Rookie of the Year Contender Choi Hye-jin "I Want to Win"

Top 10 in 9 Seasons... Anticipation for the First Win

Choi Hye-jin is responding at the press conference for the LPGA Tour BMW Ladies Championship held on the 18th at Wonju Oak Valley Country Club. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Taewon] Choi Hyejin (23), who is challenging for the LPGA Rookie of the Year title, expressed her aspirations for her first victory.

At the LPGA Tour BMW Ladies Championship press conference held on the 18th at Oak Valley Country Club in Wonju, Choi said, "Seeing other rookies win makes me want to win as well," openly expressing her desire for a victory.

Choi Hyejin, who debuted on the LPGA Tour this season, has shown strong performances, finishing in the top 10 nine times. She is currently second in the rookie standings with 1,182 points, trailing Atthaya Thitikul (Thailand, 1,425 points).

Choi said, "Returning as a rookie made me work hard on areas I had been lax or indifferent to in Korea. By keeping my original intentions in mind, I was able to achieve many good results," adding, "Experiencing various environments on the LPGA Tour has also contributed to my improvement."

Regarding the rookie of the year competition with Atthaya Thitikul, she appeared somewhat reserved, saying, "At first, I wanted the rookie award, but among good rookies like Thitikul, I just want to do my best without being compared."

Choi Hyejin has recorded one runner-up and two third-place finishes this season but has yet to secure a win.

Her competitor Thitikul also stated that she focuses more on good performance than the rookie title.

She said, "I have never felt like I was competing against other players. I don't think much about awards," adding, "My focus is more on improving my game and thinking about how I can play better."

She continued, "I'm happy to have won twice as a rookie. It seems like I'm having a good season," and added, "Including this tournament, I want to enjoy and comfortably finish the season."

Minjee Lee (Australia), who leads the LPGA Tour in prize money and Player of the Year points this year, said, "I recently came to Korea and am happy to play in front of my relatives again," adding, "Since my parents are Korean and I have Korean roots, I want to win this tournament as well."

Jennifer Kupcho (USA), who has three wins this season, said, "Korea is a great country with excellent golf environments. I'm glad to be back," and added, "My confidence has increased overall this season, so I have high expectations."

Amateur Kim Minsol (Suseong Bangtong High School), who received an entry through the Korea Golf Association's recommendation, revealed that world No. 1 Ko Jin-young (27) is her 'role model,' saying, "It feels like a dream to compete with the professionals I respect. I will play without regrets."

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