This year, several ‘big newcomers’ will appear on the stage of the Korean Women’s Professional Golf (KLPGA) tour. There are ‘Big 3’ or ‘Big 5’, and Lee Ji-hyun (21) is a player who must enter wherever he is selected.
There is a reason Lee Ji-hyun is getting a little more attention than her competitors. Before the start of the season, he was forced to wear a Nike cap, a big player in the global sports market. It is the fourth time that Nike has signed a ‘full-line’ sponsorship contract with a KLPGA tour player, following Park Ji-eun (44), Park So-hye (26), and Son Ye-bin (21).
Lee Ji-hyun, whom I recently met, said안전놀이터, “When Nike offered a sponsorship contract, he didn’t even hesitate for a second.” He explained, “I want to become ‘athlete’ Lee Ji-hyun with a slightly more dynamic image than golf player Lee Ji-hyun,” and “I thought Nike’s ‘Swoosh’ logo would show this.”
One of the most important evaluation items that Nike considers when discovering a newcomer is star quality. It is said that Nike fell in love with Lee Ji-hyun’s dynamic swing, reminiscent of a male golfer. An official from Nike Korea said, “Lee Ji-hyun’s swing will be within three fingers in Korea,” and “It was impressive that he hit hard without stopping for a moment at the top of the backswing.” At the same time, he added, “I valued the long hit and the aggressive play style.”
Jihyun Lee’s swing speed is at the top of the KLPGA Tour. It reaches 108 miles per hour (173 km/h). This is a number that long hitters such as Kim Se-young and Michelle Wie West made only in their heyday. Lee Ji-hyun said, “If you hit it hard, it sends about 240m (267 yards) in carry distance.”
Even outside the golf course, Lee Ji-hyun has a lot of chess. He said, “I draw pictures when I rest.” When he was in elementary school, he was so good at drawing that he joined the ‘Art Gifted and Talented Class’. Until he was in the 6th grade of elementary school, he thought about art and golf, but instead of a brush, he picked up a club. So he said, “Opening an exhibition like Jeon In-ji is on my bucket list.”
But there are no pictures in his mind right now. it’s just golf In December of last year, after qualifying for the regular tour of the KLPGA Tour, she achieved a good result (35th place) at the Pacific Rings Korea Championship, where she participated for the first time. He said, “My goal is to be the rookie of the year.”