"Korea has always been like a root within my heart. I always wanted to live here someday and play golf here."
Korean-American golfer Erica Yoon Smith, 25, recently met with Seoul Economic Daily at the Malbon 6451 Dosan Flagship Store in Gangnam, Seoul, and said, "I'm thrilled to finally be living the tour life in Korea, which is both my mother's history and my own story."
Erica Smith made her debut on the Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Dream Tour, the second-tier circuit, this season. A native of Orlando, Florida, she played on the LPGA's secondary Epson Tour in 2023. Her decision to come to Korea stemmed from a sense of "roots." "While playing the Epson Tour last year, the thought 'I want to play in Korea, my mother's country' crossed my mind," she said. "I was certain it had to be now, and I acted on it immediately."
Smith secured her Dream Tour card for this year by finishing runner-up at the KLPGA Tour International Qualifying Tournament (IQT) held in Thailand last August. "The moment I earned my card felt like a dream," she said. "It was both frightening and exhilarating at the same time." Once her move to Korea was confirmed, not only her mother but also her doting American father willingly packed his bags and boarded a plane to Korea.
Smith, whose middle name "Yoon" comes from her Cheongju-born mother's family name, has unusually strong pride in her roots — a few years ago, she gifted herself a necklace engraved with her name "Erica" in Korean (Hangul) for her birthday. Now she is trying to bloom into a new golf life in her mother's homeland. "This year, I want to actively communicate with Korean fans and show them who I am, both as a player and as a person, on and off the course," she said.
"Healing Through Grandma's K-Home Cooking… Gamjatang with Fried Rice Is a Must"
Since late March, Erica has been living with her maternal grandparents in Cheongju while continuing her Dream Tour life. Compared to her "nomadic life" on the Epson Tour — driving more than 10 hours a day and going up to five months without going home — life in Korea, where she can return to her family's embrace after rounds, is happiness itself.
"It's really different from touring in the U.S. Before, it felt like I was constantly drifting, but now I have the stability of having a place to return to. And since my grandmother cooks for me, I have no worries about food. These days, I've also picked up a hobby of seeking out good restaurants whenever I go somewhere new. Among Korean dishes, I especially love gamjatang (pork bone stew), and finishing it off with fried rice at the end is a course I absolutely cannot skip."
Thanks to her Korean mother, she experienced no major culture shock in Korea, but one thing required adjustment: the bed. "Korean beds have much firmer mattresses than American ones, so it felt unfamiliar at first," Erica said with a laugh. "They say firm mattresses are better for your back and hip joints, but honestly, I sometimes miss the soft bed I used at home."
"Korean Players' Precise Golf Is a Great Lesson Just to Watch"
Having experienced the Rejuran Championship — this year's KLPGA regular tour season opener — the E1 Charity Open, and the Dream Tour, Erica cited the grass as the biggest difference between the U.S. and Korea. "In the U.S., I usually played on bentgrass or Bermuda grass, but in Korea, most courses use jungji (Korean lawn grass)," she said. "The ball feels like it's floating on the fairway, so I struggled with iron shots at first. But now I've adapted to some extent. I also feel a lot of difference on the greens, so I'll need to work a lot on my putting as I play the Korean tour."
Erica is drawing great inspiration from the precise swings of Korean players as she competes on tour. "Since I was young, I would watch Korean female players' swings for hours, mimicking and analyzing them," she said. "Coming to Korea and seeing it in person, I'm experiencing firsthand how consistent and precise the players' swings are. What's truly impressive is that every player's game has rhythm and a high level of technical refinement." She added, "Just watching is a great lesson in itself."
Erica described her own weapons as "long drives and the 4-hybrid shot." "I had knee surgery this past January, so my distance has dropped significantly now, but before that, I could carry my driver about 260 yards," she said. "I can also confidently execute the 'stinger shot' — a low, sharp trajectory shot — with my hybrid."
"Korean Fans Are All 'Golf-Savvy'… The Fan Culture Is Impressive Too"
Erica gave a thumbs up to Korean golf fans, calling them all "goljalal" (people who really know golf). "Even Americans don't know much about the Epson Tour. But I was surprised that Korean golf fans all knew about the Epson Tour," she said. "And the cheering culture of Korean golf fans is truly impressive. It was a scene rarely seen on the Epson Tour. It was really fascinating to see fans holding up signs and wearing specific colored clothing to cheer."
Along with winning on the Dream Tour, Erica is aiming to finish within the top 20 on the prize money list to secure a regular tour card for next year. She also harbors a dream of someday challenging the LPGA Tour stage again. As she wrapped up the interview, she shared a message for Korean fans. "If someday you remember my name, I hope you'll remember Erica as a player who was confident in herself and warm to those around her. I will prove with my skills, without fail, that my journey to take on this unfamiliar challenge was worthwhile."
She is also diligent about studying Korean to grow closer to fans and fellow players. "I can understand Korean to some extent and read it, but I'm still not fluent in conversation. So I keep studying," Erica said. "I'm really grateful that my fellow players help me with simple English and gestures. And I'm thankful that the people around me understand and wait for me." She added, "I have difficulty making friends because of the language, but this actually motivates me to learn Korean faster."
"This Year's Goal: Make the Regular Tour… I Want to Hand a Winner's Trophy to My Parents"
For Erica, family is the steadfast pillar of her golf life. During her Epson Tour days, her mother would drive 14 hours to tournament venues and even carry Erica's golf bag. Her father retired last year, wrapped up his life in the U.S., and accompanied his daughter to Korea to support her tour challenge here. That is why she wants to give her parents a victory all the more. That is the reason her first goal this season is to win on the Dream Tour.
"When the moment comes that I lift a winner's trophy, I think I'll really cry. The journey to get here is so vivid in my mind. It's even more special because I'm not alone — my parents are on this journey with me. I'll be grateful in ways I can't put into words. I really want to hand my parents a winner's trophy this season."
