[RangerEsq.]

It was a good show. You can hear the disappointment in the American commentators' voices - which is always fun.

But them Korean girls are unbelievable, huh? How'd they get so good? And they're so small!

Congrats to Eun Hee Ji. Way to keep it together and slam it shut.

[bobsuruncle]

I just had a look at the final leader board:

Champion and runner-up: both Koreans
Top 3: 3 Koreans and 1 American (75%)
Top 10: 6 Koreans + 1 Japanese out of 11 players (64%)
Top 15: 9 Koreans + 1 Japanese out of 15 players (67%)

The Korean girls are absolutely dominating the tour.

I was shocked that Christie Kerr did not play like she did the first three days. I guess when you start "entertaining thoughts" of winning, it can do that to your game. Paula Creamer made a good comeback on the last day (when she wasn't in contention any more). Again, she just puts too much pressure on herself to the detriment of her game. It has to be said that Tiger is totally untouchable with respects to knowing "how to win mentally". That's something that's hard to teach.

[myu3777]

bobsuruncle, on Jul 13 2009, 12:05 AM, said:

I just had a look at the final leader board:

Champion and runner-up: both Koreans
Top 3: 3 Koreans and 1 American (75%)
Top 10: 6 Koreans + 1 Japanese out of 11 players (64%)
Top 15: 9 Koreans + 1 Japanese out of 15 players (67%)

The Korean girls are absolutely dominating the tour.

I was shocked that Christie Kerr did not play like she did the first three days. I guess when you start "entertaining thoughts" of winning, it can do that to your game. Paula Creamer made a good comeback on the last day (when she wasn't in contention any more). Again, she just puts too much pressure on herself to the detriment of her game. It has to be said that Tiger is totally untouchable with respects to knowing "how to win mentally". That's something that's hard to teach.

Runner up - Kung is from Taiwan.  But I got your point

[Medson]

Wait, you mean Christie Kerr is not Korean? AMERICAN DOMINANCE!!!

Nevertheless, it happens sometimes. No big deal.

[CrownCityBoy]

bobsuruncle, on Jul 12 2009, 09:05 PM, said:

I just had a look at the final leader board:

Champion and runner-up: both Koreans
Top 3: 3 Koreans and 1 American (75%)
Top 10: 6 Koreans + 1 Japanese out of 11 players (64%)
Top 15: 9 Koreans + 1 Japanese out of 15 players (67%)

FYI, runner-up Candie Kung is not Korean. She is Chinese from Taiwan, attended USC, lives in SoCal. and was interviewed (she speaks English) after her round by Roger Maltbie

[Hairpie]

It almost seems like an army of Korean girls around the age of 8 years old all went crazy for golf when Se Ri hit the big time.....Now they're all maturing at the same time and dominatng....

[D'KRUSHER]

I forgot how excellent Saucon Valley course is !
Great Finish!
The Asian Invasion will continue....which aint all bad.

[bobsuruncle]

Oops, my mistake. Yes, Candie Kung is Taiwanese. No offence meant.

[dfegolfer]

bobsuruncle, on Jul 13 2009, 01:00 AM, said:

Oops, my mistake. Yes, Candie Kung is Taiwanese. No offence meant.

Actually she was. Candie Kung was born in Taiwan, but is now a Naturalized American Citizen.

[Lefty4par2]

You know... it's interesting. I was talking to a high school female golfer here in CO Sunday about this and her information was very interesting.

Apparently the Asian dominance isn't only happening on tour. When these girls are young they are given scholarships and funding to come to the US and compete. She went to a tournament in FL last year... went 2 days early to practice. The girls from Korea had gotten there 2 weeks early, with swing coach, mental coach, short game coach and parents... played the course like a dozen times and of course "swept" the field. How can the US girls compete with that.

She said there are even Asian girls here in CO (only been here sine about 10 years old) that are sent, funded by the Gov... they spend like 4 hours on school in the morning, 10 hours at the golf course and another 3-5 hours of school in the evening. At pre-teen years!!!!!

She also noticed it doesn't seem fun for them. Saw one girl a few weeks ago just getting screamed at on the range by parents for shooting a 78! She thinks they will crack sooner or later... she is probably right.

[bobsuruncle]

Lefty4par2, on Jul 13 2009, 05:21 PM, said:

She also noticed it doesn't seem fun for them. Saw one girl a few weeks ago just getting screamed at on the range by parents for shooting a 78! She thinks they will crack sooner or later... she is probably right.

It's sad when over bearing parents take the fun out of any sport for their children...we have so many examples in tennis (e.g. jennifer capriati, etc) and golf (e.g. michelle wie, although she's starting to enjoy her golf again). They may burn bright for a little while, then they burn out.

