Running Alone on the Fairway... The Unhurried Dream of Promising Star Kim Chae-i

[Financial News] "I worry that if it happens too quickly, I might become impatient if it doesn't work out later. I want to rise slowly in the Dream Tour."
This statement reflects the mindset of Kim Chae-i (19), who obtained full membership in KLPGA this year. Perhaps, she ran faster than anyone else, but she knew how not to be intoxicated by speed.
Kim Chae-i first picked up golf only three years ago when she was a freshman in high school. It was a very late start. She began at a regular high school but transferred to Shinsung High School, which has a golf team, and officially stepped onto the fairway. What seemed like a coincidence soon became destiny. At Shinsung High School, also famous as the alma mater of 'Assault Leader' Hwang Yu-min, she quietly found her own swing.
The speed of Kim Chae-i's development was beyond imagination. Just three years after starting golf, she participated in the Jump Tour as an amateur and recorded the best score (8 under par). And in the KLPGA Dasan Beache Jump Tour, she confidently obtained full membership by ranking 6th in the prize money ranking. In the 6th round of the Jump Tour, she finished 2nd, just one stroke behind the winner. It was an achievement made in a short period. Her maturity, not overconfident, was evident in her words, "It felt like I rose too quickly in a short period, so I was bewildered."



Kim Chae-i is strong in the long game. Although not a long-distance style, her driver, which goes about 220m, rarely misses the fairway. The precision of her iron shots shines even more. Recently, her green hit rate has been high, so there is almost no need for trouble shots. However, she is also aware of her weaknesses. She says with an awkward smile, "To make a birdie, I need one-putting, but my putting is still lacking." She emphasized that strengthening her short game is essential.
Her favorite players are Kim Hyo-joo and Lim Hee-jung. She wants to follow in the footsteps of her close 'Birdie Bomber' sister Go Ji-woo and her brother Kim Min-kyu, who is playing on the DP Tour. She is captivated by the stable play and neat swings of her idols.
Now only 19 years old. Although she started golf because she liked it, the reality she has to endure is not so easy. Her parents are busy, so she mostly tours alone. She drives herself to distant places. The hardship contained in her words, "Honestly, it's tough to tour alone," is something no one can easily guess.
Kim Chae-i has to compete in the KLPGA seed tournament this November. One day of preliminaries, four days of finals. She must finish within the top 15 in that tour to open the door to full KLPGA seed. If she doesn't secure a seed there, she must finish within the top 20 in the Dream Tour prize money ranking, which is a second-tier tour.
Kim Chae-i, who walks silently on the fairway, heads to the practice range alone today as well. The path she must tread alone makes her stronger. It's okay not to rise too quickly. Walking unhurriedly, yet unwaveringly, she smiled as she said that one day her steps will receive greater applause on a bigger stage.



jsi@fnnews.com Jeon Sang-il Reporter