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Post by philknj on Oct 18, 2015 2:00:37 GMT
A routine search for pix of Mi Hyang during her amateur days returned absolutely nothing...except for one or two which has her wearing a VOLDIN GOLF cap. Who is Voldin? Answering that was the key to the treasure chest. www.voldin.co.kr/Korean spelling of Voldin Golf: 볼딘 골프 Voldin is a golf shoe brand (with airbag insoles!) in Korea. The undated video below seems to cover the founding of Voldin, which literally appears to be a Mom and Pop operation. Mi Hyang shows up at 3:45...looked really young, maybe 12 or 13. She's already wearing the shoes and is being escorted to a clubfitter's shop to test them out by taking driver swings: cafe.naver.com/kookmingolf/9411************** A relationship was born between Voldin and MHL, which Voldin periodically promoted on its website: 8/14/2007 7/21/2008 7/2/2010 10/26/2010 5/5/2012 11/14/2012 8/4/2014 10/6/2014 *************** I can't get the pic below of MHL and Queen Pak to display on this page, but it's viewable when I copy and paste the URL into another browser tab: cafeptthumb4.phinf.naver.net/20120704_148/allget2000_1341393344738Vhtu6_JPEG/071.10.30_%B9%DA%BC%BC%B8%AE.jpg?type=w740The picture was first posted on 7/4/2012, but it could be older than that. Voldin trumpeted Se Ri wearing their shoes...another picture indicates she had them at the 2008 Hana Bank...maybe it was a one-time experiment; when I look up her pix, all I see is Adidas. ************ One of the Voldin posts lists probably every amateur event MHL ever entered. Almost all of them were in Korea, but I saw a couple that were not. One was the 2009 U.S. Junior Masters in Ponte Vedra, FL: If you missed her: 4:34 - tee shot 5:10 - putting 5:34 - watching the boys on green 8:15 - picked up trophy and swag bag 8:55 - far left of line-up for best scorers 9:34 - she finished in 2nd at 223, one stroke behind Juliet Vongphoumy, who just completed four years on the U. of Maryland golf team (2011-15). ********** I have no clue what this next one means: cafe.naver.com/golmarket/1819849This link is a little tricky, so follow these steps: 1. Click the website link above 2. Copy and Paste 이미향 into the box under the green banner 3. Click the green search button next to the box 4. Click the item dated Feb. 3, 2014 How about that...MHL's picture (or is that a video screen?) is covering the side of three-story building! The words say she is a Feb. 2012 graduate...of a "golf" high school?! Why does it say KLPGA at the top of the building? I can't figure out the words after KLPGA. She was never a member of the KLPGA. Or is this a KLPGA training school?! As for Bodyturn 72, that seems to be some kind of golf-related gym. I assume MHL has been there, but when I poked around bodyturn72.com, I found pix and videos of In Kyung Kim. ********* Voldin's website has a post on MHL's recent great play at the Japan Women's Open, but she doesn't wear their shoes anymore! All I see are Footjoys this year.
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Post by mr3putt on Oct 18, 2015 17:54:05 GMT
Phil Holy MHL fanboy stuff....did you use to be a CIA or FBI agent?
I bet if expenses weren't paid on the Asia swings...MHL would have stayed in her home 10 minutes away vs. a hotel. Who do you think MHL hangs out on tour with?
Can you do the same tribute on the younger years of the FANTASTIC ONE...the one and only HYP....thx in advance.
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Post by philknj on Oct 20, 2015 16:35:45 GMT
mr3putt: Gee whiz, talk about high maintenance...it is pathetic to farm out your fanboyism!!!! Nevertheless, I threw your request into the hopper, but it will have to wait...just found some more stuff on Mi Hyang. mr3putt: Now that's an excellent question I never thought of before. I don't recall her being buddy-buddy with anyone on the range or practice green, but I can't draw any conclusions from that. I haven't seen her inside a clubhouse or away from the golf course, so I have no idea. I would assume she knows Thidapa S. and Victoria Elizabeth better than most, as they all play Volvik balls and were in the same Symetra graduating class. UPDATE: Social media pix indicate that MHL and Rebecca Lee-Bentham have been friendly going back to 2013(below)...2015 was a disaster for RLB; 153rd on the 2015 LPGA money list.
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Post by mr3putt on Oct 21, 2015 2:57:13 GMT
LOL...I just did some snooping too and was about to say MHL hangs with RLB. I asked RBL's dad in 2013 at Portland....the origin of Bentham.....and got a deer in the headlights look....can say I've met any Bentham Koreans?
