Jeunghun Wang became the second young Korean in the space of three weeks to win on the European Tour after the 20 year old’s dramatic play-off triumph at the Trophée Hassan II, meaning the Asian nation’s star continues to rise on the world golfing stage.
The Rolex Rankings, the equivalent in the female golfing world to the Official World Golf Ranking, paints a very clear picture as to the dominant nation in the ladies’ game right now.
Five of the top ten are from Korea and, while the runaway leader and one of the biggest sensations in world sport right now – Lydia Ko – is from New Zealand, the 19 year old was born in Seoul.
The question those in the inner circles of the world game have been asking for some time now is, when will the men’s game follow suit?
Wang’s success in Morocco may have come as a surprise to many observers – he was only playing his 14thEuropean Tour event and was a sponsor’s invite – but after Soomin Lee emerged from the shadows to win comfortably at the Shenzhen International three weeks ago, how many more times must we be surprised before we begin to take these young Korean hot shots seriously?
Byeong Hun An’s rise through the ranks of European golf may not have been quite as meteoric, having spent three years on the Challenge Tour before making his breakthrough, but he remains the eldest of the last three Korean winners on the European Tour - he was the ripe old age of 23 and 255 days when he soared to the BMW PGA Championship title last year.
Jin Jeong, the most recent previous Korean winner before An’s six-shot victory at Wentworth, was just 12 days older when he shocked the field at the 2013 Perth International, while Seung-yul Noh is the youngest Korean winner in European Tour history, winning aged just 18 years and 282 days.
The five Koreans that now hold full European Tour Membership sets a new record. Meanwhile, there now sit 11 Koreans in the top 200 of the Official World Golf Ranking – at the end of 2006 there were only six.
Of course, YE Yang was the pioneer for Korean golfers, downing Tiger Woods to win the 2009 USPGA Championship and inspire a nation with a population of over 50 million to pick up a golf club and shoot for the stars.
It is surely only a matter of time now before another Korean follows in the footsteps of Asia’s Major trailblazer and takes one of golf's big four trophies.
Who knows, it could be any one of the young rising stars that has emerged from the European Tour in recent years.
The ages of the last five Korean European Tour winners
Seung-yul Noh
2010 Maybank Malaysian Open champion,18 years and 282 days
Jin Jeong
2013 Perth International champion, aged 23 and 267 days
Byeong-hun An
2015 BMW PGA Champion,aged 23 and 255 days
Soomin Lee
2016 Shenzhen International champion,aged 22 and 195 days
Jeunghun Wang
2016 Trophée Hassan II winner, aged 20 and 256 days
Korean European Tour Members by year
