Ryu’s final event will be next month’s Chevron Championship
So Yeon Ryu announced her retirement from professional golf with a two-page hand-written note on Instagram. A classy, personable approach from a player who has been nothing but first-class from the start.
Ryu’s final event will be next month’s Chevron Championship, an event she won in 2017.
“After deciding to retire, I spent much time looking back on my career,” wrote Ryu. “So many memories came flooding back, and I felt so many emotions. But the more I thought about it, the more I was thankful for so many things. I am so grateful that I could do what I loved to do, day in and day out, and even make a career out of it. I am not going to lie; I had some hard patches, but despite some of the challenges, I truly enjoyed it all. And more than anything, I feel incredibly grateful for the love and support I’ve received from all of you throughout my career.”
Ryu, 33, won the 2011 Women’s Open at The Broadmoor East Course in Colorado Springs, Colorado, in a three-hole aggregate playoff over fellow South Korean Hee Hyung Seo and joined the LPGA the following season.
She notched six top-five finishes at the U.S. Women’s Open from 2011 to 2019, taking a share of second in ’19 at the Country Club of Charleston in Charleston, South Carolina.
Her second major title came at the ANA Inspiration at Mission Hills in extra holes against Lexi Thompson after the American star received a controversial four-stroke penalty on Sunday. Ryu was gracious in victory despite the crowd’s overwhelming support of Thompson.
After turning professional at the age of 17, Ryu won six times on the LPGA and 10 times on the Korean LPGA, her most recently victory coming at the 2020 Korea Women’s Open. She’s also a past champion of the Japan Women’s Open.
The 2012 LPGA Rookie of the Year, Ryu earned LPGA Player of the Year honors in 2017. She was ranked No. 1 in the world for 19 weeks from June to November 2017.
A number of star players showered Ryu with well wishes on her post.
“You should be very proud,” wrote Annika Sorenstam. “A wonderful career and true ambassador to the game. Good luck in your next chapter!”
So Yeon Ryu of Korea (R) poses with Annika Sorenstam after receiving the Rolex ANNIKA Major Award during the LPGA Rolex Players Awards at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort on November 16, 2017 in Naples, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)
Ryu hasn’t yet competed on the LPGA this season. Her most recent LPGA start came at the BMW Ladies Championship in October. Ryu received a special exemption into last year’s historic U.S. Women’s Open at Pebble Beach.
Ryu won the 2011 Women’s Open at The Broadmoor East Course in a three-hole aggregate playoff.
The USGA announced that So Yeon Ryu has accepted a special exemption for the 78th U.S. Women’s Open July 6-9, 2023, at Pebble Beach Golf Links. Ryu won the 2011 Women’s Open at The Broadmoor East Course in Colorado Springs, Colorado, in a three-hole aggregate playoff over fellow South Korean Hee Hyung Seo.
Ryu, 32, has a sneaky impressive record in the championship. She notched six top-five finishes at the Women’s Open from 2011 to 2019, taking a share of second in ’19 at the Country Club of Charleston in Charleston, South Carolina. Ryu has posted 17 rounds under par in her 13 starts, a statistic bested by only two players since 2000: two-time champion Inbee Park and Stacy Lewis.
“I am excited and honored to accept this special exemption into the U.S. Women’s Open,” said Ryu in a statement. “This championship means so much to me, and to be able to compete in it again, and to do so at a place as special as Pebble Beach, is thrilling, and I am so grateful to the USGA for this opportunity. I look forward to teeing it up there in July.”
A two-time major champion, Ryu has won six times on the LPGA and 10 times on the Korean LPGA, her most recently victory coming at the 2020 Korea Women’s Open. She’s also a past champion of the Japan Women’s Open. Ryu is currently No. 112 in the world.
The 2012 LPGA Rookie of the Year, Ryu earned LPGA Player of the Year honors in 2017. She was ranked No. 1 in the world for a total of 19 weeks from June to November 2017.
Ryu joins three-time champion Annika Sorenstam as recipients of special exemptions into this year’s field. They are among 87 players who are currently fully exempt. Qualifying for this year’s championship begins May 9 at two sites.
With eight events left in the 2023 LPGA season, it’s crunch time for players needing to make a move.
With eight events left in the 2023 LPGA season, it’s crunch time for players needing to make a move. The top 60 players on the Race to CME Globe points list gain entry into the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship, where anyone in the field can win the top prize in women’s golf of $2 million. The last player in this year’s field is guaranteed to make at least $40,000.
Last week’s winner, Ally Ewing, jumped from 71st to 30th with her victory in Cincinnati. Maria Fassi, who finished a career-best solo third, jumped from 96th to 67th, just outside the mark. The story around Fassi suddenly shifted from possible Q-Series to possible Tour Championship.
The top 100 on the CME points list keep their LPGA cards for 2023.
Brooke Henderson is searching for her first major championship in six years.