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Post by philknj on Oct 22, 2015 3:03:46 GMT
More goodies with Mi Hyang...again, most of this stuff is, unfortunately, "buried" in blogs, but my instructions will help you find it. When she is leading the USWO at Cordevale next year, this thread can prevent the dummies at Fox Sports from saying, "we don't know nuthin' about MHL." ****** Remember the clubfitter Mi Hyang visited as a kid when she tried out Voldin shoes? His name is Seong Beom Yoon and MHL returned to him later on: cafe.daum.net/customgolf1. Click the link above 2. Copy & paste 이미향 into the search box under the phone # 3. Click the magnifying glass The item dated May 22, 2012 has two swing videos that were recorded in 2010. The item dated March 20, 2012 covers the construction of a custom-made putter. There are numerous pix...samples: I assume this beautiful wand is now in the garage...she's using an Odyssey these days and once used a Rife. ********* Mi Hyang is partial to the MFS Golf shaft brand. mfsgolf.blog.me/1. Click the link above 2. Copy & paste 이미향 into the search box on the left side of page 3. Click the green search button The Dec. 26, 2014 entry shows her testing their shafts. ********** I did not know that Team Mi Hyang has a branch Down Under: blog.daum.net/newzealandtravel/Query the above blog with 이미향 (search box is bottom right of page) and it will return a couple of items: May 11, 2015 - She has a New Zealand fan club which celebrated her ace at the North Texas Shootout February 3, 2014 - My guess is that the fan club started as her host family in NZ (one of the pix shows MHL's daddy sitting in someone's living room)...and they followed her around the course to victory. *************** I assume this is her trophy for winning the 2012 Symetra Classic...but she was also Symetra ROY; was there a separate trophy for that? The Symetra portrait is different from the LPGA portrait...I hope she never has a reason to re-visit or update her Symetra portrait, if you know what I mean.
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Post by philknj on Oct 25, 2015 5:13:18 GMT
mr3putt, I began compiling my dossier on The Rocket, but returned it to the back burner...another MHL data dump is in the works. I was lucky find the scores of the top-30 LPGA Q-School finishers from late 2011. It's incredible...Mi Hyang received limited status for 2012 by her fingertips...and, generally speaking, was outscored by a bunch of washouts! The only player on this list that could beat MHL one-on-one today is Lizette Salas. BTW, did you notice Christine Song in second place? By my count, she has earned full status on the LPGA four times (once here and three times via the Symetra Tour). Is that a record? Current Start Today Thru To Par 1 2 3 4 5 Score 1 2 Junthima Gulyanamitta -4 F -10 71 73 70 68 68 350 2 1 Christine Song 2 F -8 66 70 70 72 74 352 3 3 Jennie Lee E F -4 71 71 69 73 72 356 T4 T8 Dori Carter -4 F -3 74 71 71 73 68 357 T4 T5 Karlin Beck -3 F -3 71 72 74 71 69 357 T4 4 Jodi Ewart -2 F -3 70 73 74 70 70 357 T7 10 Sandra Changkija -2 F E 73 72 72 73 70 360 T7 T5 Maude-Aimee Leblanc E F E 75 71 71 71 72 360 T9 T38 Rebecca Lee-Bentham -5 F 3 73 76 75 72 67 363 T9 T19 Meredith Duncan -2 F 3 76 70 72 75 70 363 T9 T19 Minea Blomqvist -2 F 3 70 75 73 75 70 363 T9 T16 Cydney Clanton -1 F 3 72 76 70 74 71 363 T9 T11 Angela Oh E F 3 70 75 72 74 72 363 T9 T5 Stephanie Kono (a) 3 F 3 67 71 75 75 75 363 T15 T34 Victoria Tanco (a) -3 F 4 74 74 74 73 69 364 T15 T19 Ayaka Kaneko -1 F 4 79 71 76 67 71 364 T15 T19 Tanya Dergal -1 F 4 71 80 71 71 71 364 T15 T19 Hannah Yun -1 F 4 76 74 71 72 71 364 T15 T11 Elisa Serramia 1 F 4 72 75 76 68 73 364 T20 T19 Lizette Salas E F 5 72 78 71 72 72 365 Top-20 (Priority List Category 11) T20 T53 Danah Bordner -4 F 5 72 72 76 77 68 365 T20 T34 Veronica Felibert -2 F 5 76 73 74 72 70 365 T20 T29 Lacey Agnew -1 F 5 76 73 71 74 71 365 T20 T29 Sophia Sheridan -1 F 5 75 74 71 74 71 365 T20 T16 Min Seo Kwak 1 F 5 71 74 72 75 73 365 T20 T11 Stephanie Sherlock 2 F 5 73 72 72 74 74 365 T20 T11 Paola Moreno 2 F 5 73 71 72 75 74 365 T20 T8 Jacqui Concolino 4 F 5 70 72 71 76 76 365 T29 T34 Mi Hyang Lee -1 F 6 76 72 75 72 71 366T29 T29 Patcharajutar Kongkraphan E F 6 74 73 72 75 72 366
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Post by mr3putt on Oct 25, 2015 18:21:52 GMT
What...no luv for Jodi Ewart?...she was injured this year.
