Remember the chaos on the 18th fairway when Tiger Woods won the 2018 TOUR Championship? Fans poured in from every direction, chasing a glimpse of history. Even Woods was stunned. “I’ve never seen anything like the fans and the commotion,” he said afterward. That kind of passion is what makes golf electric. Crowds rise for their favorite player and fall silent for the next. But in South Korea, the silence runs deeper, and Sei Young Kim has experienced this firsthand.

The 12-time LPGA Tour winner is playing the $2.3 million BMW Ladies Championship in Wonju, South Korea. In the first two days, fans seemed to show disinterest while golfers were still to complete their play. The media was quick to bring this up at a press conference at the end of Round 2. A media representative asked Kim, “What’s your impression about this gallery culture in Korea? I’m sure there’s some disappointment in that.”

Responding to the question, the 2020 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship winner said, “Yes, I mean, this event happens only once a year, and I think there’s some local characteristics. If we play in Seoul, the galleries tend to be a lot quieter. On the south side of Korea, people are much more passionate and might express their feelings.” This is not the first time golfers have experienced such a distracting behavior from fans in South Korea.

The 2012 KEB-HanaBank Championship, hosted in Incheon, highlights a key example of bad gallery behavior. Players, including Michelle Wie and Yani Tseng, were repeatedly distracted by camera clicks and cellphone use. They even had to pause shots and reset stances multiple times, as their caddies kept shouting, “No cameras, please.” This even reeled in stark cricism from a golfer.

According to The Korea Times, Pak Se-ri criticized the crowd, saying, “This tournament has been held for more than 10 years and it is considered as the best among those taking place in Asia but fans need to take a little bit more attention.” Pak Se-ri referenced Asia because similar instances have happened in China, too,

This was rightly pointed out in the question to Sei Young Kim as well. At the 2009 HSBC Champions tournament, crowds following Tiger Woods were vocal and sometimes intrusive. Reporters described spectators taking flash photos mid-swing, moving during play, and even speaking loudly near tee boxes. Unfrotunately, there’s nothing much that golfers can do about this at any event anywhere, not just in South Korea. In fact, Fans at the 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black were touted to be the worst in the history. But it’s not all bad news according to Kim.

However, Kim acknowledges that the crowd is gradually improving in South Korea. “I think, in general, the gallery culture is improving in Korea. Of course from my perspective, I definitely appreciate all the support that the fans are giving, and we have great safety staff members who are keeping the order and manner well. So it’s important that we play in a safe manner,” she said.

Thanks to the efforts of the Korean Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) and the Korean Golf Association (KGA), this change has been evident. They have focused on developing a culture of respect for the sport from youth levels upward. This has not only improved gallery behavior but also attracted more talent to the sport.

Many South Korean golfers, including Inbee Park, Jin Young Ko, and Sei Young Kim, have become regular features in the top LPGA rankings. The KLPGA and KGA continue to implement various strategies to enhance fan behavior on golf courses.

KLPGA and KGA strategies to improve fan behavior

One of the key strategies adopted by these golf organizations is venue rotation. For instance, the BMW Ladies Championship is the premier LPGA tournament in South Korea. It attracts an average crowd of around 250,000. The management has regularly changed the event venue to enhance fan engagement across the nation. For instance, Wonju, Gangwon Province, hosted the 2019 edition. Later, the organizers moved it to Seowon Valley Country Club in 2023. Now, Pine Beach Golf Links is hosting the 2025 edition.

The sponsors are also taking initiatives to develop more fan engagement. BMW Korea has introduced unique fan incentive programs at their women’s championship. These include events such as Hole-in-One player guessing. Among all the golfers on the field, one wins the Hole-in-One competition. This year, it was Lucy Li who won the competition and an all-electric BMW i7. The even also have the fans a chance to win, too.

Spectators had to guess who would win the Hole-in-One contest on hole 8. A lottery would choose a winner from everyone who guessed correctly. The winner of the Hole-in-One Player Guessing would receive the high-performance SUV model ‘New MINI JCW Countryman.’

Sei Young Kim’s honesty shed light on a side of the game that goes beyond birdies and bogeys. As the BMW Ladies Championship continues, her message stands as a reminder that true progress in golf comes from both skill on the course and respect from those watching it.