[New Challenge] 'Retirement' Yoo So-yeon: "I am only grateful"

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World No. 1 So-yeon Ryu has said her ‘farewell’.

On the 18th (local time), at The Club at Carlton Woods (par 72, 6,824 yards) in The Woodlands, Texas, USA, she played her retirement match at the Chevron Championship, the first major tournament of the 2024 LPGA Tour season with a total prize money of $7.9 million. She said, "I have been contemplating retirement since early 2022. Looking back now, I am filled with gratitude. I played on the tour while receiving so much love," bidding her farewell.

Yoo So-yeon is checking the wind direction at the 13th hole of the first round of the Chevron Championship, her retirement match. [Woodslands, USA = AFP·Yonhap News]

So-yeon Ryu was selected as a national representative when she was 15 years old in the third year of middle school in 2005. She won gold medals in both individual and team events at the 2006 Doha Asian Games. She debuted on the Korean Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Tour in 2008. In the 2009 Doosan Match Play Championship, she showed her clutch performance by winning after a 9-hole playoff. She earned 18 wins across four tours: 10 wins on the KLPGA Tour (including 1 major), 6 wins on the LPGA Tour (including 2 majors), 1 win on the Japan Ladies Professional Golf Association (JLPGA) Tour, and 1 win on the Ladies European Tour (LET).

After a surprise victory at the 2011 U.S. Women’s Open as an invited player, she moved to the LPGA Tour the following year. She won the LPGA Rookie of the Year award in 2012 and the LPGA Player of the Year award in 2017. She also made history as the first Korean player to win national titles in five countries (Korea, USA, Japan, China, Canada). In 2017, she became the third Korean female player, after Shin Ji-ae and Park In-bee, to reach No. 1 in the world rankings. After winning the 2020 Korean Women’s Open, she donated the entire prize money of 250 million won. "I started playing golf at age 8, and now I am 33. My life has truly been with golf. I cannot imagine myself without golf," she said.

When asked about the reason for her retirement, she explained, "After nearly 20 years as a professional, it is natural to feel tired. I realized that being at home felt comfortable." She added, "I felt happy just after getting out of bed in the morning and making coffee. I judged that now is the time to end my career." She continued, "I began to realize that competing was becoming difficult. I felt like I could not compete with anyone anymore."

Yoo So-yeon is sharing joy with her caddy after performing a celebration by falling into the pond immediately after winning the 2017 ANA Inspiration.

Regarding her choice of the Chevron Championship for her retirement match, she said, "This is the tournament where I won my last major in 2017. I wanted to come back and relive all the good memories." At that time, the tournament was held under the name ANA Inspiration. Following the tournament tradition, So-yeon Ryu performed the ceremony of jumping into ‘Poppie’s Pond.’ "At this tournament, past champions have a dinner, and many legendary golfers like Juli Inkster (USA) attend. Without them, it would have been impossible for me to play on the LPGA Tour for 12 years. I wanted to meet them in person and express my gratitude."

So-yeon Ryu succeeded not only in Korea but also in the United States. She competed to win major championships and enter the Hall of Fame. One regret during her career was not being able to participate in the Olympics. She said, "I always wanted to compete in the Olympics, but I never got the chance." She named the 2011 U.S. Women’s Open as the most precious tournament. She reached the top after a playoff battle with Seo Hee-kyung. She smiled and said, "Three years ago, when I went to Australia, I heard that watching the U.S. Women’s Open was the reason someone got hooked on the LPGA Tour. I was proud to know that I contributed something to the LPGA Tour."

Yoo So-yeon recalled, "I am so glad I played golf. I was truly happy and grateful."

She attributed her fame through golf to patience. "A professional player must have patience. Sometimes, even if you train hard, results do not come," she said. "It takes time to see the results, so you need a lot of patience over a long period. If you work hard, you will eventually reap good rewards." Of course, there were many disappointing moments. After her last win at the 2018 Meijer LPGA Classic, she disappeared from the top of the leaderboard. "What I regret is that I did not enjoy golf. Even after winning and reaching No. 1 in the world rankings, I kept worrying. This will remain a regret," she said.

So-yeon Ryu balanced training and rest. This is the secret to her 16-year longevity as a professional player. She especially soothed her tired mind by playing the piano and listening to music. "Music helps me enjoy life more. When I am very stressed, I play the piano. The violin is a very sensitive instrument, so if you don’t practice, it becomes terrible. I am a perfectionist. (smiling) These days, I play the piano more than the violin," she said.

She also did not forget to give advice to juniors challenging the U.S. stage. "First, if you want to be the best, you must give 100% effort. You have to pour everything you have," she said. "Even if you fail to achieve your goal, you can be proud of yourself. Even if you don’t reach your goal, you can think about how to become a better golfer," she advised.

Yoo So-yeon, who chose to retire, plans to engage in various activities for juniors, including golf course design.

She plans various activities after retirement. Recently, she signed a promotional ambassador contract with Titleist. She will equip Titleist clubs, equipment, clothing, and hats. She also intends to actively support juniors. She expressed her ambition, saying, "I want to help junior golfers become better golfers. I want to make the tournament environment better." So-yeon Ryu is very interested in golf course architecture. "If I get the opportunity to design a golf course, it would be truly amazing," she said emphatically.