‘Long Drive Queen’ Yoon Ina "I Was Born with Stamina"..."Favorite Food is Meat"

Evercollagen Victory: New 'Star Emerges' with a Maximum 354-Yard Long Drive and a Strong Heart, Ambitious Goal to Enter the Hall of Fame

Rookie Yoon In-a announced the birth of a new star. After dominating the domestic women's golf scene, she boldly declared her goal of "entering the Hall of Fame." This is a pose holding the scepter right after winning the Ever Collagen Queens Crown.

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

This is what "Long Drive Queen" Yoon Ina (19) said. After winning her first career victory at the KLPGA Tour Ever Collagen Queens Crown (total prize money 800 million KRW) held at Lakewood Golf Club in Yangju, Gyeonggi Province on the 17th, she has been receiving a flood of congratulatory messages and calls. In a phone interview with Asia Economy on the 19th, Yoon Ina laughed, saying, "The biggest change after winning seems to be the congratulatory messages from those around me. I have been really busy answering calls and replying to messages."

◆ ‘A New Rising Star’= The domestic women's golf scene is delighted by Yoon Ina's emergence. She is regarded as a promising talent to lead the KLPGA Tour. She started golf in the 5th grade of elementary school and has been a national team member. After dominating the amateur stage, she played on the Jump (3rd tier) Tour and Dream (2nd tier) Tour last year. Even though she joined the Dream Tour late in July, she secured the regular tour card as the top money earner by finishing in the top 10 eight times, including two wins. She is truly a fearless rookie riding a high-speed train.

Yoon Ina’s swing, coming from her tall 170cm frame, is outstanding. This is why crowds of fans gather around her. She also provides excellent fan service. If a fan cheers for her during a round, she greets them. Due to COVID-19, the KLPGA Tour held tournaments without spectators for the past two years but allowed golf fans to attend this year. Yoon Ina smiled, saying, "Having many spectators gives me strength. I always make sure to thank those who cheer for me even in the hot weather."

Yoo Yina's main weapon is her powerful long drive, capable of reaching up to 354 yards.

◆ "I’ve always had a lot of distance since I was young"= Yoon Ina’s strength is her long drive. She has played in 14 tournaments this season with an average driving distance of 263.73 yards, ranking first in the long drive category. In June last year, during the 1st round of the 6th Jump Tour event at Grand-Samdae-in, she made three eagles, the first time in KLPGA Tour history to record three eagles in one round. At the Ever Collagen Queens Crown, she averaged over 270 yards and recorded 316 yards on the 13th hole (par 4) in the second round.

"Even during my junior days, I was confident in my distance. When there is a downhill slope and a tailwind, I have hit up to 354 yards. On flat ground without wind, I can hit 284 yards," Yoon Ina said. Last month, at the Korean Women’s Open 1st round on the 10th hole (par 5), she struggled with her tee shot and ended up with a sextuple bogey, six strokes over par. Yoon Ina said, "I have no intention of reducing my distance to improve accuracy. I will maintain my distance while working on direction."

◆ ‘To Enter the Hall of Fame’= Yoon Ina is a confident player. Not only her distance but also her short game is steadily improving. Above all, her stamina is exceptional. When asked if she was tired due to the busy schedule after her first win, she firmly said, "I think stamina is something I was born with." She consistently trains her physical strength and manages her body thoroughly through diet. Yoon Ina revealed, "I don’t have any food restrictions. Especially, I eat meat every day."

Yoon Ina set her goal for this year as one win. She honestly said, "I reached the top earlier than I expected. I didn’t think I would win so quickly." Even after her victory, she refined her main weapon, the tee shot, and focused on putting practice. Yoon Ina’s ultimate dream is to advance to the LPGA Tour and enter the Hall of Fame. "The bigger the dream, the better," she said, promising, "I will continue to work hard to be a player who keeps growing."

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