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Post by philknj on Oct 28, 2015 1:47:25 GMT
I have found a ton of MHL pix from casual rounds of golf in South Carolina over the last few years. I'll do some editing and post the most unusual, interesting, or attractive ones only. Speaking of unusual, she wore the JDX brand before settling on MU Sports...and I never heard of S-YARD before...this is from a March 11, 2011 blog posting...about nine months before her crack at LPGA Q-School. After further research, S-YARD is one of those Japanese boutique club brands that probably cost a king's ransome. Mr3putt, I came across a website for Riverside Golf in B.C., which says they carried S-YARD. The guy on the right is daddy. I don't know the gentleman on the left, but he is constantly playing rounds with Mi Hyang...must be a relative or a close family friend. I also think he's the guy taking almost all the super photos of MHL. BTW, she is wearing a Korea Golf Association wind shirt. From 2/10/2012...the triangular outline on the back part of the driver's sole plate makes it look like an S-YARD product...but I see no brand markings...those two rectangular outlines could be lead tape...is it for weighting or is she trying to keep her weapon a secret?! This collection from 5/3/2012 (which doesn't permit linking) shows her trying out TaylorMade's R11s driver: cafe.daum.net/easygolf/3qYO/3928?q=%C0%CC%B9%CC%C7%E2&re=1
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Post by mr3putt on Oct 28, 2015 2:23:32 GMT
So why would MHL live in S. Carolina...cheap housing?....it has state income tax.
Never hear of S-YARD. Before Golftown came along 15+ years ago and now has destroyed all golf retail competition...Riverside Golf was a good retailer in Van City with about 10 locations...now there's only 1 location that looks like it will close soon too....it's now a Mickey Mouse location with a bunch of junk including used junk. Yes...I saw some Japanese specialty items...and some Japanese guy came over to assist me....not sure if he's a worker or owner. I saw a used JetSpeed to try out at their outdoor range...my 1st time hitting the club....I think back in March.
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Post by philknj on Oct 30, 2015 0:56:22 GMT
So why would MHL live in S. Carolina...cheap housing?....it has state income tax. The income tax angle doesn’t seem important to her (or Daddy). I'm sure property taxes are cheap if she owns her place. The article I posted in the News section last February reports how daddy went to Puggy Blackmon in Oct. 2013 and asked him if MHL could work with him and practice at the U. of South Carolina golf facilities at Cobblestone Park GC. However, based on the dates of the pix I’ve found, I think she’s been in that area more than 2.5 years before that…I think daddy knew someone down there from her first days in the U.S. ********** Posted 1/3/2012...her bag with an S-YARD TXV 3-wood headcover. *********** There is or was a medical charity in Korea called Drawing Circle, which has gotten the attention of MHL and Jee Young Lee. Based upon what I see on Facebook, it probably involves pediatric heart surgery. www.facebook.com/DrawingCirclePosted 10/21/2012: ***************** They rolled out the red orange carpet for Mi Hyang at Cobblestone Park after her win in Japan last November: w/ Daddy and Puggy Blackmon ************** This collection (which doesn't permit linking) was posted on 11/21/2011, which was probably prep for the upcoming LPGA Q-school: cafe.daum.net/easygolf/3qYO/3716?q=%C0%CC%B9%CC%C7%E2&re=1************* Big collection on her 2012 Symetra win: cafe.daum.net/easygolf/3qYO/4129?q=%C0%CC%B9%CC%C7%E2&re=1A few samples: w/ caddy
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Post by mr3putt on Oct 30, 2015 18:49:14 GMT
Phil Challenge....let's see if you can score a Volvik hat from MHL at the Shoprite next year....you'll be the only white boy in Jersey sporting a Volvik hat on the links. I normally don't follow any specific pro for many holes...so I'm gonna have to fanboy HYP more at an event...but I'm gonna try and score a hat from The Rocket in Seattle next year. It would be easier if Kylie was still on HYP's bag....but she's her manager...so I will likely ask Kylie if she's walking outside the ropes. Hmmmm....I'm gonna have to venture to H-Mart and see what nice Korean treats to give to HYP. I'm sure I'll also see an old Korean guy from Seattle who followed HYP and her sister everyday for 18 holes each at the CP CWO and HYP/JYP's coach told me he did the same thing all week in Portland the week prior....he wore a Mizuno hat each day.
