Here are the winningest South Korean players in LPGA history

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Seri Pak’s success in 1998 modified girls’s golf in profound methods. Pak was the one South Korean participant on the LPGA when she received two majors that season. A decade later, greater than 40 South Koreans had LPGA playing cards, and the phenomenon quickly unfold all through Asia.

Pak, nonetheless, wasn’t the primary South Korean to win on the LPGA. That little bit of historical past belongs to Okay-Hee Ku, who received the 1988 Commonplace Register Turquoise Traditional. Woo-Quickly Ko, a South Korean who by no means turned an LPGA member, received the Toray Japan Queens Cup, a co-sanctioned occasion, in 1994 and 1995.

Pak was the third Korean-born participant to win on the LPGA and the primary to win a serious. It’s solely becoming that the sporting icon now has her personal namesake occasion on the LPGA within the Fir Hills Seri Pak Championship, which kicks off this week in California at Palos Verdes Golf Membership. (Pak, who glided by Se Ri throughout her LPGA profession, is now going by Seri.)

A complete of 49 South Korean gamers have received a mixed 220 LPGA titles. Listed here are the winningest South Korean gamers in LPGA historical past:

Whereas Pak’s 1998 U.S. Ladies’s Open Championship will get all the eye, her first title truly got here only a couple months prior on the McDonald’s LPGA Championship. Pak’s 25 LPGA victories embrace 5 majors. She turned the primary South Korean to qualify for the LPGA Corridor of Fame in 2007 and was inducted into the World Golf Corridor of Fame that very same yr. Pak retired from the tour in 2016 after taking part in one spherical on house soil on the LPGA KEB Hana Financial institution Championship.

Inbee Park hoists the U.S. Ladies’s Open trophy after her victory at Sebonack in 2013.

A seven-time main winner, Park received the primary three majors of the calendar season in 2013, together with her streak coming to an finish on the Previous Course, the place she tied for forty second on the Ricoh Ladies’s British Open. Park certified for the LPGA Corridor of Fame in 2016, the identical yr she received the gold medal on the Summer season Olympics. Park hasn’t competed on tour since giving beginning to her daughter in April 2023.

Jin Younger Ko strains up a putt on the eighteenth inexperienced throughout a playoff gap towards Megan Khang on the finish of the ultimate spherical of the CPKC Ladies’s Open golf match at Shaughnessy Golf & Nation Membership. Obligatory Credit score: Bob Frid-USA TODAY Sports activities

Regardless of being riddled with accidents through the course of her brief LPGA profession, Ko has managed to win 15 occasions since becoming a member of the tour in 2018. A two-time LPGA Participant of the 12 months and two-time main champion, Ko’s consistency made headlines when she went 114 holes and not using a bogey in 2019, breaking a document set by Tiger Woods.

Sei Younger Kim tees off on the sixth gap through the ultimate spherical of the CPKC Ladies’s Open golf match at Shaughnessy Golf & Nation Membership. Obligatory Credit score: Bob Frid-USA TODAY Sports activities

Kim received her first LPGA title in 2015, amassing 12 titles over the span of six seasons. She shed the perfect participant and not using a main moniker on the 2020 KPMG Ladies’s PGA at Aronimink. She’s additionally a third-degree black belt in Taekwondo.

Jiyai Shin received the Evian Masters on July 25.

Few gamers within the trendy recreation have been as globally profitable as Shin. A 21-time winner on the Korean LPGA, Shin joined the LPGA in 2009 after successful 3 times as a non-member the yr prior. The 2-time main champion then left the LPGA in 2014 and took up membership on the JLPGA to be nearer to household. She has received 30 occasions in Japan, giving her 64 titles worldwide.

Na Yeon Choi of South Korea, tees off on the primary gap, throughout day one of many Swinging Skirts World Women Masters at Miramar Golf & Nation Membership on December 6, 2013 in Taipei, Taiwan. (Photograph by Gareth Homosexual/Getty Pictures)

Fourteen years after Pak hoisted the trophy at Blackwolf Run, Choi did the identical in Wisconsin when she received the 2012 U.S. Ladies’s Open by 4 strokes. Choi, who joined the LPGA in 2008, retired two years in the past and went out with a bang, successful a BMW New X7 with a weekend ace on the BMW Women Championship.

Mi Hyun Kim of Korea performs the first gap, through the Evian Masters girls’s golf match in Evian, jap France, Thusday, July 27, 2006.

The petite Kim, referred to as “Peanut,” joined the LPGA in 1999 on the heels of Pak’s success. She donated $100,000 of her 2007 SemGroup Championship winner’s test to victims of a devastating twister in Greensburg, Kansas. She’d by no means been to Kansas.

In-Kyung Kim of South Korea holds the trophy after her victory through the ultimate spherical of the Ricoh Ladies’s British Open at Kingsbarns Golf Hyperlinks, on August 6, 2017 in Kingsbarns, Scotland. (Photograph by David Cannon/Getty Pictures)

Most identified for a devastating one-foot miss at Mission Hills that value her a serious championship title, the petite Kim clawed her approach again to win the 2017 Ricoh Ladies’s British Open. Kim has performed a restricted LPGA schedule since 2020.

Sung Hyun Park of Korea poses with the trophy after the ultimate spherical of the U.S. Ladies’s Open on July 16, 2017 at Trump Nationwide Golf Membership in Bedminster, New Jersey. (Photograph by Elsa/Getty Pictures)

Park took the golf world by storm when she turned the primary participant since Nancy Lopez to win each LPGA Rookie of the 12 months and Participant of the 12 months honors in the identical season in 2017. A two-time main winner, Park’s nosedive down the rankings got here as shortly as her ascension. The previous No. 1 is presently ranked 251st.

