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Song Ji-a, daughter of footballer and actor, earns tour card to second-tier KLPGA Tour

Published: 19 Aug. 2025, 17:48 Updated: 20 Aug. 2025, 19:45

Song Ji-a [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Song Ji-a, the daughter of former footballer Song Chong-gug and actor Park Yeon-soo, has earned full membership on the second-tier KLPGA Tour.

Song finished 10th in the 2025 season's prize money rankings at 2.7 million won ($1,900) after tying for 11th at a third-tier KLPGA tournament at Sollago Country Club in Taean County, South Chungcheong on Aug. 6, earning a tour card on the second-tier KLPGA Dream Tour in the process.

Park reflected on her daughter’s journey.

“She joined an agency in fifth and sixth grade but then wanted to play golf, so she enrolled in an academy in her first year of middle school,” Park said. “Her first competition was at Sollago Country Club, and she shot just under 100. It feels unreal that six years later, she became a full member of the same course.

“We worried and cried when she couldn’t compete, and her results didn’t stand out. But I want to show that even if you start late, you can succeed if you prepare properly. Ji-a worked so hard, and we are grateful to everyone who helped her.”

A picture of Song Ji-a shared on actor Park Yeon-soo's Instagram on Aug. 6. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Song can now compete on the Dream Tour, where strong results could earn her a place on the top-tier KLPGA Tour.

She previously finished second at the KLPGA preliminary qualifying tournament in June, earning associate membership before joining the Jump Tour last month.

She tied for eighth in the ninth Jump Tour event, tied for fourth in the 10th, tied for 11th in the 11th and tied for 11th again in the 12th, which secured her place in the top 10 in prize money.

Song first drew attention as a child when she appeared with her father on MBC’s reality program "Dad! Where Are We Going?" (2013-15).

Park also said on a KBS TV show that agency JYP contacted her family about signing a contract. "But Ji-a said she had not yet decided on her future and didn’t want to join an agency because she enjoyed playing golf,” she said.

“Of course, I wanted to join a big agency, but that would mean I couldn’t go to the driving range,” Song said. “Right now, I want to be a golfer.”

Song Chong-gug and Park divorced in 2015 after nine years of marriage. Park has custody of Song Ji-a and their son Song Ji-uk.

Song Chong-gug, 46, played as a defender mainly in the 2000s and featured in the 2002 World Cup, where Korea reached the semifinals for the first time.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY JANG GU-SEUL [[email protected]]