Asians Own British Open

Filed in archive Golf News on August 3, 2008

Courtesy: Getty Images

Here's an interesting statistic: of the top 20 women's golfers at the Women's British Open at Sunningdale in Berkshire, four were American players.

Just four.

30 American players started the tournament on Thursday - 19 finished on Sunday. That's not bad.

But 20 Korean golfers finished the tournament, 11 of them in the top 20. Four Japanese golfers finished the tournament, three of them in the top 7.

Can we draw a conclusion here? Environmental possibilities aside ("it's something in Asian water"), why do more Asian women's golfers excel on the LPGA tour than any golfer from any other part of the world?

Many point to Michelle Wie (who tried and failed for the 8th time to make the cut in a PGA Tour event this week - will she ever learn?) and her (read her parents') obsessive need to practice. But when they talk about Wie's drive, it's with negative overtones.

And, yes, Wie was born in Hawaii and is American, but her parents are South Korean.

For years now on the women's tour, Korean players and, by comparison, a smattering of Japanese players, have dominated from tee to green.

I would argue it's in the drive to succeed that is bred deep and nurtured early in Asian kids. And it's a numbers game. There are millions of kids trying to succeed. Talent is fine but it's nothing unless it's honed through effort and sacrifice.

Is it any wonder, then, that the great exporting economies of the world just happen to be in Asia (China, Japan, Korea and soon the rest of southeast Asia in case you weren't watching)?

They work harder; they sacrifice more.

Ji Yai Shin from South Korea is the 2008 Women's British Open champion.

She recorded four bogeys in four rounds.