Former No. 1 Ryu So-yeon retires as three Korean golfers make major top 10

Three Korean golfers notched top-10 finishes at the Chevron Championship, the first LPGA major of the year, as world No. 1 Nelly Korda of the United States won her fifth straight start and former world No. 1 Ryu So-yeon took her final bow.

A total of 132 players teed off in the first round on Thursday at The Club at Carlton Woods in The Woodlands, Texas, and 73 made the cut for a shot to win the biggest prize of the $7.9 million tournament.

Korea’s Ryu Hae-ran, the 2023 Rookie of the Year, carded a nine-under-par, 279, to finish in fifth as the highest-ranked Korean golfer of the weekend. The 23-year-old had a mixed first round, picking up six bogeys, four birdies and an eagle, but went bogey-free on Friday and Saturday to reach the top of the board with a one-stroke lead heading into the final round.

Im Jin-hee, one of three Korean rookies who competed at the Chevron over the weekend, finished in eighth place, carding a six-under-par, 282, for her first top-10 finish on the LPGA Tour.  

Kim A-lim, the 2020 U.S. Women’s Open champion, finished in a three-way tie for ninth with a five-under-par, 283, alongside the United States’ Yealimi Noh and Japan’s Minami Katsu.

There were 20 Korean golfers in action at the Chevron, including previous champions Ko Jin-young and Ryu So-yeon, both of whom failed to make the cut.

For Ryu So-yeon, the second round on Friday was her last on the LPGA Tour. The 33-year-old earlier announced she would retire after this year’s Chevron, ending a 12-year LPGA career with six victories — including two majors.

“Nobody pushed me to retire. This was my decision, but still, I just cannot believe this is real,” she said during a press conference after the Friday round. “I was still mad with the bad shot out there, and then I felt like I needed to [grind] to be a better golfer at the time, but this is it. This is a time I need to give myself enough credit, and then this a time I need to be proud of myself.”

The 2017 champion shot a five-over-par, 77, on Thursday and a two-over-par, 74, on Friday, before exiting the green for the final time.

Fellow Korean golfers, including 2019 champion Ko, were there to offer Ryu their congratulations in Korean.

“I’m just very numb,” said Ryu, choking up in an interview with Golf Channel Friday. “I really appreciate all the things I was able to [have].”

This year, those who did not make the cut still received a $10,000 stipend, up from $5,000 last year, to help cover tournament-related costs, the LPGA and title sponsor Chevron announced last week.

Korda’s $1.2 million win, tying the record for most consecutive LPGA wins, came despite a storm-interrupted third round, leaving more than a round and a half to play on Sunday.

A Korean golfer has yet to win a title this season. 

The LPGA next heads to Los Angeles for the JM Eagle LA Championship, which tees off Thursday. 

BY MARY YANG [[email protected]]