Golf prodigy Jessica Bang (Bang Sumin) dies at 18 after cerebral hemorrhage in Bangkok

Jessica Bang — Korean name Bang Sumin — died on August 13 at a hospital in Bangkok, Thailand. She was 18.

Born in Korea in 2007, Jessica held Australian citizenship and had been building a profile as one of the sport's young prospects. She traveled to Thailand on August 1 to compete in the KLPGA Tour International Qualifying Tournament. A cerebral hemorrhage caused her collapse. She passed away at approximately 7:20 AM on August 13.

In February, she won the Southern Highlands Ford New South Wales Regional Championship. She closed with an 8-under par 65 in the final round to set a course record.

Her mother released a statement. "It is such a sudden parting that I still cannot believe it," she wrote, "and as a mother I do not know how to express this heart." She described her daughter as someone who "truly loved golf and ran toward her dreams harder than anyone else" and thanked everyone who had supported her along the way. (The full letter, addressed directly to Sumin, closes: "Mom is always proud of you and loves you so much. Rest well until we meet again.")

A funeral parlor was set up at Yongin Severance Hospital funeral hall. Services began August 15. The funeral procession was scheduled for August 17.