Birdie Buddy
Birdie Buddy is a South Korean television series set in the world of professional golf. Based on the 2007 comic series of the same title by Lee Hyun-sae, it stars Uee, Lee Yong-woo and Lee Da-hee.
The drama was pre-produced in 2010, and initially expected to air on MBC in December 2010, but the network decided not to give it a timeslot. After several postponements, it aired on cable channel tvN from August 8 to October 25, 2011 on Mondays and Tuesdays at 23:00. But instead of the original 20 episodes of 70 minutes each, it was re-edited into 24 episodes spanning 45 minutes each.
Synopsis
Sung Mi-soo is a cheerful, humble country girl from Gangwon Province. She comes from a poor family, and her mother used to work as a caddie. With her bright personality and determined efforts, Mi-soo strives to become a professional golf player.On the other hand, Min Hae-ryung is an elite athlete who has been groomed for professional golf since a young age. Placed in the best environment to play golf, Hae-ryung's emotions are always controlled even though she has a deep emotional wound.
These two girls from different backgrounds share the same dream of being the next top golfer, a dream that leads them to former pro golfer John Lee.
John Lee was the first Korean to win a PGA title. Other than the fact that he was adopted, his background is a mystery. Aside from golf, he also excels in the Afro-Brazilian dance/martial arts style known as capoeira. Even though he found success by winning the PGA title, John Lee stopped playing golf to become a golf course tester. John Lee agrees to lead Mi-soo and Hae-ryung into becoming the next queens of golf like Se Ri Pak, Michelle Wie, Jiyai Shin, and Eun-Hee Ji.
Cast
Main
- Uee as Sung Mi-soo
- * Jin Ji-hee as young Mi-soo
- Lee Yong-woo as John Lee
- * Yoon Chan as young John
- Lee Da-hee as Min Hae-ryung
Supporting
Mi-soo's family and friends
- Lee Byung-joon as Sung Kyung-hwan
- Yoon Yoo-sun as Jo Kyung-sook
- Park Han-bi as Sung Tae-gab
- * Ahn Do-gyu as young Tae-gab
- Yoo In-na as Lee Gong-sook, in love with Tae-gab
- * Gina as young Gong-sook
- Han Seung-hyun as Ahn Joong-ki
Hae-ryung's family and friends
- Oh Hyun-kyung as Min Se-hwa
- Park Sung-woong as Choi Dong-kwan, Min Se-hwa's right-hand man and lover
- as Woo Joon-mo, a skilled greens keeper who is Hae-ryung's long lost father
- Yang Hee-kyung as Uhm Jung-ran, a friend of both Kyung-sook and Se-hwa, who becomes the chief of caddies at Se-hwa's golf club
Others
- Choi Il-hwa as Jay Park, a wealthy and manipulative gambler
- Robert Holley as Yoon Kwang-baek, a former golf pro and now an eccentric recluse who takes on Mi-soo as his student
- Park Young-rin as Park Eun-joo, an energetic young reporter
- Yoon Gi-won as pro-golfer Wang
- Julien Kang as Gary Jung, a golfer hired by Jay Park to play Mi-soo in an unusual golf challenge
- Choo So-young, a scout
- Kim Jung-hak, one of Park's henchmen
- Woo Hyun, a golf equipment maker and friend of John Lee
- Kim Dong-hyeon
- Samuel Kang, a reporter
- Gu Bon-im