With the COVID-19 Coronavirus putting a temporary halt on the LPGA 2020 season, I thought this would be a good time to showcase some of the great players on the tour.
I have chosen one of my favorite players. She is one of the most consistent players on the LPGA Tour and is one of the most approachable. She is always happy to sign anything put in front of her, or take a picture with you. There is no “diva” in this lady and she is always wearing a smile. My choice is So Yeon Ryu (pronounced as ‘So-Yun-You’).
Born: 6/29/90
Hometown: Seoul, South Korea
Resides: Irving, Texas
Rookie Year: 2012 (Had already won the U.S. Women’s Open in 2011 as a non-LPGA player).
2019 Earnings: $815,758 (23rd on official LPGA money list).
So Yeon has won 6 times on the LPGA tour (including 2 Major Championships):
- 2011 U.S. Women’s Open
- 2012 Jamie Farr Toledo Classic
- 2014 Canadian Pacific Women’s Open.
- 2017 ANA Inspiration
- 2017 Walmart NW Arkansas Championship
- 2018 Meijer LPGA Classic
She has a history of playing her best golf in major championships. Here are her best finishes in each of the five LPGA majors:
- ANA Inspiration – Finished 1st in 2017
- KPMG Women’s PGA Championship – Finished 2nd in 2018
- U.S. Women’s Open – Finished 1st in 2011
- Ricoh Women’s British Open – Finished 3rd in 2015 and 2018
- The Evian Championship – Finished 2nd in 2016
And a remarkable record of finishing in the top ten in her career.
- 198 career starts
- 188 cuts made (94.9%)
- 87 top ten finishes (43.9%)
So Yeon Ryu started 2020 with career earnings of $10,915,457 (13th on the all-time LPGA money list)
Other Career Highlights
- Shot a career-low 61 in the second round of her winning performance at the 2017 Walmart NW Arkansas Championship.
- 2017 Co- Rolex Player of the Year.
- Three-time member of Team Korea at the UL International Crown (2014, 2016, 2018), posting a 9-2-1 overall record.
- 2012 Louise Suggs Rookie of the Year.
Tony
All photographs of So Yeon Ryu taken by our LPGA photographer Ben Harpring. Follow Ben on Instagram at instagram.com/benharpringmedia.
