Song Joong Ki makes rare appearance at royal golf club; says ‘British wife and father-in-law were proud'

Indian Express

3 days ago

K-drama star Song Joong Ki made a rare appearance on July 16 at the Royal Portrush Golf Club in Northern Ireland. The actor, who hasn't been seen in months, returned to the spotlight as an ambassador for The Open Championship, one of golf's most prestigious tournaments. He currently represents The R&A, the organisation behind The Open. Back in February, Song was roped in as their first Asian ambassador, joining a star-studded lineup that includes Stephen Curry, Niall Horan, and Kathryn Newton. Just hours later, the actor also dropped the first few glimpses of his upcoming K-drama with Chun Woo Hee, My Youth.
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According to pictures acquired by Yonhap, Song was seen headlining the eve of the 153rd edition of golf's oldest major. Late Wednesday, the Vincenzo star quietly watched Korean professionals Choi Kyung Ju, Kim Si Woo, Im Sung Jae, and Kevin Yu during a practice session. At one point, Yu's wife recognised him and couldn't help but ask for a photo. 'He's incredibly famous. Today is a very lucky day for me,' she gushed.
Despite his global stardom, Song kept it low-key during the session and cheered like an adamant golf lover, though he admits he knows little about the sport. When Choi's caddie got busy reading the green, Song stepped in and raked the bunker himself. He even fixed divots on the course. According to the agency, Song also shares a personal connection with golfer Im Sung Jae, who is part of a foundation that helps underprivileged players, a cause Song actively supports. 'I admire how pure and humble he remains even after becoming a star,' the K-drama star said. 'I plan to stay involved and make donations,' he added.
I love this video! It's like #SongJoongKi is eager to get to work! 😂👌
If he could, he'd break out that sand smoothing tool and do it all better himself from scratch 😄🥰
He's truly amazing! ☺️
ctto video: https://t.co/YFikmymdM2
my edit pic.twitter.com/IIsIbDbDlb
— KiAile Tusia (@KiAileTusia) July 17, 2025
The Bogota actor was also invited to participate in the Par 3 Contest at the Masters Tournament, but he reportedly turned it down, saying it didn't feel right to take part in another big golf event before honouring his commitment to The R&A. Song admitted he didn't even know much about The R&A when he first received the offer. 'A friend told me to say yes immediately,' he said. His British wife and father-in-law were thrilled. It was clearly a proud family moment. Earlier this year, the actor announced the news to his fans. In a heartfelt social media update, he wrote, 'Happy to be joining The R&A as a global ambassador. Please look forward to what's coming.' He's already appeared at golf forums, like the HSBC Women's World Championship Business Forum in Singapore, repping R&A.
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On July 17, Song Joong Ki posted a picture on Instagram, believed to be from the shoot of his upcoming drama My Youth. The JTBC show is currently the most hyped K-drama of the second half of the year and drops on September 5. In it, Song plays Sun Woo Hae, a man reconnecting with a childhood friend after 15 years.
The most beautiful pairing of 2025 is here 💙#SongJoongKi's IG update with actress #ChunWooHee for #MyYouth
✨💫https://t.co/Z9Cdgz7qNF pic.twitter.com/2Y7XJ1qwny
— Song JoongKi 송중기 fan only (@KiAileNYC) July 17, 2025
On the personal front, Song married British actress Katy Louise Saunders in 2023. They now have a son and a daughter and split their time between South Korea and Italy.