U.S. women’s professional golf (LPGA) tour rookie Hye-jin Choi (23, photo) challenged her debut victory at the CP Women’s Open (total prize money of $2.35 million) on the 29th (Korean time), but ended up runner-up by one stroke. Although she ended up winning the championship by accident, she took her one step closer to the Rookie of the Year award by closing her gap by 60 points in the Rookie of the Year race.
In the final round of the tournament held at Ottawa Hunt & GC (par 71, 6546 yards) in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada on that day, Hyejin Choi hit a 2-under 69 with two birdies without bogeying. She finished tied for second in her final total, one stroke behind winner Paula Leto (South Africa · 19 under par 265) with 18 under par 266 tarots. She missed out on her first win of the season, but she continued her upward momentum with her best performance this season.
Hyejin Choi, who has won 10 victories on the Korean Women’s Professional Golf (KLPGA) Tour, took the lead on the same day with Anna Lin (26), her debut mate on the LPGA Tour. Her first victory in her life was on the horizon, but from the beginning of her life, a rather frustrating flow followed. After paring all through the game, her first birdie came on the 15th hole (par 3). She also birdied on the last 18th hole (par 5), but she started too late to win the trophy.
However, in the Rookie of the Year race, meaningful results were achieved. Choi Hye-jin, who ranked second in points (1015 points), overtook Ataya Titikun (Thailand, 1075 points) by 60 points. In this competition, Hyejin Choi added 80 points as runner-up, but Titikun tied for 56th (4 under par) and only added 5 points.
Hyejin Choi said, “It’s very unfortunate, but I’m satisfied with the finish.” He said, “I was down a lot in the middle, but I kept it well in the second half, and I’m particularly satisfied with the round without bogey.” She continued, “Since I was in Korea, the LPGA tour was a stage I wanted to go to, and I am grateful to be able to come and play in person.
Leto, the winner of this tournament, won her first win in eight years since her debut on the 2014 LPGA Tour. The prize money for the championship is $352,500 (regarding 470 million won). Previously, Leto’s best performance on the LPGA Tour was 3rd at the Yokohama Tire Classic.
Reporter Jo Soo-young delinews@hankyung.com
