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Park In-bee and her long-term caddie Beecher

Posted November. 27, 2013 06:28,   

한국어

“Were it not for his help, my performance and capacity would not have reached this level.” South Korean golfer Park In-bee, 25, expressed special gratitude to her caddie in the acceptance speech after receiving the "LPGA Player of the Year" award for the first time as a Korean golfer last week. Brad Beecher, an Australian caddie who was clad in tidy suit and tie in lieu of short pants and sneakers, shared her joy in her company at the event.

Their first encounter dates back to 2007, when Park was a rookie in the LPGA Tour. Seeking a caddie exclusively for her at the time, Park was introduced to Beecher, who had helped Korean gofers including Kang Soo-yun and Chung Il-mi. Park and Beecher agreed to team up only in three championships on a trial basis, but they have been partnering for the sixth year thus far. Beecher always stood by Park as she has achieved nine wins overall in the LPGA tour and four wins in the Japanese tour. Even when Park had no win in the LPGA tour for four years and was struggling, Beecher silently stood by her nonetheless.

As Park earned nearly 5 million U.S. dollars in prize money from her LPGA wins alone last year and this year, Beecher also made a fortune sizable enough to spawn envy among colleague caddies. Earning about 400,000 dollars for the two years, he was able to buy a two-bedroom apartment in his hometown of Gold Coast, Australia. Beecher is also receiving sponsorship pay in return for wearing a cap with “Samdasoo,” the Korean bottled water brand.

Due to Beecher, Park is also set to undergo her first Australian training in January next year. Having served as a golfer until high school years, the caddie promised to offer his apartment for Park’s lodging, and reserved five famed golf courses nearby as training sites, part of his painstaking efforts to assist her. Park introduced Beecher’s mother to a tournament in Hawaii, the U.S. this year. Having triumphantly returned to Korea on Tuesday, Park said, “I have never heard him complaining. He is very sincere and smart. We get together like a family.”

Park is famous for cherishing amicable long-term relationships with her partners and acquaintances as well as her caddie. She has been receiving lessons from her swing coach Baek Jong-seok, a pro golfer, since her middle and high school years. Cho Soo-gyeong, a sports psychologist, has been responsible for Park’s mind control since 2008. Lee Soo-jeong, Park’s personal manager at IB Worldwide, has also been in charge of assisting her since signing a contract in 2008. She could have had temptation to seek better conditions, but she put emphasis on loyalty. Park reportedly enjoys eating more than anything soybean paste stew served in an earthen pot with her fiancé Nam Ki-hyeop. Unlike the prevailing practice of instant, short-lived relationships in today’s world, maintaining long-term relationship seems to constitute the Park In-bee style. This might be the keyword for the Golf Queen’s success.