tuesday.

“We’re going see a change [at goalkeeper],” Hayes said Monday, meaning either Casey Murphy or Aubrey Kingsbury would start after Jane Campbell played on Saturday.

“I think it’s important that we see a lot of changes to be honest with you,” she added. “Because as I’ve explained already, training has been teaching us to play as us, and that’s been every single player. So even though there’ll be lots of changes in this game, I feel confident that everybody’s been training as us, therefore it’s just translating it into the game.”

Hayes admitted that fans should not expect perfection at Allianz Field in St. Paul, as the team continues to take on new concepts and new players are thrown into the mix.

“I think it’s important to manage expectations, because while we are building off of our first game as a whole group, some people are going to get their first exposure to that tomorrow. The connections might be different,” she said.

Hayes added: “I stick with what I’ve said all along, which is there’s a process. We focus on the steps to get us there. I expect there will be bumps again tomorrow. My job is to close the gap on that at the end of this camp.”

Hal Hershfelt and Lily Yohannes are the two uncapped players remaining in camp after Sam Staab got her first USWNT appearance over the weekend. Hayes also hinted that Alex Morgan would see time on Tuesday after missing out on Saturday with pelvic floor issues.

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USWNT coach Hayes on ‘special bond’ with Ji — and bouncing ball off her head

The USWNT boss said she has a special bond with her former Chelsea player

Emma Hayes has spoken about the special bond she shares with South Korea star Ji So-yun, highlighting a moment during Saturday’s match in which she playfully tossed the ball off the midfielder’s head.

Hayes took charge of her first match as U.S. women’s national team head coach on Saturday, leading her side to a comfortable 4-0 win over South Korea in Colorado.

The match saw her reunite with Ji, a player she coached at Chelsea for nearly a decade. The 33-year-old departed London in 2022, and now plays in the NWSL for the Seattle Reign.

Hayes had the chance to reunite with Ji before Saturday’s game, saying the meeting was emotional as the pair discussed Hayes’ late father and Ji realized several members of Hayes’ Chelsea staff had joined her with the USWNT.

“We spoke before the game, both of us were in tears,” Hayes said in a press conference ahead of Tuesday’s rematch between the two teams. “She was overwhelmed seeing everybody that had come from Chelsea. She didn’t realize they had come with me, so that was quite a surprise for her.

“We had a conversation about my dad. My dad was a really big figure for Ji so we cried about that, and then we both thought, ‘We’ve got a game to play so that needs to stop.'”

Hayes went on to describe the relationship that the pair had when working together with the Blues.

“She is someone who I’ve had a very maternal relationship with,” Hayes said. “She came away from home, never spoke the language. Found a homestay, found an amazing Korean community in London, and I looked after her as best I could. So there’s a special bond between us.

“Hence the reason why I shot the ball at her head during the game! It was the sort of thing she’d have done to me at some point, but she’s someone I love and value.

“I think American soccer is all the better for having her in the league, and it was such a pleasure to watch her the other day. She’s such a fabulous football player.”

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‘This is an important issue to raise’ – USWNT boss Hayes explains Morgan absence vs. Korea

The forward was an unused substitute in Hayes’ first game as USWNT coach

U.S. women’s national team coach Emma Hayes has said Alex Morgan was held out of Saturday’s win over South Korea due to an issue with her pelvic floor.

The USWNT earned a 4-0 victory in Hayes’ first match in charge, as Mallory Swanson and Tierna Davidson each scored a pair at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Colorado.

Morgan was an unused substitute in the match, prompting Hayes to be asked in her post-game press conference if there was anything to be made of the veteran’s absence.

“No we shouldn’t make anything of it,” Hayes replied. “[Morgan] felt yesterday — this is an important issue to raise — stretching a little bit in her pelvic area. And us women who have had children, we have to focus on keeping our pelvic floor agile.

“I told her yesterday, I’m not going to take any risks today because I want her to play Tuesday. So I took the decision not to bring her into the game, so she’s nice and fresh for Tuesday.”

Morgan gave birth to her daughter Charlie in 2020. Hayes, meanwhile, gave birth to her son Harry in 2018.

The 34-year-old striker only just returned from an ankle injury that sidelined her for more than a month.

The USWNT will face South Korea on Tuesday in St. Paul, Minnesota in the second of two friendlies against the Asian side.

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