Having said that, sometimes it's also the child's mental make up. They may or may not come back stronger. Look at Anthony Kim. I read he had a massive falling out with his father who was too pushy and demanding. He was probably older and managed to push back, but for the younger teenagers it's really tough.

[sandiegonative]

Lefty4par2, on Jul 13 2009, 05:21 PM, said:

You know... it's interesting. I was talking to a high school female golfer here in CO Sunday about this and her information was very interesting.

Apparently the Asian dominance isn't only happening on tour. When these girls are young they are given scholarships and funding to come to the US and compete. She went to a tournament in FL last year... went 2 days early to practice. The girls from Korea had gotten there 2 weeks early, with swing coach, mental coach, short game coach and parents... played the course like a dozen times and of course "swept" the field. How can the US girls compete with that.
She said there are even Asian girls here in CO (only been here sine about 10 years old) that are sent, funded by the Gov... they spend like 4 hours on school in the morning, 10 hours at the golf course and another 3-5 hours of school in the evening. At pre-teen years!!!!!

She also noticed it doesn't seem fun for them. Saw one girl a few weeks ago just getting screamed at on the range by parents for shooting a 78! She thinks they will crack sooner or later... she is probably right.

This sounds like a bunch of whining to me.

These Korean girls move away from their families and everything they know to try and make it on the LPGA Tour. They work their tails off in the classroom and then on the golf course. And if that's not enough, they hit the books at night. They do this to have a better life for the entire family.

If the American girls want to compete they need to work harder and stop worrying about what girls from the other side of the world are doing. Control what you can, you're own game. No matter the race/ethnicity, people are born into families of different economic wealth. Sure some have it easier then others, but at the end of the day YOU make YOU.

Regarding the "screaming"...

I'm American Vietnamese (1st generation). If someone came to one of our family parties you'd think we were ready to kill one another. I also work with other Vietnamsese who sound like their screaming at each other. We just talk loud and unless you speak the language, you don't know what is "REALLY" going on.

[kekoa]

sandiegonative, on Jul 14 2009, 12:18 AM, said:

Lefty4par2, on Jul 13 2009, 05:21 PM, said:

You know... it's interesting. I was talking to a high school female golfer here in CO Sunday about this and her information was very interesting.

Apparently the Asian dominance isn't only happening on tour. When these girls are young they are given scholarships and funding to come to the US and compete. She went to a tournament in FL last year... went 2 days early to practice. The girls from Korea had gotten there 2 weeks early, with swing coach, mental coach, short game coach and parents... played the course like a dozen times and of course "swept" the field. How can the US girls compete with that.
She said there are even Asian girls here in CO (only been here sine about 10 years old) that are sent, funded by the Gov... they spend like 4 hours on school in the morning, 10 hours at the golf course and another 3-5 hours of school in the evening. At pre-teen years!!!!!

She also noticed it doesn't seem fun for them. Saw one girl a few weeks ago just getting screamed at on the range by parents for shooting a 78! She thinks they will crack sooner or later... she is probably right.

This sounds like a bunch of whining to me.



Regarding the "screaming"...

I'm American Vietnamese (1st generation). If someone came to one of our family parties you'd think we were ready to kill one another. I also work with other Vietnamsese who sound like their screaming at each other. We just talk loud and unless you speak the language, you don't know what is "REALLY" going on.

LOL i'm with you there. i go to a vietnamese haidresser and these guys are yelling at the top of their lungs...in my ear, but just having fun conversation. I have no idea wtf they are saying. prolly making fun of me since i'm korean/jap.

[smokinxtreme]

korean ladies ROCK...........

[Lefty4par2]

Certainly no disrespect intended... but another example (same girl getting yelled at) got smacked in the face by her mother for not scoring well. Don't think that's just culture!!

Also, I understand what you are saying but I believe it's FAR from whining. One of the main points is there are a lot of girls here in the states that would LOVE to put that much time into their game. The issue is all the funding by the government. How many families could take 2 weeks and fly the family (also a point... they don't leave a lot of their family... most of the family comes with them it seems!) and all their coaches across the country... much less across the globe for a match like that. when you can't compete financially with things like that it's VERY difficult to compete on any level... no matter what you would LIKE to happen or what your work ethic is.

I think there is a level of this that is unfair like it or not..

I'm not talking about the tour here, I'm talking about high school girls trying to get a start. There is no way more than 1 - 2% of American families with girls who are up and coming golfers can AFFORD to compete with that stuff... has nothing to do with work ethic, whining, or anything else. Just the all-mighty dollar.

