So Yeon Ryu - Honma

[Titleist_PT23]

I noticed Honma has a new website, and under USLPGA only Feng Shan-Shan is listed.

 

Anyone know if Ryu is playing different clubs, her deal ran out, etc? At the HSBC she still had a Honma staff bag.

 

https://www.honmagolf.com/hk/team-honma-golfers

[Argonne69]

I'm guessing it's a mix up in the new website. The original .co.jp domain is redirecting to the new .com domain. A Google search still shows her listed on Team Honma at http://www.honmagolf.co.jp/en/team_honma/pro_58.html, although the page is no longer reachable.

 

She's still listed on the Indian website: http://honma.in/en/team_honma/index.php

 

'Really weird that they'd accidentally drop the 4th ranked player in the world.

[Titleist_PT23]

I'm guessing it's a mix up in the new website. The original .co.jp domain is redirecting to the new .com domain. A Google search still shows her listed on Team Honma at http://www.honmagolf.co.jp/en/team_honma/pro_58.html, although the page is no longer reachable.

 

She's still listed on the Indian website: http://honma.in/en/team_honma/index.php

 

'Really weird that they'd accidentally drop the 4th ranked player in the world.

Yeah, the JP page is the one I was familiar with. The Indian one looks really old though. The clubs listed are a few models off.

 

Always a chance they cleaned house / new strategy. But I would think she's as valuable as Feng (could be different from what each wants to get paid though) and would still be there.

[onekday]

Probably dumped to pay for Justin Rose contract.

 

M

[Titleist_PT23]

Probably dumped to pay for Justin Rose contract.

 

M

If so, will be interesting to see if she keeps playing the clubs (being using Honma since 2009). Obviously, equipment changes can be a big deal or people can switch fine. I'm not sure she has a lot of time left, so I'd hate to see her lose a year adjusting to new stuff.

[Titleist_PT23]

Ryu's bio is now gone from the JP site, but they still have a picture of her :D

http://www.honmagolf.co.jp/en/team_honma/

 

And still absent from the U.S. site.

https://www.honmagolf.com/hk/team-honma-golfers

 

She must have been whacked...

[onekday]

She plays today in San Diego. Should be easy to tell. She might still use the clubs but not have any endorsement on her bag or clothing.

M

[rushfan96]

Anyone has seen her bag what’s she’s using at Kia? Or next week at Ana?

[Shilgy]

> @rushfan96 said:

> Anyone has seen her bag what’s she’s using at Kia? Or next week at Ana?

 

I'd be interested in this as well. Who's seen her bag next week already? :) Is Doctor Who a member posting here?

[Titleist_PT23]

> @Shilgy said:

> > @rushfan96 said:

> > Anyone has seen her bag what’s she’s using at Kia? Or next week at Ana?

>

> I'd be interested in this as well. Who's seen her bag next week already? :) Is Doctor Who a member posting here?

Hope nobody spends a lot of time looking for her (and her bag) today.

 

[rushfan96]

> @Shilgy said:

> > @rushfan96 said:

> > Anyone has seen her bag what’s she’s using at Kia? Or next week at Ana?

>

> I'd be interested in this as well. Who's seen her bag next week already? :) Is Doctor Who a member posting here?

 

> @Shilgy said:

> > @rushfan96 said:

> > Anyone has seen her bag what’s she’s using at Kia? Or next week at Ana?

>

> I'd be interested in this as well. Who's seen her bag next week already? :) Is Doctor Who a member posting here?

 

> No one like a smart aleck. I meant if anyone on here is going to ANA to have a look see.

History can be shaped, but it takes a being of unlimited power like Sutehk to destroy history.

 

 

[4waymiss]

> @rushfan96 said:

> Anyone has seen her bag what’s she’s using at Kia? Or next week at Ana?

 

She has no bag sponsor as I saw her from the next fairway. I didn't get close enough to see what clubs she play.

 

She may be the most under appreciated Korean player, or player, period. Granted, she isn't on the golf pedestal like the Queen Bee, as exciting as SHP, or as glamorous as IGC. But no one has given more to the tour. She is the de facto ambassador of Korean women's golf to the English speaking world. Mike Whan once said he wish there was a hundred So Yeon Ryus on the tour.

 

Just last year she captained the Korean International Crown team (that nobody wants to be on) to victory, doing so under intense pressure from the Korean crowd, and putting herself in the toughest singles' match. And what does her club sponsor do ? Pull the rug out from under her and give the money to Justin Rose.

Even her moment of glory at the ANA had turned into crap.

