Christmas Break

While the Lexus Cup was going on, some of the Korean golfers who weren't there were doing other public stuff. On the 13th of December, Mi Hyun Kim tried a new sport. However, given her small stature, it's probably the last sport you'd expect her to try! Yes, Kimmie made an appearance at a pro basketball game between KTF and LG. In Korea, sports teams are often sponsored by companies. She tossed a ceremonial ball. No word on whether she made the shot or not!

Somehow, I suspect that Kimmie is going to keep her day job, though I bet she had a great time being a basketball player for at least a day! I do think it would be worth the price of admission to see her try a jump ball!!

Later on, she watched the action:

No word on who the baby is. No, it's not Kimmie's. That would be an even more surprising photo than the above one!! I believe it's her niece/nephew.

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On December 15th, Ji Yai Shin donated 10,000,000 won to Samsung Seoul Hospital. Shin decided to give 20,000 won for each birdie she made in 2006. She made a total of 201 birdies, for a total of 4,020,000 won. She added more to the fund for each of her wins, coming up with the 10 million won total. That's about $10,000. Nice Christmas present for the patients!

Jin Joo Hong on the 19th of December signed a three year deal with SK to wear their logo on her hat and clothing. The deal is worth 900 million won or about $900,000. During her press conference, she expressed excitement about her coming rookie year, and said her goal was to become the sixth Korean to win the Rookie of the Year award in the past ten years. She's going to have a lot of competition, including from her fellow Seoul Sisters. But she's already shown that she can play and win on the LPGA level, so she has a pretty good chance to meet that goal!

To see all the photos from this signing ceremony, CLICK HERE or on the photo above.

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A number of Korean golfers were featured in magazines in December and January. Here are some photos of some of the KLPGA's biggest stars that appeared at the time! On the left is a candid shot of KLPGA star Hee Young Park, while on the right is KLPGA golfer and non-exempt 2007 rookie Hyun Hee Moon.

And below are two nice photos of Jin Joo Hong from the last month.

Lastly, here's a candid photo of Joo Mi Kim from a golf magazine, and one more photo of Jin Joo.

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Recently, a nice interview with Ji Yeon Lee appeared in a Korean golf magazine. For those who were wondering, Jinnie will continue to play in America next year.

She reveals that she started playing golf in fourth grade, thanks (surprise, surprise!) to the urgings of her father. She worked hard right from the get go, and won her first amateur tournament only a year later. She was a good student as well, and won an award for her combined academic and golf talent two years in a row. Among those who were her contemporaries were Meena Lee and Seol An Jeon.

Eventually she became a pro on the KLPGA tour. She ended up playing on the LPGA, where she has not had a lot of success so far. But after three years in America, she returned to play in Korea and won her first ever pro event at the Meritz Solmoro Classic this year. She was thrilled about it, and her goal now is to win on the LPGA tour in 2007.

She is dating a KPGA pro named Jung Joon Park. She is currently training hard in California for next year. Best of luck in her efforts to get that win!

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In-Kyung Kim won both the Futures Tour and LPGA Q-Schools this year. She's an 18 year old who has a ton of potential, and next year we'll see her on the LPGA tour. She was featured in a recent interview in a Korean newspaper. She says she realizes she can't win every tournament she enters, but it's her aim to try anyway!

She started playing golf in fourth grade, but at the time had no thoughts of becoming a professional. As you would imagine, her father helped get her into the sport. The article talks a little about Q-School, and how In-Kyung was the first Korean to medal there since Se Ri back in 1997.

She doesn't think she practices as much as other Korean golfers, because her body tends to get too stiff, so she tries to make the quality of her practice count. She particularly focuses on her short game, she says. Her favorite club is her 56 degree wedge, and she says she wore out its grooves in just two months from practicing with it. Sounds like a lot of practice to me! She thinks her best shot, however, is her bunker shot.

She is 163 cm tall, 5'4" to you and me, but she is known for being a long hitter, getting it out there in the 270 yard range. She will begin her training in earnest this month when she returns to Florida, where she lives in the US. She wants to play in 25 events next year, her first at the SBS Open in Hawaii. "I was alone at Q-School this year" she says. "I want to meet some players, make some friends".

In-Kyung likes to exercise, listen to music and watch movies. It helps her relieve stress. She recently had her wisdom tooth taken out, and likes the color green although she thinks she doesn't look good wearing it.