Pro golfer named Marianas sports ambassador

Professional golfer Park Bo-Kyeom was named an official sports ambassador by the Marianas Visitors Authority last week to help promote her childhood home, The Marianas. 

Park was the winner of the 9th Gyochon 1991 Ladies Open in Seoul on May 7, 2023. She first started playing golf as an elementary school student on Saipan, which she says is like a second home to her. 

Park joined the Korean Ladies Professional Golf Association in 2017 and is currently ranked 25th on the KLPGA after winning her first career title at the 9th Gyochon 1991 Ladies Open, based on the total amount of cash prize she has won at competitions. Park first started playing golf during her six years living on Saipan, where she attended and graduated at Whispering Palms School. Encouraged by her mother, who was also an avid golfer at the time, the golfer quickly fell in love with playing golf in Saipan and returned to Korea in 2013 to prepare for her career. 

“Saipan is my second home, the place that shaped and nurtured my dream of becoming a golfer as a child,” said Park, 25. “Being associated with The Marianas…makes me feel like I’ve found my second home again. As a sports ambassador, I hope to be inspired to do better in the future.” 

Saipan is a golf destination with oceanfront golf courses and a number of outdoor golf ranges that offer reasonable fares. Several golf courses on Saipan—the 36-hole LaoLao Bay Golf & Resort, the 18-hole Coral Ocean Resort Saipan, and the 18-hole Kingfisher Golf Links—all set against the stunning backdrop of the western Pacific Ocean. 

“We are honored to have Park Bo-Kyeom, who discovered her golfing talent on Saipan as a child and is now a successful professional golfer, as our sports ambassador for the Marianas,” said MVA marketing manager Thomas Kim. “We look forward to working with her to promote Saipan as a golf destination.” 

Park recently finished 10th at the BC Card Hankyung Ladies Cup in late June, showing that she has been consistent since her first win, and is training hard for the second half of the year. Her main sponsor is Angang Development. 

There are a total of 34 weekly flights between Korea and Saipan, operated by Jeju Air, T’Way Air, and Asiana Airlines. The Incheon-Saipan route is operated 30 times a week by all three airlines, while the Busan-Saipan route is operated four times a week by Jeju Air. (PR)