"Quiet Stronger" Kim Suji: "If the Chance to Win Comes, I Have to Seize It"

Daewoo Winia·MBN Women's Open 1R 5 Under Par
Longest Drive 284.9 Yards, 13m 'Eagle Show'

Kim Su-ji is a "quiet powerhouse."

She debuted on the Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Tour in 2017 and has accumulated a total of four wins. After claiming her first victory at the KG·Edaily Ladies Open in September 2021, she rose to become the "Major Queen" by winning the Hite Jinro Championship in October of the same year. Last September, she secured back-to-back wins at the OK Financial Group Park Se-ri Invitational and the Hana Financial Group Championship in October, proving her worth. She had her best season, finishing second in both the Player of the Year points (760 points) and the money rankings with 1,082,580,000 KRW.

Kim Suji is making an iron shot at the 11th hole during the first round of the Daewoo Winia·MBN Women's Open.
[Photo by KLPGA]

Kim Su-ji stands 163 cm tall and is not physically large. However, since 2021, she has focused on strength training to increase her driving distance, transforming into one of the longest hitters on the KLPGA Tour. This season, her average driving distance ranks 4th at 257.14 yards.

Kim Su-ji continues to demonstrate consistent performance this year. Although she has yet to win, she has finished in the top 10 four times, including two third-place finishes in 12 tournaments. She is currently 23rd in the money rankings with 207,340,000 KRW. Known for her strength in the fall, this time she got off to a strong start amid the heatwave. On the 7th, at the Daeyu Winia·MBN Ladies Open (total prize money 1 billion KRW) held at Daeyu Mongber Country Club’s Brengtang and Ette courses (par 72, 6,590 yards) in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province, she shot a 5-under-par 67 in the first round.

In the front nine, Kim Su-ji made three birdies on holes 10, 14, and 15. On the back nine, she recovered from a bogey on the 1st hole (par 4) with a birdie on the 3rd hole, and on the 6th hole (par 5), she made a 13-meter eagle. Starting strong from day one, she positioned herself among the leaders, seizing a chance for her fifth career win. Kim said, "The pin positions were difficult, but I played in very good condition and finished well. Although I made a few tee shot mistakes, my putting supported me well," expressing her excitement.

Kim Su-ji hit a maximum drive of 284.90 yards that day. On the 6th hole where she made the eagle, her tee shot traveled 267.4 yards. She explained, "Since it’s a hole where you can reach the green in two shots, I played aggressively from the driver. The tee shot landed in a good spot, allowing me to execute the second shot as planned. All three shots I made on the 6th hole were well executed, and my long putts dropped nicely." She added, "Having finished the first round well, I can’t help but think about winning. I will focus to seize the opportunity when it comes."

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