Sung Yujin Makes a Spectacular Comeback Under the Lights: "I Am the Major Queen"

Victory at HiteJinro Championship After Four Playoff Holes
Fourth Career Win in Two Years, Takes Home 270 Million Won
Bitter Experience on LPGA Tour Last Year, Returns to Korea This Season
"No More Regrets About the U.S. Tour"

A spectacular comeback. Sung Yujin has claimed the title of major queen.

On September 28, at Blue Heron Golf Club (par 72, 6,779 yards) in Yeoju, Gyeonggi Province, Sung Yujin defeated Noh Seunghee after four playoff holes in the final major tournament of the Korean Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Tour season, the HiteJinro Championship, which had a total prize fund of 1.5 billion won. This marks her fourth career victory, coming two years after her last win at the S-OIL Championship in November 2023. It is her first major tournament victory. She received a winner’s prize of 270 million won. Sung Yujin has now risen to 7th in the money rankings (720.52 million won) and 9th in the Player of the Year points (288 points).

Sung Yujin started the final round in second place, one stroke behind the leader, and carded a 3-under-par 69 with four birdies and one bogey. She finished with a total score of 10-under-par 278, tying with Noh Seunghee, which led to a playoff on the 18th hole (par 5). The first three playoff holes ended with birdie-par-par, failing to determine a winner, but on the fourth playoff hole, Sung Yujin sank a two-meter birdie putt to finally clinch the victory after a long battle.

Sung Yujin is cheering immediately after winning the major tournament HiteJinro Championship. Photo by KLPGA

Sung Yujin had not been in perfect condition recently. She injured her wrist at the Hana Financial Group Championship last week. The pain was severe enough that she continued to receive treatment and played this tournament while icing her wrist. On this day, the final round was delayed by about two hours due to heavy rain, resulting in the playoff being played under floodlights. This was the first time in nine years that a KLPGA Tour event held a playoff under lights, the last being the Phantom Classic in 2016, when Hong Jinju won.

Sung Yujin debuted on the regular tour in 2019 but did not achieve notable results at first. Her peers born in 2000-Lim Heejeong, Cho Ahyeon, and Park Hyunkyung-collected trophies and enjoyed early success, while Sung Yujin only claimed her first victory in her fourth year as a pro in 2022. However, she then turned things around, adding two more wins and becoming the first to advance to the United States Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tour in 2024.

After the 2023 season, she passed the LPGA Tour Qualifying (Q) School tied for 7th place. However, she did not perform as well as expected. Last year, she finished in the top 10 only twice on the LPGA Tour and ranked 81st in the CME Race points, prompting her return to the domestic tour for this season. She struggled somewhat in the early part of the season, but after recording six top-10 finishes since May, she finally made a brilliant comeback with this victory.

Sung Yujin is kissing the trophy immediately after winning the major tournament HiteJinro Championship. Photo by KLPGA

In a post-win interview, Sung Yujin said, "It was a long day, but I’m glad I could end it with a victory," and added, "I’m even happier because this is my first major tournament win since returning." She continued, "Actually, not long ago, I played a night round under the lights. My friends invited me, but I didn’t want to go. They said, 'You never know what might happen,' and insisted I join them. That turned out to be lucky," she said with a big smile.

She experienced a lot of stress after returning to Korea. "I got stressed every time I heard people ask why I came back or why my results weren’t good," Sung Yujin said. "When I first returned, I felt pressured about whether I could do well, but as time went by, I was able to play more comfortably."

She said she has no lingering regrets about playing in the United States. Sung Yujin explained, "Going to the United States without thorough preparation was the cause of my struggles," and confessed, "I realized that I needed support from those around me more than just good performance. I also suffered injuries and had to keep taking medication for muscle pain and neuralgia." She added, "I joined the LPGA Tour because I thought I might regret it later if I didn’t try then. But now, I have no regrets. Unless I win an LPGA Tour event held in Korea, I have no intention of returning to the United States by going through qualifying school again."

Sung Yujin is celebrating by drinking beer from the trophy right after winning the major tournament HiteJinro Championship. Photo by KLPGA

Noh Seunghee had a chance to claim her second win of the season, three months after the The Heaven Masters in June, but could not overcome the final hurdle. Noh Seunghee firmly maintained her lead in the money rankings and rose to second in the Player of the Year points. Bang Shinsil, who has won three times this year, finished strong in third place (7-under-par 281). Yoo Hyeonjo, who leads the Player of the Year points, lost three strokes and finished the tournament in sixth place (3-under-par 285). LPGA Tour rookie Yoon Ina collapsed with an 8-over-par 80, dropping from a tie for 15th the previous day to a tie for 44th (10-over-par 298).