'Adieu LPGA' Choi Na-yeon "I Did Enough Without Regrets"

LPGA Tour 9 Wins... Retiring After This Season
"I Hope Juniors Live the Tour Life Without Regrets"

Choi Na-yeon is speaking at the press conference for the LPGA Tour BMW Ladies Championship held on the 18th at Oak Valley Country Club in Wonju, Gangwon Province. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Taewon] Choi Na-yeon (35), who boasts a total of 9 wins on the U.S. Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tour, shared her thoughts ahead of her farewell LPGA Tour event.

At a press conference for the LPGA Tour BMW Championship held on the 18th at Oak Valley Country Club in Wonju, Gangwon Province, Choi Na-yeon reflected on her career, saying, "As a player, I think I have done enough without regrets."

Choi Na-yeon, who won 9 times on the LPGA Tour including the 2012 major US Women's Open, announced earlier this month that she would end her playing career after this season. The BMW Ladies Championship, held from the 20th to the 23rd at Oak Valley Country Club, will be her farewell event on the LPGA Tour, where she has competed since 2008.

Choi said, "I had been thinking about retirement because my golf was not going well. I started the season with the thought of giving it my all one last time, and gradually my decision became firmer," adding, "There isn't a decisive reason; I just felt I had played long enough and wanted to try something else a little earlier."

She continued, "My future plans are not yet finalized, but I think I will do something related to golf," and added, "I want to try other things diligently as well."

She did not forget to encourage her juniors. Choi said, "When I think about going back to being twenty years old, what would be different now? I think it’s confidence. Back then, I was fearless and had the passion and drive to achieve whatever I planned to do," and added, "I think the current players are showing that kind of spirit and doing very well."

She also advised, "I have played on the tour for about 15 years, and what I want to tell myself is that I have no regrets about what I have done," and said, "I hope the juniors will work hard on the tour so that 10 to 15 years from now, they can have the same feeling."

Her retirement tournament is scheduled to be the Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Tour SK Shieldus·SK Telecom Championship starting from the 11th of next month.

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