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Post by philknj on Nov 4, 2015 15:56:14 GMT
Phil Challenge....let's see if you can score a Volvik hat from MHL at the Shoprite next year....you'll be the only white boy in Jersey sporting a Volvik hat on the links. I NEVER directly ask her for anything...but it might still be doable. One avenue I'll pursue is the Volvik swag tent...I'll chat them up, drop MHL's name and see what happens. Another route is MHL's daddy, but I don't know if his English is good. I doubt Puggy will be there; he only shows up for the majors. I'm not buddy-buddy with any caddies, and who knows who will have her bag seven months from now. ****** 2014 WBO ***************** During the 2014 North Texas Shootout, Mi Hyang attended a local memorial event related to some kind of disaster. H-Mart in Carrollton, TX also set up a memorial bulletin board. I'm guessing it's about the ferry Sewol capsizing 4/16/2014 en route from Incheon to Jeju, killing almost 300 people. The other player is Hye Su Kim...I have no idea who this is.
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Post by mr3putt on Nov 4, 2015 18:46:40 GMT
Phil Just ask MHL for a hat....the worse is she'll say no.....very unlikely. Assuming she has a good rd....ask her after the rd to bring you a hat the next day.....she likely carries 6+ hats each event and has boxes of hats at home. Ask her for a couple of balls too...I'm sure you can't find premium Volvik balls in NJ to demo. Do you have a Korean market nearby?....bring her some candies or cookies.....Korean girls like to be spoiled....OR....all Korean gals are foodies....bring her a lobster. Anything NJ that's unique that she'd enjoy as a trinket?
Heck....if you don't ask for a hat....I will....just to show you up....lol....and I've never seen MHL play one entire hole.
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Post by philknj on Nov 19, 2015 4:50:47 GMT
I like the snack idea...there's a Chinese market next to my development that has Korean stuff. The nearest H-mart is about 12 miles away in Edison, but I almost never drive in that direction. Speaking of H-Mart, I knew of one near White Plains, but forgot to stop there after attending Round Two of the KPMG. I blew it...maybe I would have seen a few trunk slammers (ex: JY Oh, Lydia Ko) picking up some munchies for the road. *********** A blog posting at Voldin Golf's website indicates that Mi Hyang was on three Korea national teams (2009 thru 2011). At 300% magnification, I think I found her in a couple of 2011 group shots: Second row of women, 8th from the left (next to JY Ko) Four rows back on the far right…has long ponytail and she’s looking to her left ************* Daddy is on the left and the Chairman of Volvik, Kyeong Ahn Moon, is on the right. MHL first met Mr. Moon when she was in junior high. ********* These blog pix were posted 2/25/2013...no name is mentioned for the other player, but she looks a lot like Volvik staffer Alice H. Kim. MHL and Kim were Symetra rookies in 2012. Kim qualified for the 2013 USWO at Sebonack, but I don't remember her at all. The guy looks a lot like Robert Duck, who is an assistant coach for Florida State’s men’s and women’s golf teams. Mi Hyang was bashin’ the Callaway Razr Fit Xtreme driver.
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Post by philknj on Dec 17, 2015 13:15:24 GMT
Mi Hyang (at 0:21 & 6:51) was one of the guests of honor at the year-end meeting of the Korea Press Club, Dec. 16, 2014: It looks like she received a gift pack of Flex Power Recovery Cream **************** From Edmonton weather man and freelance announcer Mike Sobel's Twitter at 2013 CWO: Better come up with more interesting questions the next time I chat with Mi Hyang Lee****************************** Nice pic from article regarding her Dec. 2011 LPGA Q-School experience ******************* Not sure about this...on 12/17/2014 I think Mi Hyang was recognized by the Heongseong govt. (about 100 km east of Incheon) for winning the 2014 Mizuno
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