With her role model, 28-year-old Jin Young Ko of South Korea, holding the No. 1 ranking for the second week in a row, “super rookie” Bang Shin-sil (19, KB Financial Group) is finally starting to make a name for herself on the world stage.
In the Women’s Golf World Rankings released on Tuesday, Bang jumped a whopping 123 spots to No. 110 from No. 233 last week.
Bang, who made her debut on the professional tour this season, has made rapid strides to play the final round in the championship group on three occasions, culminating in a dominant performance at the Korean Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) E1 Charity Open, which concluded on Monday. It’s a quantum leap considering she was ranked 740th before her KLPGA debut.
With a first-place prize of 162 million won, Bang surpassed the 200 million won mark in career earnings (278.89 million won) in just her fifth start on the regular tour. This is a new record for the smallest number of tournaments, surpassing Choi Hye-jin, Park Min-ji, and Cho Ah-yeon (6+ tournaments).
After exploding onto the scene as a fearsome rookie who can hit long shots of up to 300 yards, Bang complemented her calm game management in this tournament and quickly rose to the top.
His pace is incredible. Ranked first in both strokes gained (70.08) and distance off the tee (259.63 yards), Bang also finished third in rookie points (651), sixth in the money list (278.89 million won) and sixth in the grand prize points (146), making him one of the top golfers in the world.
In his post-tournament interview, Bang made no secret of his ambitions to challenge on the world stage, and he is on the verge of breaking into the world’s top 100. At his current pace, it’s only a matter of time.
He cites Ko as a role model, saying, “I can learn a lot from him because he has a very good mental attitude and always works hard on the spot.”스포츠토토
After bouncing back from her injury, Ko defended her world No. 1 ranking for the second week in a row. Nellie Koda (USA), Lydia Ko (NZL), Lilia Boo (USA), and Minjee Lee (AUS) round out the top five. Kim Hyo-joo (KOR) rounded out the top 10 with a 10th place finish.
Bang Shin-sil, who said he plans to improve his finesse rather than his distance, drove a lot of galleries at the tournament. He said, “It’s really exciting. I’m grateful that so many people recognize me and come to cheer me on. I feel like a bit of a celebrity.”
The team realized their goal sooner than expected. “My goal was to secure a seed, but it’s great that it’s already happened. In the future, I want to play steadily in the remaining tournaments and place in the top 10.” “There are so many good players, so I will put down my greed and do my best in every tournament. I really want to win the KB Financial tournament, which is a sponsored tournament.”