Friday, July 11, 2014

News Grab-Bag: 7/11/2014

- There is a very interesting interview with Sun-Ju Ahn discussing her lack of Korean sponsors and the decision behind playing golf in Japan instead of in her native Korea. Sun-Ju Ahn stated that some potential Korean sponsors demanded Ahn get plastic surgery before signing with them. The whole process frustrated her, as she refused to get plastic surgery for the purpose of getting sponsors, so she went to Japan where she has since won 16 times, climbed inside the top 30 on the Rolex Rankings, and became the first non-Japanese woman to win the money title two years in a row.

On a personal level, I can't say I'm incredibly shocked by Ahn's story. I don't want to characterize Korea as a whole, but I do know that there are large segments of the Korean culture that are obsessed with beauty, especially within corporate circles. Several Korean pop and movie stars have gotten plastic surgery, and several others, including popular rapper and K-Pop star CL, have come out publicly stating that they were pressured but turned it down. I'm glad Ahn went on to her own success on the JLPGA Tour and refused the demands of some corporate suits who think looks are more important than performance on the course. (By the way, at the time of this writing, Ahn is T5 at the Women's British Open).

- You can't have a week without Tiger Woods popping up in the news somewhere. New reports say that Tiger paid controversial doctor Anthony Galea $76K over the course of 14 visits between January and August of 2009. This would have been immediately after his knee surgery and subsequent recovery, and prior to the infidelity scandal. Woods has previous admitted to seeing Galea in the past, but this is more fuel to the fire. Galea, for those who don't know, was the doctor who gave several high profile athletes performance enhancing drugs.

- The Open Championship will be the start of the ranking process for the 2016 Olympics. Several critics have come out and slammed the process, as only four players from each country can be eligible for the Olympics if they are ranked inside the top 15. This means a couple of players from the United States may not make it, even though they are ranked inside the top 15, and yet a player like Nicholas Fung from Malyasia, who is ranked 290th in the world, would get in. Personally, I do not have a problem with it - it's the Olympics, not a major championship. Anyone who knows anything about the Olympic qualifying process knows that there are several competitors who make the field that are ranked well down in their respective rankings. In the end, the best players will be the ones competing for the gold medal, and I for one can not wait for golf to be in the Olympics...provided, of course, that Brazil is able to build a golf course in time.

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