[Asleep]

Jimmy Demaret on Ben Hogan:

One winter he [Hogan] met Ted Williams, one of the greatest hitters in baseball. This was after the season in which Ted hit .406.

Ben asked him, "Why is it you can't hit .500?"

Williams said, "Why that's almost impossible. That's one out of two."

So Ben said, "Well, you fellows lay off all winter. You don't do anything but fish. If you had someone pitch to you or had a machine throw balls and you kept practicing, I believe you could hit .500."

-------

Another time during the Rochester Open, Ben shot a 64 with a double bogey. Now Craig Wood, Lloyd Mangrum, and myself were in the clubhouse after the day's play having a beer and playing some gin rummy. About dark we started to leave and saw this silhouette out on the practice tee. We thought it looked like Hogan and walked down to take a look.

I asked him, "Ben, what are you doing out here practicing? You just had a 64 with 10 birdies. Ten birdies is an awful lot in 18 holes."

He said, "Jimmy, there's no reason why a man can't birdie every hole."

---Golf Magazine, April 1978, page 78.



It's not that they're Korean, in my opinion.

[Lefty4par2]

"It's not that they're Korean, in my opinion"

I'm not sure who said it's because they are Korean?

[Mr. Herbert]

Lefty4par2, on Jul 14 2009, 04:03 PM, said:

"It's not that they're Korean, in my opinion"

I'm not sure who said it's because they are Korean?

Maybe you should read the original post.

[BankerGolfer]

Actually, getting smacked in the face for failure is part of the culture. Asians never lost their taste for corporal punishment the way we Americans have. Guess it had something to do with not having as many lawyers and a litigious nature in Asia as we do here in the US.

Let's face it. For those Asians who DON'T crack under the regimen and pressure, they will be incredibly tough to beat....

Lefty4par2, on Jul 14 2009, 12:51 PM, said:

Certainly no disrespect intended... but another example (same girl getting yelled at) got smacked in the face by her mother for not scoring well. Don't think that's just culture!!

Also, I understand what you are saying but I believe it's FAR from whining. One of the main points is there are a lot of girls here in the states that would LOVE to put that much time into their game. The issue is all the funding by the government. How many families could take 2 weeks and fly the family (also a point... they don't leave a lot of their family... most of the family comes with them it seems!) and all their coaches across the country... much less across the globe for a match like that. when you can't compete financially with things like that it's VERY difficult to compete on any level... no matter what you would LIKE to happen or what your work ethic is.

I think there is a level of this that is unfair like it or not..

I'm not talking about the tour here, I'm talking about high school girls trying to get a start. There is no way more than 1 - 2% of American families with girls who are up and coming golfers can AFFORD to compete with that stuff... has nothing to do with work ethic, whining, or anything else. Just the all-mighty dollar.

[caller]

Lefty4par2, on Jul 13 2009, 05:21 PM, said:

You know... it's interesting. I was talking to a high school female golfer here in CO Sunday about this and her information was very interesting.

Apparently the Asian dominance isn't only happening on tour. When these girls are young they are given scholarships and funding to come to the US and compete. She went to a tournament in FL last year... went 2 days early to practice. The girls from Korea had gotten there 2 weeks early, with swing coach, mental coach, short game coach and parents... played the course like a dozen times and of course "swept" the field. How can the US girls compete with that.

She said there are even Asian girls here in CO (only been here sine about 10 years old) that are sent, funded by the Gov... they spend like 4 hours on school in the morning, 10 hours at the golf course and another 3-5 hours of school in the evening. At pre-teen years!!!!!

She also noticed it doesn't seem fun for them. Saw one girl a few weeks ago just getting screamed at on the range by parents for shooting a 78! She thinks they will crack sooner or later... she is probably right.

I am not sure which government you are refering to above but certainly not South Korean government. I never heard of anyone from Korea playing golf by government fund.

[sandiegonative]

Lefty4par2, on Jul 14 2009, 12:51 PM, said:

Certainly no disrespect intended... but another example (same girl getting yelled at) got smacked in the face by her mother for not scoring well. Don't think that's just culture!!

Also, I understand what you are saying but I believe it's FAR from whining. One of the main points is there are a lot of girls here in the states that would LOVE to put that much time into their game. The issue is all the funding by the government. How many families could take 2 weeks and fly the family (also a point... they don't leave a lot of their family... most of the family comes with them it seems!) and all their coaches across the country... much less across the globe for a match like that. when you can't compete financially with things like that it's VERY difficult to compete on any level... no matter what you would LIKE to happen or what your work ethic is.

