“I went to Pro-Am today and I’m going to be on the practice field tomorrow morning.” – Swing coach Lee Si-woo.
“I was going to call you first, but as soon as the ceremony was over, I got a call.” – Jung Sang-won, CEO of Sportswave.
Praise for Bae So-hyun (31), who has become a representative player of “Atmospheric Man-sung,” continues.
Bae So-hyun became one of the most notable players this year as she won two games of the season at the KLPGA Tour’s The Heaven Masters held at The Heaven Country Club in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, on the 18th. This is because she made her second win in three months after winning her first win in eight years since her professional debut at the E1 Charity Open in May.
Until the opening of the season, there was not much interest in Bae So-hyun.
She became a pro in 2011, and six years later, she joined the KLPGA tour in 2017. She also had no win for seven seasons.
During the first two seasons of the KLPGA tour, the tour ranked at the bottom. It ranked 101st in 2017 and 100th in 2018, falling back to the second part of the tour. In 2020, the tour continued its regular tour, but failed to stand out by ranking 101st in prize money.
Bae So-hyun, who went back and forth between the regular and second part of the tour, spent her first season maintaining the seed, ranking 40th in the prize money rankings in 2021. After that, she began to see a little light on the tour as she reached the age of 30, ranking 29th in 2022 and 35th in 2023.
Swing coach Lee Si-woo, who is coaching Bae, called Bae a “really consistent player.” “I went to a pro-am event today, and I decided to come to the practice field in the morning to train,” he said a day after the victory.
In Lee Si-woo’s eyes, Bae is a epitome of steadfastness and sincerity. “Most athletes get disappointed and discouraged when they fail to participate in the second part of the tour. Bae also had that period. While watching other players including Ko Jin-young and Park Hyun-kyung win the championship together, he was a steady player who did everything he had to do,” Bae said. “I don’t know if I was disappointed (by watching other players win the championship), but I didn’t reveal it, and even if I played in the first part or performed in the second part of the tour, I did what I had to do silently. Such efforts have led to the current championship.” 스포츠토토
Coach Lee Si-woo, who has watched Bae’s growth for seven years, predicted that he will be able to maintain his skills as he is now for the next three to four years.
“Mind is a very optimistic player. I think the atmosphere will continue as it is now,” coach Lee said. “You can reach your limit at some point when you get older, but you have three to four years of further development. Players in their mid-30s such as Park Joo-young and Ahn Song-yi are still active on the tour, and Bae So-hyun will also be a player who will be on the tour longer than you think.”
After the award ceremony for the championship of The Heaven Masters, a ceremony was held when they fell into the swimming pool. Coach Lee jumped into the water with Bae So-hyun.
Jung Sang-won, CEO of Sports Wave, Bae’s management team, watched the footage on TV. The athlete, who had never won a championship until last year, lifted the trophy twice this year and was waiting to make a congratulatory call. Rather, Bae called first.
“Bae So-hyun is that kind of player,” Chung said. “I was waiting to call her to congratulate her, but she called me first. I was so thankful that she called me first. She was the only player who sent me a gift on my birthday. She is a warm-hearted player. She is our player.”
Bae is aiming for her third win of the season at the Hanwha Classic, a KLPGA tour major that will kick off at Jade Palace Golf Club in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province from Friday. She will play against No. 1 Park Hyun-kyung and defending champion Kim Su-ji on the first day of the championship. All three players, including Bae, are coached by swing coach Lee Si-woo.