Korea’s only LPGA tournament fan club cheers
‘It’s a deer, isn’t it? It’s antler for our hearts.’ As I turn to watch Kim’s shot, I’m struck by a mini banner held up by a fan club with two outstretched hands.
At Seowon Hills in Paju, Gyeonggi-do, home of the BMW Ladies Championship, the only LPGA Tour event in Korea, the fan clubs cheering for their favorite players are as enthusiastic as the players themselves.
As the tournament is being held in Korea for the first time in more than a year, the fan clubs of Korean players on the LPGA Tour seem to have come out in full force. It’s fun to watch their chants, which are full of fresh ideas. Even from a distance, you can tell which player is playing by the fan clubs’ supportive placards, mini banners, and customized hats.
With nine of the top 10 women’s golfers in the world, this tournament boasts one of the strongest fields on the LPGA Asian Swing. However, the galleries are spread out on each hole rather than at the front. That’s because there are 21 South Koreans in the field, many of whom have left the Korean Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) to pursue bigger dreams overseas.
Park Sung-hyun with the Namdala Fan Club at Pebble Beach last July
These players are so popular in Korea that their fan clubs are huge. Park Sung-hyun’s fan club traveled to Pebble Beach, California, for the US Women’s Open last summer. It’s nice to see the fans cheering for the athletes in their home country after a long time. The atmosphere of various fan clubs supporting the players has become a unique feature of the tournament in Korea.
After the first round, fan club Flying Dumbo gathered with a banner that read, “Walk the fairway.” As Jeon In-ji finished collecting her score. Jeon signed an autograph and took a photo with the fan club. Some even wore hats with Dumbo elephants on them as they watched him play.
Each fan club has a specific color slogan. Kim Hyo-joo’s fan club is a deep purple color with “Shooting Star” on their support placards. One fan even offered an expert analysis: “If Park Sung-hyun’s fan club is centered on middle-aged women, Kim Hyo-joo’s fan club, which looks similar, is made up of slightly younger women.”
Lee Jung 6’s fan club
In the second round of the tournament, Lee Jung 6’s fan club followed her with fluorescent green “Lucky 6 Lee Jung 6 Fighting” mini-banners. “When she used to play in Korea, there were so many people following her,” said a fan club representative, adding, “Whenever she came to Korea, she did not perform well, but she has been revitalized.” “The members who are busy with their daily lives until Friday will come more on Saturday,” he added.
The fan club of Hae-ran Lee, a rookie on the LPGA Tour this year, held umbrellas with photos of her winning the KLPGA. It was a great idea to get out of the rain and sun and cheer her on. Hae-ran made the LPGA Tour last year with five wins in Korea and recently won her first title.
There were also fans who followed Shin Ji-ae, who came to the tournament in Korea for the first time in years after playing on the Japan Ladies Professional Golf Association (JLPGA) Tour. The fan club wore or carried green mini-placards that read “Shin Ji-ae never stops” as mufflers.
One fan, who wore a hat emblazoned with “Shin Ji-ae 64 wins” in gold on white, said he came with his family from Japan. “I became a fan because of her steady play and her attitude towards golf,” he explained. After winning 20 tournaments on the KLPGA Tour, Shin moved to the United States, where she won 11 tournaments, including two majors, on the LPGA Tour, and since 2014, she has been playing in Japan, where she has amassed 29 wins.
Kim Hyo-joo poses for photos with fans after her match 카지노사이트
Temperatures have cooled a bit over the weekend, but fans continue to flock to the golf course to enjoy the fall weather. BMW Ladies tournament officials said the first day was shaping up to be one of the best galleries ever. More than 81,000 people attended last year’s event at Oak Valley.
With South Africa’s Ashley Buhai tied for the lead on Moving Day with Australian expatriate Lee Min-ji, Lee Jung-six, Shin Ji-ae and Shin Ji-eun, the tournament will be broadcast live on JTBC Golf from 10 a.m. ET.