She started as a scared little girl in a taekwondo studio. Her father, a martial arts master, urged her to face fear. That advice still stirs her swing—and her soul.

Her father was no ordinary coach. He was a taekwondo grand master who ran his own studio in Korea. By age five, Sei Young was training under him. By the age of 12, she had earned a third-degree black belt. Discipline, balance, and timing defined every move she made. Those same traits later molded her golf swing.

She picked up a golf club at nine. Her father took her to the local driving range and watched her hit for hours. At home, she swung clubs indoors to feel the motion. Taekwondo had already taught her to strike with power and precision. Golf, she quickly realized, demanded the same control.

Yet her father gave her more than physical skills. He taught her to confront nerves head-on. When she faltered in junior events, he told her to make a decision. “Do you want this as a hobby or a career?” he asked. That question forced her to commit fully to golf. At 16, she won the Korean Women’s Amateur Championship—the youngest ever to do so.

Two years later, she turned professional. Success followed on the Korean LPGA Tour, where she collected five wins. Still, stepping onto the LPGA Tour in 2015 was overwhelming. She struggled with English and considered quitting. She called her father, exhausted and afraid. He listened quietly, then asked a familiar question: “Are you afraid?” His challenge pushed her to stay one more week. The next event, she won her first LPGA title.

Her career soared from there. She now has 12 LPGA wins, including the 2020 Women’s PGA Championship. Her record-breaking 31-under finish at the 2018 Thornberry Creek LPGA Classic remains unmatched. Reports describe how she bagged five wins in Korea and 12 more on the LPGA Tour, cementing her place among South Korea’s most successful golfers. Through it all, her mother offered constant encouragement—checking in during tournaments, reminding her to eat well, and keeping her steady even from afar.

South Korea’s Golf Family Culture

But Sei Young’s story is also part of a bigger picture. Since Se Ri Pak’s U.S. Women’s Open win in 1998, South Korean golf has been defined by family support. Parents commit early, striking a balance between strict training and relentless encouragement. For Sei Young, that meant martial arts lessons at dawn and golf practice at dusk. For others, it meant financial sacrifice and travel to pursue opportunity.

The results speak loudly. South Korean women have claimed more than 30 majors since Pak’s breakthrough. Champions like Inbee Park, Mirim Lee, and Sei Young all attribute their success to their families. Their parents’ discipline mirrors their children’s poise on the biggest stages.

Today, Sei Young continues to live by her father’s lesson. Fear never disappears, but courage grows stronger when you face it. In every shot, in every pressure moment, she carries her parents’ influence. And in doing so, she reflects the heart of South Korea’s golf culture—where family shapes champions.