Hee-Gained Han winner of the 2006 Corning Traditional on the Corning Nation Membership in Corning, NY on Sunday, Could 28, 2006. (Photograph by S. Levin/Getty Pictures)

The 2001 Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the 12 months was one of many few South Korean gamers to proceed taking part in the LPGA as a mother. Han’s husband, a retired baseball participant, labored as a commentator again in South Korea. Han received six occasions from 2003 to 2006 and retired a decade in the past.

Grace Park of america watches her drive through the first spherical of the Evian Masters golf match performed in Evian, jap France, Wednesday June 12, 2002.

After a highly-decorated newbie profession within the U.S., the South Korean-born Park received her first LPGA title as a rookie in 2000. All six of her victories, together with one main, got here in her first 5 years on tour. She retired in 2012 after coping with numerous nagging accidents.

So Yeon Ryu throughout a observe spherical forward of the 2020 U.S. Ladies’s Open at Champions Golf Membership in Houston. (Photograph: Robert Beck/USGA)

Like a number of girls on this checklist, Ryu’s breakout second got here 13 years in the past at a U.S. Ladies’s Open when she defeated Hee-Kyung Search engine optimization in a three-hole playoff. Ryu’s second main title would show much more dramatic when she defeated Lexi Thompson in extra time after the favored American endured a extremely controversial four-stroke penalty on the again 9 Sunday.

Eun-Hee Ji of South Korea poses for a photograph whereas holding the trophy on the 18th inexperienced after successful the Swinging Skirts LPGA Taiwan Championship on October 22, 2017 in Taipei, Taiwan. (Photograph by Energy Sport Pictures/Getty Pictures)

Ji, 37, received her first LPGA title in 2008 and her newest in 2022. The 2009 U.S. Ladies’s Open winner drained a 20-foot birdie putt on the 72nd gap to clip Cristie Kerr. Nicknamed “Mickey Mouse” due to her smile.

Hyo Joo Kim of South Korea poses with the winner’s trophy after successful the HSBC Ladies’s World Championship at Sentosa Golf Membership on Could 02, 2021 in Singapore. (Photograph by Yong Teck Lim/Getty Pictures)

Kim recorded the bottom spherical in a serious, 61, as a young person, en path to victory on the 2014 Evian Championship. It was her first main championship look. She misplaced the 2018 U.S. Ladies’s Open in a playoff towards Ariya Jutanugarn.

Ha Na Jang of South Korea reacts after driving the ball on the sixth tee field through the second spherical at Priddis Greens Golf and Nation Membership. Obligatory Credit score: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports activities

The demonstrative Jang delighted LPGA followers with 4 titles in two seasons after which took everybody unexpectedly when she abruptly left and returned to the KLPGA in 2017. She’d win once more on the LPGA two years later at a co-sanctioned occasion in South Korea. Jang, who mentioned she left the LPGA to be nearer to household, has 15 titles on the KLPGA.

Amy Yang of Korea poses with the CME Globe trophy after successful the CME Group Tour Championship at Tiburon Golf Membership on November 19, 2023 in Naples, Florida. (Photograph by Michael Reaves/Getty Pictures)

Yang received her first title on U.S. soil final November on the CME Group Tour Championship, ending a four-year drought. With 21 top-10 finishes within the majors, she stays among the best gamers to not win one.

Mi Jung Hur poses with the winner’s trophy whereas carrying the winner’s wreath after successful the Indy Ladies in Tech Championship golf match, Sunday, Sept. 29, 2019, in Indianapolis. (AP Photograph/R Brent Smith)

Hur final received on the LPGA in 2019 and final competed on tour in 2021. She gave beginning to a son, Ji-An Wang, in 2022.

Mirim Lee of South Korea poses with the trophy after defeating Nelly Korda and Brooke Henderson in a playoff to win the ANA Inspiration on the Dinah Shore course at Mission Hills Nation Membership on September 13, 2020 in Rancho Mirage, California. (Photograph by Jeff Gross/Getty Pictures)

Lee’s crowning achievement on the LPGA got here on the 2020 ANA Inspiration when she chipped in for eagle on the 72nd gap to get right into a playoff. She received on the primary additional gap with birdie. Lee competed solely as soon as final yr — on the U.S. Ladies’s Open.

Seon Hwa Lee through the ultimate spherical of the Jamie Farr Owens Corning Traditional at Highland Meadows Golf Membership. Obligatory Credit score: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports activities

Lee received 4 occasions between 2006 and 2008. The 2006 Louise Suggs Rookie of the 12 months turned skilled at age 14, making her the youngest South Korean feminine professional on the time. Lee final competed on tour in 2015.

In Gee Chun celebrates with the championship trophy after successful the 2022 KPMG Ladies’s PGA Championship at Congressional Nation Membership in Bethesda, Maryland. (Photograph: Elsa/Getty Pictures)

A 3-time main winner, the participant referred to as “Dumbo” burst onto the scene in 2015 together with her victory on the U.S. Ladies’s Open at Lancaster Nation Membership. Chun’s affection for Lancaster was so nice, that she began the In Gee Chun Lancaster Nation Membership Instructional Basis, which awards instructional scholarships to these in the neighborhood.

Chun has received three completely different main titles.

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