Last year at the Amundi Evian Championship, Minjee Lee roared back from a seven-shot deficit to win her first major in a playoff. The effort matched the largest come-from-behind triumphs in LPGA major championship history, set by Patty Sheehan and Karrie Webb.
Given Evian’s reputation for low scores, it seems no lead is safe on the shores of Lake Geneva. Brooke Henderson led by as many as five on Saturday but ended the day with a two-stroke advantage over So Yeon Ryu, a two-time major winner who has struggled of late.
Henderson hasn’t won a major title since 2016 and paces the field at 17 under after posting a steady 68. The 11-time winner on the LPGA set a major championship record with back-to-back 64s in the first two rounds.
“It wasn’t my best today,” said Henderson, “but I really hung in there when I needed to, which feels nice. Was able to birdie a couple of the par 5s at least, which is good. I had a lot of good birdie looks, too, which is all you can really ask for.”
Nelly Korda came into the weekend trailing only Canada’s finest but walked off the 18th green in disbelief after an even-par 71. Four bogeys on the day dropped her into a share of sixth, six shots back of Henderson.
“I didn’t hit it very good,” said Korda, “Didn’t really putt great. Made some really good saves here and there, but overall a little bit of a disappointing day.”
Sophia Schubert of the United States competes in the Amundi Evian Championship in the French Alps town of Evian-les-Bains, a major tournament on the women’s calendar, on July 23, 2022. (Photo by JEAN-PHILIPPE KSIAZEK / AFP)
Sophia Schubert, the 2017 U.S. Women’s Amateur champion, sits in solo third. Playing in only her second major as a professional, Schubert birdied the last four holes to get to 13 under. The Texas grad tied for 58th at the Evian five years ago, not long after she beat Albane Valenzuela in the final match of the Women’s Amateur.
“I’m just trying not to think about it in a way,” said Schubert. “I mean, I get to play with some of the best golfers in the world and I think to myself that I deserve to be here.
“I’m just trying to keep my confidence up and just keep going.”
Schubert will be paired in the penultimate group on Sunday alongside Carlota Ciganda, who is in a share of fourth with Sei Young Kim.
World No. 1 Jin Young Ko joins Korda in the group at 11 under. Ko won the 2019 Evian.
“Greens are slow and greens are soft,” said Ko, “so everybody can do like aggressive play. So, yeah, I do, too.”
Yealimi Noh, Inbee Park and So Yeon Ryu lead the Volunteers of America Classic after 54 holes.
The Volunteers of America title is anyone’s for the taking through 54 holes, although 19-year-old Yealimi Noh is making it especially interesting.
After carding a 66 Friday, the second round’s lowest score, Noh finished Saturday even-par 71 to sit in a three-way tie for the lead at 4 under at Old American Golf Club.
Noh, who split the 36-hole lead with Anna Nordqvist and Jessica Korda, began her round with birdies on Nos. 2 and 6 and added a bogey on 8. She added another bogey on 11 to sit at even par for the day before carding birdies on 13 and 17. Looking for her first LPGA win, Noh looked as if she would carry a two-shot lead into the final round, but double-bogeyed 18 to lose her sole lead and sit tied with Inbee Park and So Yeon Ryu.
The rookie most recently finished T-39 at the Pelican Women’s Championship and T-24 at the LPGA Drive On Championship. In her 13 appearances on tour, her best finish has been a T-3 at the Cambia Portland Classic in September.
Se Yeon Ruy on the 12th hole during the third round of the 2020 Volunteers of America Classic at the Old American Golf Club in The Colony, Texas. (Chuck Burton/Getty Images)
Park took a turn atop the leaderboard after back-to-back birdies on Nos. 8 and 9, but a bogey on 11 dropped her from the top spot. She finished Saturday 2 under 69.
In her first event back on the LPGA since February, Ryu carded the lowest round of the week Saturday with a 6-under 65, bouncing back from consecutive 72s at Old American. She carded five birdies on the front nine and added one more on 13 to finish bogey-free.
Nordqvist lost her share of the lead early with a bogey on No. 1, but bounced back quickly, birdieing Nos. 2 and 3 to finish the front nine 1 under. She added three more bogeys on the back nine to finish T-11 at 2 under entering Sunday.
Angela Stanford, who sat T-5 after the second round, carded three birdies in her first five holes Saturday to sit in contention for 54-hole leader, but bogeys 11 and 13 and a double on 14 sent her down the leaderboard. She rebounded back with an eagle 18 to sit T-4 at 3 under alongside six other players including first-round leader Charley Hull, Korda and World No. 1 Jin Young Ko.
Korda finished the day 1-over 72 after carding five bogeys, four on the front nine, in her third round while Ko went 1-under 70.
So Yeon Ryu is returning to the LPGA for the first time since February at the Volunteers of America Classic.
