Aussie Amateurs Blag Their Way Into North Korea Golf Tournament

"I hit 120 and my caddy told me I had bought great shame to my family."

North Korea golf

"I hit 120 and my caddy told me I had bought great shame to my family."

Aussie Amateurs Blag Their Way Into North Korea Golf Tournament

Two Australian amateur golfers managed to enter an international golf tournament in North Korea, posing as world-class professionals.

Morgan Ruig and Evan Shay, 28, heard about the tournament whilst in Beijing and managed to enter.

They represented Australia and wore green blazers with their national flag on.

They even placed a bouquet of flowers at a monument dedicated to North Korea's leaders as part of their tour of Pyongyang.

North korea golf

Lupine Travel/Facebook
(Image credit: Lupine Travel/Facebook)

"We were very nervous handing our passports over at the border. There are stories of people not coming home," Mr Ruig told the Courier-Mail newspaper.

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The two-day tournament featured 85 competitors and took place at the Pyongyang Golf Complex, North Korea's only golf course.

It's where the late Kim Jong-Il opened and played the first round in 1987 - it was reported that he shot 38-under-par with 11 holes-in-one.

North Korea golf

Lupine Travel/Facebook
(Image credit: Lupine Travel/Facebook)

Morgan Ruig said: "I hit 120 and my caddy told me I had bought great shame to my family."

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"We played very poorly... but we met some very interesting people."

Both men left the country without any problems.

Elliott Heath
News Editor

Elliott Heath is our News Editor and has been with Golf Monthly since early 2016 after graduating with a degree in Sports Journalism. He manages the Golf Monthly news team as well as our large Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. He covered the 2022 Masters from Augusta National as well as five Open Championships on-site including the 150th at St Andrews. His first Open was in 2017 at Royal Birkdale, when he walked inside the ropes with Jordan Spieth during the Texan's memorable Claret Jug triumph. He has played 35 of our Top 100 golf courses, with his favourites being both Sunningdales, Woodhall Spa, Western Gailes, Old Head and Turnberry. He has been obsessed with the sport since the age of 8 and currently plays off of a six handicap. His golfing highlights are making albatross on the 9th hole on the Hotchkin Course at Woodhall Spa, shooting an under-par round, playing in the Aramco Team Series on the Ladies European Tour and making his one and only hole-in-one at the age of 15 - a long time ago now!


Elliott is currently playing:


Driver: Titleist TSR4

3 wood: Titleist TSi2

Hybrids: Titleist 816 H1

Irons: Mizuno MP5 5-PW

Wedges: Cleveland RTX ZipCore 50, 54, 58

Putter: Odyssey White Hot OG #5

Ball: Srixon Z Star XV