Tag: South Korea

Davidson junior Hyunjung Lee on …

Davidson junior Hyunjung Lee on Wednesday was among the prospects that participated in a pre-draft workout with the Charlotte Hornets, the team announced. Lee, who was born in South Korea, was named to the All-Atlantic-10 first team after averaging 15.8 points, six rebounds and 1.9 assists on 38.1% shooting from 3-point range. He finished eighth in the conference in scoring and fourth in 3s (80).

Golfweek’s Best 2021: Top 25 courses in Asia

From Japan, China and South Korea all the way to the Middle East, these are the best golf courses in Asia.

Welcome to Golfweek’s Best rankings of the top 25 courses in Asia as determined by Golfweek’s Best Raters for 2021 (pictured atop this story: The Club at Nine Bridges in South Korea).

For the purposes of this story, Golfweek has used generally accepted boundaries of Asia that stretch from the Pacific Ocean westward through the Middle East.

The members of our course-ratings panel continually evaluate courses and rate them based on our 10 criteria. They also file a single, overall rating on each course. Those overall ratings on each course are averaged to produce a final rating for each course. Then each course is ranked against other courses in Asia to produce the final rankings.

For more on top courses outside the U.S., check out the following lists:

Listed with each course below is its average rating, location, designer(s) and year opened. Private clubs include a p, daily fee courses a d, resort courses an r and courses that host top-tier tour events a t.

Golfweek’s Best 2021: Top 50 Modern International Courses

From Cabot Cliffs to Tara Iti, Casa de Campo to Old Head, these are the top International Modern Courses built outside the U.S. since 1960.

Welcome to the initial Golfweek’s Best Modern International Courses list with the highest-rated courses outside the United States that were built in or after 1960. (Tara Iti in New Zealand is pictured atop this story.)

This is the first year for this International Modern list, and it is comprised of thousands of individual ratings of courses around the world. Next week we will publish the Classic Courses version, shining a spotlight on the best international courses built before 1960.

Each year we publish many lists, with the U.S.-based Top 200 Modern Courses and the accompanying Top 200 Classic Courses lists being the premium offerings. Also extremely popular and significant are the Best Courses You Can Play State by State and Best Private Courses State by State.

The 800-plus members of our ratings panel continually evaluate courses and rate them based on 10 criteria. They also file a single, overall rating on each course. Those overall ratings on each course are averaged to produce a final rating for each course, which is then ranked against other courses to produce the final lists.

Old Head of Kinsale Golf Links (David Cannon/Getty Images)

Each course is listed with its average rating next to the name, the location, the year it opened and the designers. After the designers are several designations that note what type of facility it is.

There are a few wonderful courses that don’t appear on this list because they haven’t received enough votes from raters. This most often happens at hard-to-reach private courses that don’t allow much guest play. One such example would be Playa Grande in the Dominican Republic, a stunning Robert Trent Jones Sr. layout that has been renovated by Rees Jones but that hasn’t received enough votes to make this international list. Given time and more votes, it’s entirely possible this seaside layout will make a strong climb into the various course rankings.

Key

r: resort course
d: daily fee
p: private course
t: tour course
re: real estate
* Some international private courses allow limited outside play. Contact the courses indicated for more information on their guest policies.

TaylorMade Golf sold to South Korean investment company Centroid

Final price was not announced, but reports in February stated a $2 billion asking price for the California-based club maker.

TaylorMade Golf again has changed hands, with KPS Capital Partners striking a definitive agreement through an affiliate to sell the club maker to South Korean-based private equity firm Centroid Investment Partners.

Financial terms were not disclosed, but the New York Times reported in February that KPS Capital Partners had pitched an asking price of $2 billion.

Centroid was established in 2015 and has focused on several strategic buyouts in Korea, including the purchase of South Springs Country Club. Centroid’s other buyouts have included Kolon Advance Fiber and Woongjin Booxen, a book distributor.

