2024-05-08 09:46:40
“First of all, my goal is to go to the Olympics. “If I do compete, my next goal is definitely a gold medal.”
Kim Hyo-joo (29), standing in front of her home fans for the first time in seven months, expressed her determination for the Paris Olympics, which opens on July 26 (local time). Kim Hyo-joo, ranked 12th in the women’s golf world rankings, is likely to advance to the Olympic finals for the second consecutive time following the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. In the case of the women’s individual event, two tickets to the finals are given per country (up to four for players ranked within the top 15) based on the world rankings on June 24, and Kim Hyo-joo is currently ranked second among Korean players after Ko Jin-young (5th). there is. She is followed by Yang Hee-young (17th) and Shin Ji-ae (20th).
Kim Hyo-joo, who met at the New Korea Country Club in Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do on the 8th, said, “As my performance at the Tokyo Olympics was so disappointing, I want to achieve more satisfactory results when I go to the Paris Olympics.” Kim Hyo-joo, who participated in the Tokyo Olympics three years ago wearing the Taegeuk symbol, was unable to stand on the podium, finishing tied for 15th.
Although she won many championship trophies, including 6 wins on the LPGA Tour and 14 wins on the Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Tour, the pressure of the Olympics was different. Kim Hyo-joo said, “(At her professional competition) she always played wearing clothes with the logo of her sponsor, but it felt different to wear clothes with the Korean national flag on them for the first time in a long time. “It was the most nerve-wracking moment I’ve ever had playing golf,” she said, looking back on the Tokyo tournament. She continued, “I think she was very greedy because she wanted to do well. “If she goes to Paris, she wants to control her condition well and achieve better results than in Tokyo,” she repeatedly emphasized.
The immediate priority is to maintain the current ranking. Kim Hyo-joo, who finished 7th in the world rankings last year, participated in 7 LPGA tour tournaments this season and only entered the top 10 twice, falling behind in her ranking. Last month, he missed the cut in the first major competition of the season, the Chevron Championship. In order to advance to the Paris stage, it is important to place at least in the top 15. Kim Hyo-joo said, “There are many important tournaments remaining, including major tournaments and the KLPGA Tour Lotte Open in July (a sponsor tournament). “I think he will prepare for the Olympics by participating in all the remaining competitions as much as possible,” he explained.
They are determined to use the European Ladies Professional Golf Tour (LET) Aramco Team Series (total prize money of $1 million, approximately 1.36 billion won), which will be held at New Korea CC starting on the 10th, as an opportunity for a rebound. It has been seven months since Kim Hyo-joo competed in a domestic competition since the LPGA Tour BMW Ladies Championship held at Seowon Hills, Paju-si, Gyeonggi-do in October last year. Kim Hyo-joo, who skipped the LPGA Tour Founders Cup held during the same period, said, “She participated because she wanted to see her fans as it was a tournament in Korea. “There were some parts that were disappointing this season, but I want to do well in this competition and create a good opportunity,” she said. He explained that he is even more confident because New Korea CC, where the competition is held, is a place he often visits whenever he has practice rounds in Korea.
The Aramco Team Series, held for the first time in Korea, will be divided into group and individual exhibitions. In the team competition, which consists of a team of three professional players and one amateur player, the ranking is determined by adding up the scores of the two team members who performed well on each hole over two days. In the individual competition, the top 60 players with the best scores in the team competition will play three rounds, and the winner will be determined based on their combined scores.
Goyang = Reporter Kang Hong-gu windup@donga.com
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2024-05-08 09:46:40