'Seed Match Captain' Kim Ji-hyun: "I Will Win and Retire Gracefully"

Failed to Maintain 64th Prize Money Seed, Dramatic Comeback in Muan
Joined the ‘K-10 Club’, Equipped with Premium Iron Shots
Physical Training in Korea, Departing for U.S. Training Camp in January Next Year
"I Still Have Confidence. I Will Definitely Make a Comeback and Win"

"I am confident in competing with younger players."

Kim Ji-hyun is synonymous with consistency. Last year, she joined the 'K-10 Club,' which is reserved for players who have competed for 10 consecutive years on the Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) regular tour. However, due to poor performance this season, she lost her tour card and dramatically made a comeback by finishing first in the final round of the grueling KLPGA Tour Qualifying Tournament held on the 17th at Jeonnam Muan Country Club. In an interview with Asia Economy on the 27th, she expressed confidence, saying, "I didn't want to quit like this," and "I will lift the winner's trophy once again."

Kim Ji-hyun, who survived the qualifying round, expressed strong confidence, saying, "Next season, I will collect championship trophies."

Kim Ji-hyun is a 'top qualifier.' In 2009, she ranked 49th in the qualifying tournament, earning a conditional tour card and debuted on the regular tour the following year. After dropping to the Dream (2nd tier) Tour within a year and struggling, she claimed first place in the 2012 qualifying tournament and proudly returned to the first-tier tour. Since then, she has been on a winning streak, securing a total of five victories, including one major. Her total earnings from 337 regular tour events amount to 3,456,045,360 KRW.

Her prime was in 2017 when she swept three wins. In April, she reached the top at the KG·Edaily Ladies Open after 125 attempts, then went on to win back-to-back titles in June at the S-OIL Championship and the major Korea Women's Open, creating a buzz. At that time, she ranked first in prize money (789,972,341 KRW), sixth in the points for the Player of the Year (308 points), and sixth in average score (70.75 strokes). However, after winning the 2019 Doosan Match Play Championship by defeating formidable players like Park In-bee, she suffered a 'trophy drought,' with only three runner-up finishes since.

This year, Kim Ji-hyun fell into her worst slump. She participated in 32 tournaments but did not achieve a 'Top 10' finish. Her best result was a tie for 14th place at the major KB Financial Championship in September. She missed the cut 10 times and withdrew twice. Ranking 64th in prize money (145,400,000 KRW), she failed to enter the top 60 to retain a full tour card. After completing the second round of the season finale SK Shieldus·SK Telecom Championship on the 12th, she withdrew and chose to head to Muan for the qualifying tournament. Kim said, "I really thought a lot about it. But I didn't want to end my golf career like this," recalling, "I wanted to win again and show a great performance. I thought I should retire after reaching the top."

Kim Ji-hyun is smiling while holding the scorecard after passing the qualifying round as the top scorer.

Kim Ji-hyun showcased outstanding skills in the qualifying tournament, shooting scores in the 60s for four consecutive days. She reflected, "Because I have a lot of tour experience, I was more confident than nervous," adding, "My shots, which I usually consider my strength, were working well, so I could play comfortably." Kim expressed gratitude, saying, "Many people contacted me after I passed the qualifying tournament. There were so many supporters." She became emotional, sharing, "My parents also said, 'Thank you for not giving up and doing your best until the end.' They believed in me and waited."

Kim Ji-hyun's signature weapon is her exquisite iron shots. She rarely misses the fairway or green. She ranked first in greens in regulation in 2017 (79.46%), fifth in 2016 (78.09%), and ninth in 2018 (76.85%). She also offered advice for amateur golfers to improve their iron shots: "Doing many empty swings helps. Don't choose your club too tightly; hold it about half a club longer and swing smoothly," she explained.

Kim Ji-hyun experienced many missed cuts this season. She diagnosed, "Technically, I thought I improved this year compared to last year, but things didn't go as well as expected," adding, "Because my results weren't good, I think I stressed myself a lot." Despite the emergence of 'top rookies,' she expressed confidence that she can still win. She said, "There is a distance difference, but I believe I am not inferior in stamina," and confidently stated, "I will compete for wins again next year."

Kim Ji-hyun said, "During the off-season, I will focus on physical training and improving the accuracy of my shots to compete with younger players."

Kim Ji-hyun will spend some time resting and training domestically for the time being. To fully prepare for next season, she plans to focus on physical training. Afterwards, she will head to the United States for training in January next year, joining fellow juniors Park Gyeol, Heo Da-bin, Ahn Ji-hyun, and Lee Seul-gi 2 for a training camp. Kim said, "During the off-season, I plan to improve my stamina and iron accuracy. I also need to practice clutch putting."

Kim Ji-hyun's resolution for next year is to "show a lot of good performances." Her goal is to enter the 'Top 10' in every tournament she participates in. She promised, "I want to be a consistent player. Thanks to the fans' support, I was able to pass the qualifying tournament again. I will definitely make a comeback and show you a winning performance." Kim smiled and added, "I don't have a boyfriend yet. After winning, when the time is right, I want to marry someone special."

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