BleedGopher
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per Axios Sports:
Jeongeun Lee6 — who has the six at the end of her name because she was the sixth player named Jeongeun Lee on the Korean LPGA Tour — won the U.S. Women's Open on Sunday in Charleston, S.C.
Why it matters: Lee6 is the latest in a long line of South Korean women's golf champions. They're absolutely dominating the sport.
By the numbers: She's the 18th South Korean winner in the past 36 women's majors, and the eighth U.S. Women's Open winner since 2008.
Crazier: Nine of the top 20 players in the world are from South Korea.
Craziest: Lee6 is the 16th South Korean to win a women's major, which is more than any other country except the U.S., and South Korean didn't win its first title until 1998 (LPGA was founded in 1950).
The backdrop: 21 years ago, 20-year-old Se Ri Pak, the only Korean on the LPGA Tour, came out of nowhere to win the U.S. Women's Open and the PGA Championship in the same year.
Her victories fueled the golf dreams of countless South Korean girls and served as the catalyst for the country's rapid ascension in the sport.
How they did it: Here are three key ingredients you'll need to build a golf superpower virtually overnight.
Foundation: Korea has an impressive three-tier pro system — the Jump Tour, the Dream Tour and the KLPGA Tour — that nurtures young players and prepares them for the future.
Money: The robustness of this system helps golfers secure sponsorships, which is a struggle for players on the U.S.-based Symetra Tour (LPGA's "minor leagues").
Culture: "In Western culture, although the winner is important, they respect all competitors and reward them for their effort .... In Korea, however, only the winner is rewarded. ... You are either a champion or nothing."
Jeongeun Lee6 — who has the six at the end of her name because she was the sixth player named Jeongeun Lee on the Korean LPGA Tour — won the U.S. Women's Open on Sunday in Charleston, S.C.
Why it matters: Lee6 is the latest in a long line of South Korean women's golf champions. They're absolutely dominating the sport.
By the numbers: She's the 18th South Korean winner in the past 36 women's majors, and the eighth U.S. Women's Open winner since 2008.
Crazier: Nine of the top 20 players in the world are from South Korea.
Craziest: Lee6 is the 16th South Korean to win a women's major, which is more than any other country except the U.S., and South Korean didn't win its first title until 1998 (LPGA was founded in 1950).
The backdrop: 21 years ago, 20-year-old Se Ri Pak, the only Korean on the LPGA Tour, came out of nowhere to win the U.S. Women's Open and the PGA Championship in the same year.
Her victories fueled the golf dreams of countless South Korean girls and served as the catalyst for the country's rapid ascension in the sport.
How they did it: Here are three key ingredients you'll need to build a golf superpower virtually overnight.
Foundation: Korea has an impressive three-tier pro system — the Jump Tour, the Dream Tour and the KLPGA Tour — that nurtures young players and prepares them for the future.
Money: The robustness of this system helps golfers secure sponsorships, which is a struggle for players on the U.S.-based Symetra Tour (LPGA's "minor leagues").
Culture: "In Western culture, although the winner is important, they respect all competitors and reward them for their effort .... In Korea, however, only the winner is rewarded. ... You are either a champion or nothing."
