US Women’s Open winner Ryu So-yeon

Korean hearts swelled in pride to see Korean golfers Ryu So-yeon and Seo Hee-kyung compete Tuesday in the U.S. Women’s Open. In 1998, Pak Se-ri became the first Korean golfer to win the event, displaying her fighting spirit in sudden-death overtime. Thirteen years later, she watched her compatriots Seo and Ryu open new chapters in Korean golf history. Ryu is the fifth Korean to take the tournament since Pak did 13 years ago. The competition could even be nicknamed "the Korean Open" in the U.S.

The beauty of golf is demonstrated in sudden-death overtime, which makes players extremely nervous. In overtime, the cumulative scores for the last three holes decide the fate of each player. The rule was changed this way in 2007 from the previous sudden-death playoff, which typically began on the 18th hole. Though the burden might be lower, the level of tension in players is probably the same.

The fate of two women was decided on the second sudden-death playoff on the 17th hole. After hitting out of a fairway bunker after an errant tee shot on the 17th, Seo hit the fourth shot onto the green with a bogey. Ryu kept calm in hitting and putting, making a birdie to grab a two-shot lead. In the fourth round, Seo bogeyed on the 17th after missing a par putt. Ryu rolled in a birdie putt on the 18th on the final day to force overtime. In overtime, she birdied the second and third holes to win.

In golf, the player in the lead often blows it in overtime. Seo took the lead but eventually lost. This is not just luck, however. In its previous two bids to host the Winter Olympics, Pyeongchang won in the first round of voting but lost in the second. The same can be said of politics and economy. Intensity and reversal demonstrate the beauty of competition. Regardless of sport or sector, the winner deserves credit.

Editorial Writer Lee Jin-nyong (jinnyong@donga.com)