By Kang Seung-woo
It has been nearly two years since 11-time Korea LPGA Tour winner Seo Hee-kyung took her talents to the U.S. tour.
However, the 26-year-old “Supermodel of the Fairways” remains winless on the tour, failing to summon the performances that made her one of the most dominant golfers in Korea.
But Seo said she has not gone anywhere and is returning to the form she is capable of.
“Playing in the United States is very different from in Korea. When I played and struggled in Korea, I mentally received help from people around me. But as I live alone in the United States, I have to deal with everything myself, and it is tougher there,” she said in an interview with The Korea Times.
“I was about 80 percent prepared when I went to the United States.”
On the LPGA Tour last year, she had three top-10 finishes including runner-up at the U.S. Women’s Open en route to being named Rookie of the Year.
In addition, Seo made the top 10 six times in 21 appearances in her second season. She is ranked 20th in the money table with $520,058 (575 million won) this year.
But because she is winless, skepticism of her ability has begun to creep in. Aggravating the situation, Seo, who was known for pulling off last-day heroics, instead began faltering down the stretch. In February’s season opener in Australia, she only needed par on the final hole for her second LPGA win — the first was on an exemption — but finished as runner-up following a playoff. She also lost in a four-way playoff at the Manulife Financial LPGA Classic in June and gave up a three-stroke lead with six holes to play at the Kraft Nabisco Championship, the first major of the year, in April.
It is a problem previously unknown to Seo. Among her 11 KLPGA victories, eight were final round come-from-behind wins.
What was different?
“The mindset.” Seo said. “In Korea, I always played with the confidence that I was the best on the course. But in the United States, I was daunted and I not assured that I would win even when I was leading, saying to myself, ‘Oh, I am atop the leaderboard. Is that for real?’”
“That sort of self-distrust factored into the implosions.”
All of this has been a learning experience Seo said and she now sees herself at almost 100 percent in terms of adjustment. “People often ask what has happened to me because of my unproductive U.S. stint. But I train hard with a good game plan, so please remain patient and I will find the success they want to see.”
And her upcoming testing ground will be in front of local fans at the LPGA KEB-HanaBank Championship in Incheon this weekend.
“This tournament is more demanding as I want to put on a better performance for my Korean fans,” said Seo, whose best finish in her five appearances of the tournament was a tie for 15th in 2009.
“I am eyeing making the top 10. But with four tournaments left to play this season, I would most like to win this one.”
Along with adding to the win column, Seo, sitting 31st in the world rankings, wants to play golf at the highest level, namely competing for the world No. 1. Taiwan’s Yani Tseng has spent 88 weeks atop the women’s standings as of Monday.
“Currently, my world ranking has dropped a bit too much,” she said. “I have set my sights on topping the world rankings within two years.”