编者按：自2008年起，美国女子职业高尔夫巡回赛（LPGA）近40%的金牌被韩国运动员收入囊中。在世界排名前十的高尔夫女运动员中，韩国人占据了六个席位。为何韩国高尔夫运动如此成功？也许下面的文章能为你揭开谜底。

"You are either a champion, or you are nothing."

It is a line that encapsulates the sporting mentality that has seen South Korean golfers swarm the upper echelons of the women's game.

A fiercely competitive society married with an intrinsic dedication to getting better has fostered a generation of women that has transformed and revolutionized the game.

"Koreans are the most disciplined people on earth," PGA coach Brian Mogg, who has an academy in Seoul, told CNN's Living Golf show.

"You tell them to do something but they don't just do it, they do it to the nth degree, and they do it hard and passionately. When you put hard work and discipline together you're going to create some success."

'Se Ri Pak's kids'

The pioneer for this influx of golfing prodigies was Se Ri Pak.

She became the first South Korean to capture a major at the 1998 LPGA Championship. Such was her limited grasp of English at the time, Pak didn't realize it was a major until after she'd clinched the title.

Pak would go on to win a whopping 39 professional tournaments and five majors in a career that was spawned by a fastidious father who would occasionally make her spend the night alone in a cemetery to toughen her up.

Ten years after her breakthrough triumph, Pak's "kids" began to permeate the LPGA's ranks and started a trend that now sees its women dominate.

There have been 11 more major winners from the country since.

"Se Ri has raised the standard of Korean golf and helped the careers of so many players," two-time major champion In Gee Chun says.

"Not only that, her success has lifted the whole golf industry in the country."

Ha Na Jang, who has three LPGA Tour victories and $2 million career earnings to her name, adds: "Se Ri is a golfing legend in Korea. It's an honor for me to try to follow her path."

A winning mentality

Such is the South Korean mentality, Pak's kids didn't just want to emulate their idol, they wanted to eclipse her.

From an early age only those who win are rewarded, creating single minded competitors who work tirelessly to reach the peak of their profession.

"When I look at American players I can see that they're friends, cheering for each other," Jang explained. "But there is a lot of rivalry between Korean players. They consider each other as competitors, not as a friend or fellow player."

"This sense of rivalry makes me work harder all the time," Chun adds. "If I see others achieve success it makes me work harder to achieve my goals. I think everyone has that kind of competitive spirit."

Chan-Goog Yang, head pro at Seoul's Sky 72 club, develops the theme further.

"In Western culture, although the winner is important, they respect all competitors and reward them for their effort, regardless of where they finished," Yang says.

"In Korea, however, only the winner is rewarded. Only first place. This has an effect on young children who learn from an early age, no matter what form of competition, you are either a champion or nothing."

Single minded

"With other sports an umpire decides whether you've won or lost," Yang explains. "Whereas in golf, results can be seen straight after you hit the ball, which is why it fits so well with a Korean's character.

"Phrases such as "see you later," "let me see" or "we'll see" -- phrases that suggest waiting -- do not suit a Korean's character. It's all about "what I do" and "what I get." Koreans need to know what they have done and what they will receive immediately, which fits right into golf."