2024-06-03 18:44:40
In December 2011, the golf match of the century happened between the most effective pitchers in Korean skilled baseball at a golf course in Gyeonggi-do. Nationwide group right-handed ace Yoon Seok-min (38, KIA on the time) and ‘monster pitcher’ Ryu Hyun-jin (37, Hanwha) confronted off in golf. Seokmin Yoon, who had solely a couple of yr of expertise on the time, was hitting a mean rating within the late 80s. However, Ryu Hyun-jin was a newbie who had solely obtained formal classes for a couple of month. This was simply barely breaking 100 strokes.
Nonetheless, the end result was Ryu Hyun-jin’s victory by choice. Seok-min Yoon hit 89 strokes, matching his at-bats, however Hyun-jin Ryu recorded 88 strokes, his life finest (rabe). Seokmin Yoon was far forward in driver and iron photographs. Nonetheless, Ryu Hyun-jin, who had glorious hand really feel, was robust at placing.
Now, 13 years later, Ryu Hyun-jin continues to be on the mound carrying a Hanwha uniform. Ryu Hyun-jin, who entered the American Main League Baseball (MLB) in 2013 and recorded 78 wins, 48 losses, and an ERA of three.27 over 11 seasons till final yr, returned to his former group, Hanwha, forward of this season.
Yoon Seok-min’s life modified extra dramatically. After retiring from KIA in 2019, he handed the 2024 1st KPGA Professional Choice held in April of this yr and have become a ‘skilled golfer’.
The 2, who’re shut seniors and juniors, generally play rounds collectively today. The distinction in golf expertise has now develop into incomparable, however it’s stated that Ryu Hyun-jin continues to be stronger in betting. Yoon Seok-min stated, “Unusually, it looks as if issues solely get sophisticated once I hit on (Ryu) Hyun-jin. However, when Hyunjin performs with me, he exhibits his expertise past his skills,” he stated with fun.
From the late 2000s to the early 2010s, Yoon Seok-min performed an lively function as Korea’s consultant ace together with Ryu Hyun-jin. He performed an enormous function in profitable all 9 video games on the 2008 Beijing Olympics, and likewise contributed enormously to KIA’s victory within the Korean Collection in 2011. That yr, he received the Triple Crown by rating first in wins (17), ERA (2.45), and strikeouts (178).
Nonetheless, I used to be considerably upset by the tip of my baseball profession. He made a comeback with 30 saves in 2015 when he returned from a problem within the main leagues, however his shoulder damage worsened and he continued to fall. In 2018, he carried out poorly with no wins, 8 losses, 11 saves, and an ERA of 6.75, and took off his uniform the next yr.
After retiring on the comparatively early age of 33, he felt large frustration and loss. It was painful for him to observe his fellow gamers play on TV.
I began consuming to sleep at evening. I needed to drink 1 or 2 bottles of soju day-after-day to have the ability to sleep. I wakened late within the morning and stayed in my room to play pc video games. I not often left the home and infrequently met folks.
It was none aside from golf that introduced him again from his wanderings. An acquaintance who felt sorry for him dwelling like a wreck referred to as him to the sector. His companions had been aged folks.
Opposite to appearances, they had been all individuals who had been severe about golf. Those that labored as docs and businessmen had been additionally lively as senior skilled golfers of their spare time whereas making a dwelling.
He was fully embarrassed within the first spherical. He had no par, no mulligans, and no concessions. He needed to write down all scores strictly in response to the principles of golf. When he got here out to alleviate stress, he ended up feeling much more pressured. However on the identical time, he might really feel a sizzling emotion surging from someplace in his coronary heart. The id of that feeling was the ‘need to win’ that I had felt for the primary time in a very long time.
From that day on, he started devoting his days to golf. As soon as he had one thing to deal with, his distracting ideas disappeared. After spending a yr like that, his expertise improved quite a bit, and other people round him inspired him to attempt turning into an expert.