I think there is a level of this that is unfair like it or not..

I'm not talking about the tour here, I'm talking about high school girls trying to get a start. There is no way more than 1 - 2% of American families with girls who are up and coming golfers can AFFORD to compete with that stuff... has nothing to do with work ethic, whining, or anything else. Just the all-mighty dollar.

None taken

I must reiterate, unless YOU or whomever is feeding you this story speaks the language in question you don't know why the girl got smacked in the face.

I still say it is whining. There is nothing stopping an American girl from practicing her little tail off to become the best golfer possible. I'm in San Diego and I see tons of junior golfers (all ages and races) practicing at the Stadium Golf Center. Just because they don't travel the globe doesn't mean they can't become better at golf.

True, money opens doors but it isn't everything. Rich kids practice at Stadium Golf Center or some country club and those less fortunate can go to Colina Park Golf Course. WORK ETHIC plays a big part. You can be as rich as you want but if you're not willing to work at it, you're nothing.

[LOVE4LPGA]

Kung is an American, IIRC.

myu3777, on Jul 12 2009, 09:18 PM, said:

bobsuruncle, on Jul 13 2009, 12:05 AM, said:

I just had a look at the final leader board:

Champion and runner-up: both Koreans
Top 3: 3 Koreans and 1 American (75%)
Top 10: 6 Koreans + 1 Japanese out of 11 players (64%)
Top 15: 9 Koreans + 1 Japanese out of 15 players (67%)

The Korean girls are absolutely dominating the tour.

I was shocked that Christie Kerr did not play like she did the first three days. I guess when you start "entertaining thoughts" of winning, it can do that to your game. Paula Creamer made a good comeback on the last day (when she wasn't in contention any more). Again, she just puts too much pressure on herself to the detriment of her game. It has to be said that Tiger is totally untouchable with respects to knowing "how to win mentally". That's something that's hard to teach.

Runner up - Kung is from Taiwan. But I got your point

[Logie]

From what I have heard from friends and family, who have been and know people from SK. It’s pretty much down to being very disciplined.

Also, most people save there money, something like 50% of wages go into savings, when they have children, its there dream for the children to go to the best schools and get top jobs e.g. Medical, Law etc

So when they take up a sport, it’s never a fad or anything. Its 101% dedication to be the best.

[yoonie]

Lefty4par2, on Jul 14 2009, 12:51 PM, said:

Certainly no disrespect intended... but another example (same girl getting yelled at) got smacked in the face by her mother for not scoring well. Don't think that's just culture!!

Also, I understand what you are saying but I believe it's FAR from whining. One of the main points is there are a lot of girls here in the states that would LOVE to put that much time into their game. The issue is all the funding by the government. How many families could take 2 weeks and fly the family (also a point... they don't leave a lot of their family... most of the family comes with them it seems!) and all their coaches across the country... much less across the globe for a match like that. when you can't compete financially with things like that it's VERY difficult to compete on any level... no matter what you would LIKE to happen or what your work ethic is.

I think there is a level of this that is unfair like it or not..

I'm not talking about the tour here, I'm talking about high school girls trying to get a start. There is no way more than 1 - 2% of American families with girls who are up and coming golfers can AFFORD to compete with that stuff... has nothing to do with work ethic, whining, or anything else. Just the all-mighty dollar.

Uhhhh, what? Golf is INSANELY expensive in Korea. If you're seeing what you're seeing, it's Korean parents doing EXACTLY what Rory McIlroy's parents did- work their asses of day and night and sacrifice for their kid. If anything, considering the cost of playing, practicing, and instruction over there, it's even harder.

Korea isn't Dubai- there isn't money gushing from the ground. It's not East Germany or China either, there aren't national academies recruiting and training kids.

In fact, the only part of your post that's remotely based in any sort of fact is the kid getting slapped.

[yoonie]

By the way, it's pretty simple. If some of the things I've heard about some LPGA practice habits are true...you snooze you lose. It's good that the younger generation of future female golfers in America sees hard work paying off more than pretty dresses- maybe the next generation of American women golfers will be dominating the Asian tours.

[LOVE4LPGA]

I've also felt that the "celebrity" activities are detracting Americans from their best game.

The Korean influx is great for this league. It is waking up.

yoonie, on Jul 21 2009, 12:21 PM, said:

By the way, it's pretty simple. If some of the things I've heard about some LPGA practice habits are true...you snooze you lose. It's good that the younger generation of future female golfers in America sees hard work paying off more than pretty dresses- maybe the next generation of American women golfers will be dominating the Asian tours.