So Yeon Ryu came back to her home in Las Colinas, Texas, for the first time in nine months and spent two days cleaning with a broom in hand after her vacuum died. (She also wore a mask and gloves because dead bugs are not her thing.) The South Korean went to Chipotle to satisfy a chicken bowl craving and caught up with her swing coach Cameron McCormick.
The Volunteers of America Classic, situated 40 minutes from Ryu’s American home, marks the former No. 1’s first LPGA start since February, an ideal warm-up before next week’s 75th U.S. Women’s Open.
Few players on the LPGA have a USWO record that can rival Ryu’s. The 2011 Women’s Open champion has five top-5 finishes in her last seven appearances. Her worst finish, a share of 25th, came in her championship debut in 2010. Only Annika Sorenstam has notched as many top-5 finishes (six) since 2000.
No one has had a better scoring average at the USWO in the past decade: 71.35. No one has posted more rounds in the 60s: 10.
It’s no wonder Ryu came back when she did.
So Yeon Ryu on 18th green during the first round of the 2018 TOTO Japan Classic at Seta Golf Course in Otsu, Shiga, Japan. (Ken Ishii/Getty Images)
Originally, Ryu thought she might return for the ANA Inspiration, where she’s also a past champion. But she was enjoying her time back home in South Korea too much to leave. Especially her 8:30 a.m. breakfasts with mom and dad.
“I know it sounds a bit weird,” said Ryu, who turned 30 during the break, “because I didn’t really spend much time with my family for last nine years, eight years while I stayed in the U.S. Waking up at 7 and then having a breakfast with them at 8:30, that was my routine. That was one of my favorite time for last nine months.”
Another reason Ryu didn’t come back sooner: She’d realized a lifelong dream in winning her country’s national open.
“I almost like (felt) satisfied with my 2020 season after I won the tournament,” said Ryu of capturing the Korea Women’s Open.
Ryu donated her prize money from the event to charity, saying that it’s important to her that people know she cares about the bigger picture. That she cares about people.
There was pressure playing on the KLPGA, Ryu said, even though she’d competed on the tour for four years before winning the U.S. Women’s Open. She felt like a guest there this time around.
“That was so weird playing KLPGA Tour, because people literally seeing me as just going to judge like which tour is better tour,” said Ryu. “So when I play really bad, like people started to say, ‘Oh, maybe KLPGA Tour is tougher to compete in.’
“I almost feel like … well, nobody told me that … but I just kind of feel like I should play well to represent the LPGA Tour well as well. So that was one of the biggest challenges for me when I played the KLPGA event.”
So Yeon Ryu celebrates winning the 2020 KIA Motors Korea Women’s Open at the Bears Best CheongNa in Incheon, South Korea. (Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images)
Practice facilities aren’t as easy to come by in South Korea, ones that aren’t multi-story driving ranges off of mats anyway. Ryu was pleased to find a coach back home who could work virtually on her swing with McCormick, swapping emails.
She took the opportunity to see new courses, playing 15 new tracks during her time at home.
Once back in the U.S., Ryu was nervous about speaking in English with old friends and reporters, but the rust didn’t show. Even though she competed in six events on the KLPGA this year, Ryu said it felt like she hadn’t played at all when she got back to Texas.
“I thought it was going to be totally new feeling,” she said, “but as soon as I start to practice on Monday, everything was just same as what I used to do.”
That bodes well for next week at Champions Golf Club, even though Ryu will be headed into the two-course event without having seen either track. Her veteran caddie, however, did get out to Houston for a scouting report, and Ryu feels confident that he’ll be able to show her the way.
Stacy Lewis points to Ryu’s solid ball-striking and even temperament as keys to her past Women’s Open success. Boring golf bodes well at these affairs.
“She’s okay hitting it to the middle of the green,” said Lewis. “She’s not going to force things unless she doesn’t have to.”
Besides, she’s already won an Open this year. The rest of 2020 still feels like a bonus.
After winning the Korea Women’s Open Sunday in Incheon, South Korea, at 12 under, So Yeon Ryu donated her earnings to COVID-19 relief.
After winning the Korea Women’s Open Sunday in Incheon, South Korea, So Yeon Ryu donated her earnings to the coronavirus relief effort.
Ryu, a two-time major champion, shot an even-par 72 Sunday at the Bear’s Best CheongNa Golf Club to win the tournament by one shot at 12-under 276. The tournament was Ryu’s first in four months due to the coronavirus pandemic.
In her first Korea LPGA Tour win since 2015, Ryu earned more than $200,000 for her win.
Ryu, ranked No. 18 on the Rolex Ranking, won by defeating Sei Young Kim, who led by one stroke at the turn, but carded three bogeys on the back nine. Kim finished T-4 after a final-round 70. Hyo Joo Kim finished second, one shot behind Ryu, at 11 under after shooting a 70.
Jin Young Ko, currently the No. 1 player in women’s golf, shot 72 to finish sixth.
