Prize Money, Grand Prize, Lowest Average Score - Rising as Top Star
Successful Australian Training Camp, Opening Victory as Turning Point
Seoul Hotel Vacation, Japan Tokyo Travel Plan as 'Bonus'
Next Year’s Challenge on US Stage, Lotte Open Participation Announced
In her second year, Lee Ye-won dominated the Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Tour this year. She participated in 29 tournaments, finishing in the ‘Top 10’ thirteen times, including three wins. She ranked first in prize money (1.42482 billion KRW), points for the Player of the Year award (651 points), and average score (70.71 strokes). She is tied for second place behind Lim Jin-hee, who secured four wins. Despite competing only on the domestic tour, her world ranking soared to 34th. In an interview with Asia Economy on the 17th, when asked to summarize this season, Lee Ye-won smiled and said, “It was unstoppable.”
Lee Ye-won secured 3 wins this year, topping the prize money, MVP, and scoring average rankings. Lee Ye-won is showing the number '3' with her fingers. [Photo by SK Shielders·SK Telecom Open]
Lee Ye-won made a spectacular debut on the KLPGA Tour last year. Out of 29 tournaments, she advanced to the final rounds 26 times and finished in the ‘Top 10’ thirteen times. She ranked third in prize money (849.78 million KRW). Due to her outstanding performance, she won the Rookie of the Year award, but she still felt something was missing. She was disappointed by the lack of a victory. She recalled, “My goal this year was to win as soon as possible,” adding, “I didn’t expect to win at the domestic season opener.” Starting with the Lotte Rent-a-Car Women’s Open in April, she collected trophies at the Doosan Construction We’ve Championship in August and the major Hite Jinro Championship in October.
Lee Ye-won cited the Lotte Rent-a-Car Women’s Open as the turning point of this year. She said, “The first tournament is the most memorable. Winning early made everything go smoothly,” and recalled, “Winning the season opener gave me confidence and allowed me to play without pressure.” Two of her three wins this year were on Jeju Island. She smiled and said, “I didn’t have many good memories of Jeju Island since my amateur days, but even though it was very windy during my first win, my shots were good, leading to victory. Now Jeju Island has become the best place that has given me great memories.”
She attributed her transformation this year to training in Australia. From February, she trained for 56 days in Perth, Australia. She analyzed that missing several winning opportunities was due to mistakes in her short game, so she spent her days on the course from sunrise to sunset. Even after dinner, she did weight training, putting practice, and swing drills. She also worked on her mental strength, which had been pointed out as a weakness. She explained, “After completing the training camp in Australia, I gained confidence,” adding, “My short game within 100 meters and play around the greens improved, which led to victories.”
Lee Ye-won balanced exercise and rest appropriately. On her days off, she visited movie theaters. On the 6th, she watched a movie at a theater in Dongtan. She said, “I mainly watch movies to relieve stress. Recently, I watched the comedy film ‘30 Days’ starring Kang Ha-neul and Jeon So-min.” She also watched Japanese animations like ‘Suzume no Tojimari’ and films such as ‘Dream’ starring Seo Jun and IU. Lee Ye-won added, “I often watch movies by my favorite actors or directors.”
Lee Ye-won, who has dominated the domestic stage, said, "Next year, I want to participate in a competition in the United States to explore the possibility of success." [Photo by SK Shielders·SK Telecom Open]
Lee Ye-won’s green play improved this year. Last year, her average number of putts was 30.19 (ranked 18th), and this year it was 29.84 (ranked 13th). She confidently said, “I haven’t checked the records, but I definitely feel my putting has improved.” She also shared her own short putting tips for amateur golfers. Lee Ye-won emphasized, “You have to stroke while thinking about the rhythm in your mind. Head-up is a no-no,” and stressed, “Some golfers look at the hole to check the result out of impatience, but it’s important to keep your head down until the end.” Regarding long putting, she introduced, “As the swing size gets bigger, putting becomes inconsistent. Reducing the swing size through wrist rotation is also a way to improve long putting.”
After finishing the WEMIX Championship, an event tournament held on the 19th at Busan Haeundae Beach Golf & Resort, Lee Ye-won will wrap up her schedule for the year. She plans to reward herself for the hard work over the year. She proudly said, “I plan to rest enough and travel,” adding, “First, I will enjoy a hotel staycation in Seoul.” She continued, “I’m also going on a trip to Tokyo, Japan with a friend,” and said, “The only time I went to Japan was for amateur tournaments. I’ve never been there just for leisure.”
Having conquered the domestic scene, Lee Ye-won is aiming for bigger goals. She plans to challenge the U.S. stage. By winning the Lotte Rent-a-Car Women’s Open this year, she qualified to participate in the LPGA Tour’s Lotte Open held in Hawaii next April. Afterward, she plans to participate in major tournaments such as the U.S. Women’s Open and the Amundi Evian Championship while managing her domestic schedule. Lee Ye-won expressed her determination, saying, “I’m excited to compete in LPGA Tour events,” and “I hope to achieve good results.”
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