The bar for execs was excessive. From 2020 to 2022, he knocked on the skilled door six occasions. However what got here again was a collection of failures. Of the six makes an attempt, 5 had been eradicated within the preliminaries. He made it to the finals simply as soon as, in the course of the fall 2022 check, however he additionally did not move. Seok-min Yoon stated, “After I went to the competitors venue, I might really feel his pleasure and nervousness similar to once I stood on the mound. “He was eradicated each time, however it was so thrilling and enjoyable,” he stated. “I used to be in a position to meet many execs whereas taking up the professional problem.” He stated, “I used to be in a position to obtain precious one-point classes whereas working a golf YouTube channel.”
Final yr, I by no means took the professional check. When he first tried to develop into an expert, he determined to attempt for less than 3 years and thought that 6 makes an attempt can be sufficient. Final yr, he was busy working as a commentator for a baseball program and showing on TV as an entertainer. He was additionally the daddy of two kids.
Then, in April of this yr, an sudden alternative got here. After going via a stoop from January to March, he took the skilled check in April when his shot began to recuperate once more.
On the day the sport was held, it rained and the wind blew strongly. This setting truly helped him. Since his days as a baseball participant, he has been good at making adjustments relying on the scenario. Whereas different gamers had been struggling, he used low trajectory photographs and slice photographs to go well with the modified setting. That day, he handed with a tie for twentieth place after ‘6 rounds and seven rounds’. Seokmin Yoon stated, “It was a really blissful second. “It’s actually significant to set a purpose, work towards it, and obtain it,” he stated. “He went via a tough time after retiring from baseball, however was capable of finding a brand new purpose via golf. “I believe life is so superb and enjoyable,” he stated.
On the KPGA SK Telecom Charity Open final month, he met Choi Kyung-ju (54), a legend in Korean males’s golf. Choi Gyeong-ju stated, “It’s actually superb {that a} former baseball participant later grew to become a golf professional. “Now that you’re on this path, attempt to develop into a tour professional (common member) who can play within the first division,” he stated.
However Yoon Seok-min shook his head. He stated, “It isn’t straightforward to develop into a tour professional even should you solely deal with golf all day. “It’s one thing I can by no means do whereas making a dwelling, similar to broadcasting, like I do now,” he stated. “In the intervening time, I wish to pursue quite a lot of actions, together with baseball and golf.” “And we’ll set targets once more sooner or later.”
In reality, he missed the minimize in each KPGA excursions during which he competed as an newbie in 2021 and 2022. He additionally participated seven occasions within the qualifying rounds of the KPGA Problem Tour, a second-tier tour, and was eradicated in all of them.
Though he now has the modifier ‘skilled’ in entrance of his title, baseball continues to be the house of Yoon Seok-min’s coronary heart. He nonetheless works as a baseball commentator and infrequently meets with followers.
Not way back, I went as much as the mound and threw a ball myself. After his retirement, when his physique was damaged for a very long time, he couldn’t even throw a ball correctly at 100 km/h, however after recovering via golf, and so on., he confirmed off his nonetheless class by throwing balls at a most pace of 136 km/h. He stated, “My two sons like soccer greater than baseball,” and “After I was enjoying as a participant, my youngsters had been younger and didn’t get to see me play baseball. “So I gritted my enamel and threw it to point out the youngsters,” he stated, laughing.
So as to keep wholesome for a very long time, he pays shut consideration to his well being. He tries to eat as a lot as attainable and walks as a lot as he can. As soon as he goes out for a stroll, he walks for not less than an hour.
When requested concerning the enchantment of baseball and golf, he answered, “The enchantment of each sports activities is that they’re each limitless.” Because of this it’s essential to at all times work exhausting as a result of should you let your guard down even slightly, you’ll be able to collapse at any time. He stated, “Even a participant who was good at baseball, if he messes up for a second, has to go all the way down to the second group and begin over. The identical goes for golf. In golf, even should you suppose it is completed at the moment, it will not be completed tomorrow. “Identical to our lives, we now have no alternative however to at all times attempt to not crumble in baseball and golf,” he stated.
He additionally emphasised ‘consistency’ for weekend golfers. ‘Professional’ Seokmin Yoon stated, “Many amateurs suppose that one thing will change in the event that they take classes a few times and apply for every week,” including, “So, their expertise not often enhance. It is advisable to constantly apply what you might have discovered, whether or not it’s one month or two months. “Nothing comes straightforward,” he stated.
Reporter Lee Heon-jae [email protected]
2024-06-03 18:44:40