 

What does this woman have to do to get some love?

 

[Titleist_PT23]

> @4waymiss said:

> She has no bag sponsor as I saw her from the next fairway. I didn't get close enough to see what clubs she play.

 

> She may be the most under appreciated Korean player, or player, period. But no one has given more to the tour. She is the de facto ambassador of Korean women's golf to the English speaking world.

 

That's too bad. I kind of hope she keeps playing their clubs just so she doesn't have to waste time adjusting to something else, although I can see why she may not want to do so.

 

She also got cut by Hana (or is no longer with Hana for whatever reason) a while back. I think that was why her and IK Kim didn't play the KEB Hana last year. I obviously don't know the details of what happened, but I think she should have played in this tournament regardless. There are only so many chances all of the top Koreans can play back home in front of the fans.

 

I do agree with her significance to the English speaking market.

 

 

[18majors]

> @agolf1 said:

> > @4waymiss said:

> > She has no bag sponsor as I saw her from the next fairway. I didn't get close enough to see what clubs she play.

>

> > She may be the most under appreciated Korean player, or player, period. But no one has given more to the tour. She is the de facto ambassador of Korean women's golf to the English speaking world.

>

> That's too bad. I kind of hope she keeps playing their clubs just so she doesn't have to waste time adjusting to something else, although I can see why she may not want to do so.

>

> She also got cut by Hana (or is no longer with Hana for whatever reason) a while back. I think that was why her and IK Kim didn't play the KEB Hana last year. I obviously don't know the details of what happened, but I think she should have played in this tournament regardless. There are only so many chances all of the top Koreans can play back home in front of the fans.

>

> I do agree with her significance to the English speaking market.

>

>

 

Hana Bank is weird in their sponsorship decisions.

They signed Sung Hyun Park at the end of 2016, the last year of So Yeon's contract. Sung Hyun did well, got to No. 1 and has the most Korean fans among Korean players; but they parted ways at the end 2018.

Sung Hyun signed a new contract with the Philippine's resort company Solaire and Hana signed 6 or 7 new and upcoming golfers including 17 years old Korean American Yealimi Noh.

[Argonne69]

It looks like our fears were real. Honma appears to have dropped So Yeon. This was taken at yesterday's ANA Pro Am.

 


 

 

[rushfan96]

?

[Titleist_PT23]

Driver looks different (Callaway). I can't tell what irons those are. There seems to be a lot of weighting low/towards the toe on one club. They don't look like the 737 V but it's hard to tell.

[rushfan96]

On Getty she’s using a Honma fairway wood.

[Seamus_McDuff]

Maybe Mediheal stepped up and is paying her more than Honma to be on the bag. Now she can play whichever clubs she wants.

[rushfan96]

Justin Rose new contract money has to come from somewhere. Who else got the boot?

[Argonne69]

I don't think anyone else got the boot. Shanshan is still listed on the Team Honma website. The other players are on Asian or European tours.

 

[Dpavs]

The iron that I can see the back of in the picture looks like a Honma TW747Vx, so perhaps she is still playing Honma irons. At least until a new sponsor steps in?


 

 

[Argonne69]

'No reason to ditch the clubs just because the sponsor walked away. She had a good year last year. I imagine over time we'll see some changes.

[Titleist_PT23]

> @Dpavs said:

> The iron that I can see the back of in the picture looks like a Honma TW747Vx, so perhaps she is still playing Honma irons. At least until a new sponsor steps in?

>

Thanks. These look pretty nice. The 747V has a bit more of an angle in the toe than the 737V I was familiar with. But these do seem to be the 747Vx, which is a bit different specs/style than she's played in the past.

 

I've always liked her set composition for someone swinging in the mid-90s (longest iron 5 or 6 plus a higher lofted hybrid).

 

[95124hacker]

I was at the Mediheal and took a video of her swing. Zoomed in to her driver. It’s an older model Honma (not the 747 that Rose is playing).

 

[95124hacker]

 

[Titleist_PT23]

> @95124hacker said:

>

Nice photo. Based on some of her Instagram pics, she still seems to be playing most of the same clubs. Not sure how long these will last in the bag.

 

[Titleist_PT23]

I didn't see this interview before the Mediheal. From around the 7:30-8:20 mark she talks about equipment. Doesn't seem like anything will change this year, but next year she could have an entirely different bag. Not sure what she was testing out on the range...

 

http://www.lpga.com/videos/so-yeon-ryu-happy-with-her-game-ahead-of-2019-lpga-mediheal-championship

 

[fanofseri]

SYR is built so perfect.