Lee Bomi (Korea), who announced her retirement from the Japan tour this season, responded to an exclusive interview with Golf Digest Online (GDO) on the 27th. The opening round of the 2023 season, which starts on March 2 (Thursday), is the Daikin Orchid Ladies (Okinawa, Japan).Ryukyu GC). October’s “NOBUTA GROUP Masters GC Ladies” (Hyogo Masters GC) will be the last match of the domestic tour.
“I was thinking of quitting in 2022.”
―How did you feel when you announced your retirement from the Japan tour?
It feels like a burden has been lifted after the announcement. I feel refreshed now. I once again think that all the games I play will be important. I feel like I want to do my best in every match I play. But to be honest, until yesterday, I thought, “I don’t want to announce it…”. My manager told me, “You can stop (announcing) until 14:00” (*announced at 3:00 pm on the 27th). However, since the recommended appearance for this match was decided just before the opening, I wonder if it should be announced this time. I wonder what will happen tomorrow…I wonder if everyone will be kind to me (laughs).
―When did you decide to retire? What kind of things have you been thinking about since then?
To be honest, I thought about quitting at the end of the 2022 season, so I consulted with the company (where I belong: Nobuta Group), but I thought it was a bit too rushed. It’s disrespectful to the sponsors and fans, and I reconsidered that I should do my best for another year. I thought that I would be able to take care of the game by telling him as soon as possible, even if it was just one game. It’s kind of like a “retirement tour” and you can say hello to everyone. I wanted to make good memories with everyone.
golf and family
– 7 wins in 2015, 5 wins in 2016 and crowned prize money queen for 2 years in a row. What was the source of your strength at that time?
In 2014, because of my father (Seok-ju passed away), I had a very strong desire to win the prize money queen. The big thing is that she has to protect her family. At that time, I think my father was also giving me strength from the sky. The power of family was really strong.
I was able to become the prize money queen once in Korea (2010) and twice in the Japan tour. At that time, she was happy that she could win. But on the other hand, if she didn’t do well, she said, “What about the next game?” She became dissatisfied with her play and she wanted to clean up her swing, play better and not enjoy the game. Looking back, it was also a time when it became difficult to compete. As soon as I started to think so, the time I spent with her family became more enjoyable. If I didn’t think so, now I wonder if I could have continued (actively) a little longer.
―What was the pressure at that time?
Even when my grades were good, I was pretty stressed and played while crying. Even though he was in first place all the time, there was a lot of pressure to see how many games would change that state. He said, “He doesn’t want to fall to second place.” In 2014 (I was ranked 3rd in the prize money ranking), I also experienced a drop in my grades along the way.
―In 2015, you said, “I want to retire in Japan,” which became a big topic in Korea. I think she was in a difficult position…
Looking back, I’ve been playing on the Japan tour for a long time, not on the Korean tour, so I thought it was natural to want to end there. I thought that Japanese fans and Korean fans would understand that. As a result, it is unfortunate that I disappointed the Korean fans, but the timing was such that the relationship between Japan and South Korea (outside the golf world) was not good at the time, so I did not take such a statement. I wonder if it’s been taken. In Korea, there is a permanent seed, so sometimes there is no concept of “retirement”. But it’s completely different from the retirement announcement that I imagined (at the time) (laughs).
regret and anguish
― Japan Tour 21 wins in total. 2017 is the last time he’s seen his winning streak. What was the reason for your downfall?
When I went to the 2017 ANA Inspiration (women’s major, current Chevron Championship), all the players had their balls up high and aimed at the pin at the edge of the green. I couldn’t (raise high) and had to aim for the center of the green. That’s why the birdie putt is too long to take chances. I thought I had to raise the ball a little higher and hit a ball that could be stopped.
Until then, I had only hit the ball looking at what I was aiming for, but after changing my swing, I lost track of it. (Overseas players) are tall and muscular. Lexi (Thompson) and I are 6I, and there is a difference in flight distance as much as PW is used. (The opponent) will fly, so I want to fly too. If I were to go back to that game again, I would have played more like myself without thinking about the other players.
―How has your motivation to practice changed?
When I reconsidered that I had physical problems, I realized that I had to train more. But my body was getting more and more tired, and I sometimes thought, ‘Why do I have to go to the game?’ She loved golf and enjoyed practicing. But the hardest part is the training you need to do to get better. It was a vicious circle that if you can’t do it, you won’t be good at golf.
When I see young players practicing after games, I feel like I can’t compete (in terms of time, amount of practice, and distance).
Nori-san (Shigenori Shimizu Caddy) once asked me. “For example, if Bomi retired now and became a round reporter, would he be able to look at other players’ plays and think, ‘This is amazing,’ or honestly praise their plays?” Of course, at the time, I thought, “I can’t do that.” It was very frustrating for him to think that he was inferior by watching (praising) other players, which he couldn’t do. But now I think so, and I can do it. Although they are rivals, they may be looking at the young players from a different perspective.
“Golf is still 80% of my head”
―In 2019, you announced your marriage to Lee Wan. Do you guys play golf together?
I’m better at shots myself (laughs). But looking at the score, it didn’t change much. (Lee Wan) hits a 20m par putt on the green and plays golf without giving up. He thinks he’s “too long…” It seems that I am hitting while thinking. I think that way of thinking is different from mine. He taught me that such a strong feeling is important. What I am thankful for in my marriage is that my husband makes me feel at ease (in terms of her feelings) and gives me a break. Even though it was tough, I think she was able to continue (her career) until now.
―What are your plans after retirement?
Until now, the season was long and I didn’t have free time. So, I want to travel to various countries and do things freely. If there is an interesting job, I would like to do it. We covered closely the women’s pros, and after that, we sent out a kitchen car and served Korean food to the players. Anyway, I want to plan something that the players can relax and enjoy. Even if I am no longer an active player, I still want to be involved with the Japan Tour. Golf is still 80% of my head. I think I would be happy if I had a child. But now that I have sorted out my mind, I think I would be even happier if I could receive it after that. I want to step up step by step.
(Interviewers: Misao Ishii, Junko Itoi)