Korean Golf developing at a rapid pace, says Dominic Wall

POSTED ON July 6, 2024 @ 1:00 pm

Dominic Wall, R&A Asia Pacific general director, is one of the most influential figures in the Asian golf industry. The Asian country he is most paying attention to is Korea. Last month, he visited Korea during the Kolon Korean Open, co-hosted by the Korea Golf Association (KGA) and the Asian Tour, and he could not hide his surprise about “K Golf,” which is developing at a rapid pace.

Dominic Wall, R&A Asia-Pacific general director who recently visited Korea, was surprised by Korean golf, which has developed at an extraordinary pace. Reporter Lim Jungwoo

In a recent interview with Maeil Business, Wall said, “The pace of development of Korean golf is incredibly fast. It is unique to Korean golf that talented players continue to appear,” he said. “There are few countries like Korea that can easily access golf because there are practice fields and screen golf courses throughout the city. There are also a lot of passionate golfers who are interested in clothing and equipment, and I’m looking forward to how much further they will develop in the future,” he said.

How important does R&A value the Korean golf market?

R&A is an organization that is leading the development of global golf by hosting major tournaments The Open and AIG Women’s Open, distributing golf rules, and conducting youth golf education.

Director Wall said, “The fact that we are holding the De-Open Qualifying Series and working with Korean golf organizations shows how important R&A is to Korea,” adding, “Korea is one of the center and golf powerhouses in Asia.” “I’m trying to give more Korean players a chance like the DeOpen Qualifying Series,” he explained.

Pak Se-ri was cited as a pioneer in the development of Korean golf. Director Wall said, “I can’t talk about Korean golf except for Park Se-ri. Pak Se-ri’s success has led to more players starting golf in Korea, Japan, China, and Thailand. “Park Se-ri’s performance played an important role in the development of Asian golf,” he stressed.

Pak’s influence is not limited to Asian golf. As the women’s golf boom, which started in Asia, has also appeared in the U.S. and Europe, the number of female golfers has increased to an extent incomparable to that of 20 years ago. Director Wall said, “The growth of the female golfer population began in Asia. Now, a similar phenomenon is occurring all over the world, but it is difficult to talk about it without Korea. I think Pak Se-ri was at the starting point,” he said.

Director Wall, who has been working at R&A since 2009, said Asia’s share of the global golf industry continues to grow. “There is no other region in the world where the golf market is growing faster than Asia,” he said. As the R&A is an organization that aims to make golf a popular sport 50 years later, it has no choice but to pay special attention to the Asian golf market. R&A plans to increase investment in the development of golf in Asia in the future. “We are considering several ways to make golf easy to access anywhere in Asian countries,” he explained.

Wall predicted that golf’s popularity will continue in the future. “As there are many alternatives to playing golf indoors in a short time, the number of golfers will continue to increase,” he explained.

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