사진 확대 Choi Hye-jin is looking at the ball she hit in the third round of the LPGA Tour’s Buick LPGA Shanghai on the 17th. AFP Yonhap News Agency
Choi Hye-jin narrowly missed her first victory in the LPGA Tour. At the Buick LPGA Shanghai held in China, she won the runner-up prize after a close game with In Luo Ning of China.
Choi Hye-jin cut one shot in the fourth round of the LPGA Tour Buick LPGA Shanghai held at Seosan Golf Club (par 72) in Shanghai on the 18th, and finished second with a 10-under 278 overall, one shot behind In Luoning (11-under 277 overall). Choi Hye-jin, who made her LPGA Tour debut in 2022 and sought her first championship in 124 tournaments in her fifth year, missed the opportunity to reach the top in front of her by In Looning of the home course.
Choi Hye-jin, who dominated the domestic stage by winning nine KLPGA Tour titles and receiving KLPGA Grand Prize for three consecutive years from 2018, has not won since entering the U.S. in 2022. Prior to the previous tournament, he ranked in the top 10 33 times, including four runner-up and five third-place finishes in 123 LPGA Tour tournaments. He consistently recorded a total of $7.231,117 (about 9.7 billion won) without winning the top 10, earning the most prize money among the players who did not win the LPGA Tour, and was also called the “King of Nothing.”
Regarding the prolonged period without a win in July, Choi Hye-jin said, “I’m worried about what people around me and my gaze, but I’m trying to play without being agitated,” adding, “I think it was because of my heart that I missed the championship.” I tried to do so well in the last round, so I don’t think my play came out,” he said. From the first round of this competition, Choi Hye-jin started fresh by leading alone. He led the way to the third round following the second round, but Choi Hye-jin showed a disappointing performance in the fourth round. The tight game was divided by In Luo Ning’s background at the end. In Looning, who birdied the 16th hole (par 4) and took a step ahead, added a birdie in the 17th hole (par 3) to widen the gap between Choi Hye-jin and her. At that time, Choi Hye-jin caught a birdie only at the 18th hole (par 5) and failed to cross In Luo Ning.
In Luoning, who won the Buick LPGA Shanghai for the first time in two years following the 2024 tournament, won $480,000 (about 644 million won) in prize money by achieving two wins in the season and seven wins in total. The competition, which started in 2018, is one of the LPGA competitions that no Korean player has won. Yang Hee-young, who rose to second place alone in the third round, ranked third alone with a final total of 8-under 280. He recorded an eagle on the 18th hole and ranked in the top 10 for the second time this season in more than nine months since finishing runner-up at the Hilton Grand Venations Tournament of Champions in January.
In addition, Kim A-rim finished tied for sixth (final total of 5-under 283) and Joo Soo-bin tied for eighth (final total of 3-under 285), making four Korean players in the top 10.
[Reporter Kim Jihan]