[2022 New Start⑨] ‘LPGA Rookie’ Choi Hye-jin "The U.S. Stage Is So Enjoyable"

8th Place at Gainbridge LPGA Debut and Steady Performance in 2 Consecutive Tournaments, Balancing 6 Weeks of Training and Rest "Winning and Rookie of the Year"

‘LPGA Rookie’ Choi Hye-jin is taking a tee shot at the Drive On Championship. She is off to a successful start, ranking 8th at Gainbridge and 15th at the Drive On Championship.

[Asia Economy Reporter No Woo-rae] "I am very happy."

This is the feeling of ‘LPGA rookie’ Choi Hye-jin (23, Lotte) who has taken on a new stage. After dominating the Korean Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Tour, she debuted this year on the U.S. Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tour as a rookie. "Honestly, before the tournament started, I had some worries and a strong desire to do well," said Choi Hye-jin, "but once the tour began, I enjoyed playing more and focused on enjoying the atmosphere rather than worrying," adding with a bright smile, "I’m glad I came to the LPGA Tour; it was really great."

Choi Hye-jin is a star player who has won a total of 10 titles on the KLPGA Tour, including 2 as an amateur. She swept both the Rookie of the Year and the Player of the Year awards in 2018, and in 2019, she dominated major individual titles such as most wins, prize money, Player of the Year, and lowest scoring average, heralding the ‘Choi Hye-jin era.’ In 2020, she also earned the Player of the Year title for the third consecutive year. She has already demonstrated exceptional power on the LPGA Tour as a non-member. As an amateur, she finished runner-up at the 2017 U.S. Women’s Open.

She also finished second at the ISPS Handa Vic Open in February 2020. After a winless season on the KLPGA Tour last year, she is aiming to turn the tide by moving overseas. In December last year, she secured her ticket to the U.S. by finishing tied for 8th at the LPGA Qualifying (Q) Series. She completed her local adaptation through training in the U.S. and successfully made a smooth landing as an LPGA Tour ‘rookie’ in the 2022 season. Her debut tournament was the Gainbridge LPGA, where she tied for 8th, followed by a tie for 15th at the LPGA Drive On Championship.

Although she has only played two tournaments, she currently leads the Rookie of the Year points standings with 96 points. Pauline Roussin-Bouchard (France, 87 points) is chasing behind. "It feels very new to be a rookie again," she said, "I will compete for wins and the Rookie of the Year title this season." She has proven her competitiveness against world-class players. In the final third round of last week’s LPGA Drive On Championship, she made an exciting run by shooting 6 under par with no bogeys, including 1 eagle and 4 birdies.

Her average driving distance is 261.43 yards (40th), fairway hit rate is 79.59% (37th), and greens in regulation is 76.18% (9th). However, her putting count of 30 (68th) is somewhat disappointing. She will have a six-week ‘break’ as she cannot participate in the ‘Asian Swing’ held in early March. To improve her weaknesses, she has started training in Palm Springs, California. "The LPGA Tour has been a stage I wanted to compete on since I was young," she said, "I will prepare well and achieve good results."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.