Pak takes 15 years, 279 tries to win first title

On some days, putting practice begins at 9 pm for Pak Ju-young. The South Korean golfer first has to put her son Kim Ha-yul to bed before she spends the next hour on a putting mat in her home.

- 

Patience and determination are familiar traits for Pak. After all, it took her 279 tries and 15 years both records on the Korean Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Tour - before she finally won her first professional title, having joined the circuit in 2008.

The 33-year-old had come close before with five runner-up finishes on the KLPGA Tour. Less than four months before her maiden victory, an eight-under 64 effort in the final round of the Hankyung Ladies Cup was not enough as she finished one stroke behind the winner.

After her victory at the Daebo has Open in October 2023, there was unsurprisingly, a sense of disbelief and relief at the Seowon Valley Country Club for Pak, whose sister is Park Hee-young, 36. The older sibling has three wins on the LPGA Tour alongside six on the KLPGA.

Pak, who is competing in this week's Hana Financial Group Singapore Women's Open marking her 15th season on the KLPGA, still has to pinch herself that she is a champion. She told The Straits Times: "I couldn't believe it and I didn't expect this to happen to me.