Another South Korean wins U.S. Open

South Koreans have kept their dominance in winning the U-S Open golf championship for women, winning the latest tournament Sunday in Kohler.

A hearty cheer went up from the gallery around the 18th green as Na Yeon Choi claimed the championship in the 67th U.S. Women’s Open golf tournament. Some in the crowd were also at the Blackwolf Run course fourteen years ago when South Korean Se Ri Pak won a U.S. Open playoff and set off a golf craze in her home country. Na Yeon Choi was nine years old when Pak won, and Choi says she watched that victory on television.

Choi held off another South Korean, Amy Yang, to win yesterday, and together they were among about 30 South Koreans who started play in the four day tournament, making up about 20-percent of the field. It was the sixth time a South Korean has won the Women’s Open in the last 15 years. Choi says she hopes she’s not the last Korean winner.

She credits the support of her parents and coaches, and says South Koreans get more motivation to succeed from watching and listening to other people. Sports analysts say many of the Korean golfers also practice about 12 hours a day.