KPS bought TaylorMade – established in 1979 – from Adidas in 2017 for $425 million. TaylorMade since benefitted from last year’s boom in golf participation, particularly in the United States where demand for new clubs and gear spiked. Golf Datatech reported that retail sales of golf equipment produced $2.81 billion in revenue in 2020, which was a 10.1-percent increase over 2019. It gave 2020 the third-highest annual total since Golf Datatech began tracking the industry, trailing only $2.91 billion in 2008 and $2.87 billion in 2007.

“TaylorMade Golf is a transformational investment for Centroid,” Jinhyeok Jeong, founder and CEO of Centroid Investment Partners, said in the media release announcing the sale. “We are very excited to have the opportunity to invest in a global leader in golf. The industry is currently experiencing high demand, increased participation with strong long-term opportunities around the world. TaylorMade is an iconic brand with continued momentum across the key golf equipment categories and regions, especially the Korean and wider Asian markets. We are equally excited to work with (TaylorMade) CEO David Abeles and his exceptional senior management team to support continued growth and success.”

TaylorMade said in a release that it has experienced the highest growth within the industry in key products and total market since that 2017 sale made it an independent gear-focused company. TaylorMade – which is based in Carlsbad, California – also benefits from a PGA Tour staff of players promoting the brand that includes Dustin Johnson, Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods and several other top players

The roster of top players includes several on the LPGA, which is extremely popular in South Korea, the home of Centroid.

David Abeles, TaylorMade CEO

“This transaction is a very important milestone as we continue to build upon our brand’s momentum around the world,” Abeles said in the media release. “Not surprisingly, the sale process for TaylorMade generated tremendous interest from a wide range of prospective buyers and resulted in an agreement that reflects the outstanding performance of our business today, as well as the outlook for the future.

“Our partnership with KPS has been extraordinary. It has been inspiring and incredibly productive to work with the team across the firm. From the beginning, KPS had the vision to recognize the strength and potential of the TaylorMade brand and business. … At the same time, we are equally excited about our new partnership with Centroid and believe that it will enable our outstanding team to continue to build on the strategies that have driven TaylorMade’s success.”

That time when Sungjae Im met Hyun-jin Ryu …

Sungjae Im, the 2019 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year and Hyun-jin Ryu, an icon in South Korea, met up while playing at TPC Tampa Bay.

What happens when one South Korean sports star meets another in, of all places, Tampa, Florida?

As you might expect — one star breaks the ice and they enjoy some chuckles.

That’s what happened when Sungjae Im, the 2019 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year who already has a Tour victory under his belt from the 2020 Honda Classic, was enjoying an afternoon of golf and realized that another major sports celebrity from his home country was also on the links.

Soon after, Hyun-jin Ryu, an icon in South Korea and the starting pitcher in the 2019 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, came over to approach Im.

Starting pitcher Hyun-Jin Ryu (99), then with the Los Angeles Dodgers, pitches in the first inning in game three of the 2019 NLDS playoff baseball series against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park. Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

“It was actually pure coincidence that we ran into each other. I was practicing at TPC Tampa Bay and he happened to be there, as well, and we kind of passed each other on the front nine, and he actually came up to me and asked for a photo and recognized who I was,” Im said during a media session at the Charles Schwab Challenge. “And I thought it was really cool that such an accomplished athlete and a megastar in South Korea and here, as well, recognized me and wanted to take a picture with me.”

Ryu, who pitched for the Los Angeles Dodgers before signing a four-year, $80-million contract in the off-season, is revered for his work with the South Korea Olympic baseball team. In 2008, Ryu was the winning pitcher in the final game as South Korea captured a gold medal by beating Cuba.

Im, meanwhile, spent his quarantine in Tampa Bay and is eager to get back to action as he enters this week’s event in Fort Worth, Texas, as the FedExCup leader. He also sits 15th in the Golfweek/Sagarin Rankings.

So, what advice did Ryu have for Im?

“He didn’t really give me any advice,” Im said. “But we did talk and it was very cool getting to meet him.”

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South Korean baseball team suspends return from Florida due to coronavirus

A professional baseball team from South Korea has opted for an extended stay in Florida as the coronavirus continues to spread.

A professional baseball team from South Korea has opted for an extended stay in Florida as the coronavirus continues to spread.