There may be no ‘golf fanatic’ like Gareth Bale (Wales), but there are many domestic sports stars who are obsessed with golf.
Bale participated in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am of the American Professional Golf (PGA) Tour, which ended on the 6th. He didn’t win, finishing in a tie for 16th in the amateur division, but his golf skills were revealed. John Rahm (Spain) also raised his thumb, saying, “I’m good at soccer, but it’s not fair to say I’m good at golf.”
His love of golf has been known for a long time. He went to play golf during his time at Real Madrid, even though he was recovering from an injury, and was even accused by fans of ‘loving golf more than football’. Bale didn’t just love to play golf, he also opened a golf bar in Wales and hosted the DP World Tour Kazoo Open. Having enjoyed golf in various ways, he peaked by participating in the PGA Tour after his retirement.
There are many sports stars who love golf in Korea. When he asked the people involved in football and baseball, “Which player likes golf the most and is good at it?”
However, there are many players who secretly enjoy it even in the off-season because fans are stingy to openly reveal their love for golf like Bale. Baseball coaches gather in groups of threes and threes to play rounds on off-season training days, and some players secretly pack their clubs and enjoy themselves.
In soccer, Lee Dong-guk, who has been appointed vice president of the Korea Football Association since this year, is known as a talented player. Rumor has it that he has pro-level skills, and his children also enjoy golf. Former national team coach Shin Tae-yong also won the 2018 golf tournament, a soccer event co-hosted by the Korea Football Association and the Korea Professional Football Federation, with a net score of 71.6 (Shinferio method).
Koo Ja-cheol, who plays for Jeju United, has posted his golf swing on YouTube. He is said to have displayed his talent to such an extent that within about a year of learning golf, he stepped in as a singles handicapper. 카지노
Even in baseball, it is difficult to find a player who does not golf. He was a pitcher during his school days, but a player who is active as a hitter went out on the field three months after learning it, and it is said that he was able to compete with his teammates.
Yoon Seok-min, who was once a “national ace” KIA Tigers pitcher, challenged to turn professional after retirement, and Park Chan-ho participated in the professional stage a few times, such as the 2021 KPGA Korean Tour Gunsan CC Open. Although the score of the tournament was the lowest, his skills were proven as he entered the tournament after submitting a handicap certificate of 3 or less to the Korea Golf Association (KGA).
Hyungjong Lee, who moved to Kiwoom Heroes ahead of the new season, once chose golf instead of baseball due to an injury. He became a single handicapper within a month of learning golf, and the anecdote of returning to the baseball world by passing the pro test but falling by one stroke and turning to the hitter is already famous. Of course, it is thanks to the stamina he developed through baseball and bloody practice.
It’s not just football and baseball. Even female players have a great love for golf. Han Yu-mi, a former volleyball player who is currently working as a commentator after her retirement, has recently fallen in love with golf. She met not only Pak Se-ri through an entertainment program, but also Ji Eun-hee and Kim Hyo-joo. Last year, she attended golf tournaments such as the BMW Ladies Championship as a gallery. Basketball president Heo Jae also appears on a golf variety show and reveals his love for golf.
Ham Sang-gyu, CEO of the Golf Performance Lab (GPL), said, “Athletes have basic motor nerves, and players in sports that require quickness, such as soccer and baseball, have good ground reaction force and instantaneous reflexes, and have developed back muscles (back, hamstrings). He explained that his skills improved faster than ordinary amateurs.”
In particular, baseball players have an advantage in golf. Director Ham said, “The pitching mechanism and the golf mechanism are similar, so among baseball players, pitchers tend to get a lot of distance. Baseball players can also benefit because they are already aware of the hip hinge, which is an important motion in golf.”