‘Rabbit Year’ Choi Nayeon "I Should Meet a Good Person and Get Married"

Choi Na-yeon Field Retirement 'Start of Second Life'
Travel to Japan and Thailand, Active YouTuber Activities
Lesson and Broadcasting Concerns "I Have to Give Back as Much as I Received"

Choi Na-yeon is planning her second life while traveling after retirement. Photo by Choi Na-yeon

[Asia Economy Reporter No Woo-rae] "I am having a great time playing."

This is the recent status of Choi Na-yeon, the ‘Year of the Rabbit’ who retired last year. After giving up the club, Choi Na-yeon, who traveled to Tokyo, Japan, and Bangkok, Thailand, said, "I plan not to be impatient about the future," adding, "I am thinking about ways to give back the love I received through golf." She continued, "The 18 years I spent as a professional player passed by really quickly," and expressed her wish, "I want to be remembered by fans as a consistent player."

Choi Na-yeon was a leading figure in Korean women's golf. After winning 5 times on the Korean Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Tour and 9 times on the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tour in the United States, she retired from active competition last November after the SK Shielders·SK Telecom Championship. Her last victory was at the Arkansas Championship in June 2016. Choi Na-yeon said, "I would give my career an 80 out of 100. It’s a pity that I couldn’t win at the end," expressing regret, "I tried many things and worked hard, but the results didn’t come."

Choi Na-yeon became a ‘major queen’ by winning the 2012 U.S. Women’s Open. The tournament she remembers most vividly is the Evian Championship in July 2008. Leading by three strokes with four holes to go on the final day, her shots suddenly faltered, resulting in consecutive bogeys on two holes, and she ultimately lost in a three-hole playoff to veteran Helen Alfredsson of Sweden. She missed out on the trophy she had nearly secured during her rookie season. Choi Na-yeon recalled, "I can’t forget the major win at the U.S. Women’s Open, but I think the Evian Championship changed my golf life," adding, "If I had won then, I might not have accumulated as many wins. I realized that golf is a sport that cannot be taken lightly."

Choi Na-yeon is enjoying a good time with close friends including Lee Bo-mi, Yoo So-yeon, Park In-bi, Lee Jeong-eun 5, and Kim Ha-neul (from the center of the bottom row clockwise). Photo by Choi Na-yeon

Choi Na-yeon has a good personality, which is why she has many friends around her. Among her close friends are ‘Golf Empress’ Park In-bee, Lee Bo-mi, Kim Ha-neul, Lee Jeong-eun 5, and Yoo So-yeon. She also has strong ties with volleyball players. ‘Volleyball Empress’ Kim Yeon-koung has been a longtime friend. Choi Na-yeon said, "Yeon-koung is currently playing this season, so I haven’t been able to meet her in person," adding, "Since the V-League is ongoing, I plan to go to the volleyball stadium to cheer."

These days, Choi Na-yeon often goes on dates. She is looking to meet a good person. She said, "I want to get married, but I don’t have a boyfriend right now. There are also arranged meetings set up by elders, but they feel a bit burdensome," laughing, "Doctors and prosecutors come to these meetings, so it’s a bit difficult. I hope to get married after spending time comfortably like friends."

Choi Na-yeon has been active as a YouTuber early on. She launched a channel called ‘NayeonIsBack’ in December 2019. As of the 2nd, the number of subscribers has surpassed 285,000. Choi Na-yeon said, "I didn’t expect it to grow this quickly," adding, "I’m just grateful for all the interest." After returning to Korea, she also formed a new filming team. She boasted, "Until now, I filmed a lot by myself, so the quality of the content was lacking," and said, "Now I can create higher-quality programs."

Among the content, lessons are popular. Choi Na-yeon said, "Many people enjoy watching them," and added, "I also feel a sense of accomplishment teaching junior players." She emphasized, "If possible, I hope players currently competing on the KLPGA Tour would appear on the YouTube channel," adding, "Showing a relaxed side to golf fans would help revitalize the tour."

Choi Na-yeon is contemplating her future. She is thinking a lot about what kind of work she should do. She explained, "I can’t just rest and play from now on," and said, "I am carefully approaching what kind of work suits me." She concluded, "I haven’t decided whether lessons or broadcasting is better. I won’t be impatient. I will seriously think about my future slowly."