The TJGT’s featured alumni of the week is Sang Yi. Born in South Korea and a native of Carrollton, Texas, Yi grew up playing junior golf from a young age. He was a frequent competitor on the North Texas Professional Golf Association’s (NTPGA) junior tour. Yi won numerous tournaments and established his name in the golf world before the ripe age of 12. He was often seen practicing late into the evening with the help of his mother and father.
Yi furthered his junior golf career and began to compete locally and nationally on the TJGT and AJGA. He claimed first place at several TJGT events and major championships, placing him on the map to be one of the most heavily recruited junior golfers for the year of 2008. When Yi wasn’t competing in TJGT events, you could find him either playing football with his friends in hotel parking lots or challenging unsuspecting individuals to putting contests on the practice green.
Yi earned a total of six Top 10 AJGA finishes and won the PING Junior Championship in 2007 at The Woodlands Resort. He was a Rolex Junior All-American and 2007 AJGA Canon Cup participant. Before Yi entered college, he was the 12th ranked junior golfer in the nation and 10th ranked prospect for the 2008 recruiting class.
In November of 2007, Yi signed a full golf scholarship with Louisiana State University (LSU). Yi would go on to enjoy a successful career at LSU. He was a four-year letterwinner, garnered nine top five finishes and competed in 47 Tiger tournaments. Yi was selected for the SEC Academic Honor Roll twice and named the LSWA Louisiana Player of the year twice. He was an SEC All-Freshman team selection in 2009 and in his senior season of 2012, an SEC First-Team All SEC selection. Yi’s best finish in a collegiate event was in 2012 where he came in second place at the Louisiana Classics. He fired a career-low 54-hole score of 7-under par 209 at Oakbourne Country Club in Lafayette.
Yi graduated from LSU in 2012 with a degree in Sports Administration. After one attempt at Q-school and professional golf, Yi chose to enter the corporate world instead. He currently resides in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area and works as financial business analyst.
Photo Credit: LSUsports.net