Team GolfXYZ
Korean Ryu So-yeon returned to the winners’ circle winning the Kia Motors Korea Women’s Open, her first start since before the outbreak of coronavirus. Immediately after that she announced that she was donating her prize purse of 250 million won, equivalent of $206,000, to relief funds.
She shot rounds of 66-67-71-72 for a total of 12-under 276 at the Bear’s Best CheongNa Golf Club in Incheon on Sunday.
While there have been a number of LPGA Tour players competing on KLPGA while the LPGA has been postponed, this was Ryu’s first outing since the coronavirus outbreak.
Ryu was quoted in a Korean DailyKorea JoongAng Daily, saying, “I thought of donating since last night. Before the awards ceremony, I called my mom. I told her that I’m going to make the announcement so don’t get too surprised. She was just as happy I was. Since this tournament has a lot of meaning to me and I thought that I may be able to play better if I had a positive goal, I came up with it last night.”
The highly successful Korean’s biggest win was the 2011 US Women’s Open. Ryu’s last victory on the LPGA Tour was at the Meijer LPGA Classic in June 2018. On the KLPGA Tour, this is her first win since August 2015.
Ryu has also won the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open in 2014, Japan Women’s Open Golf Championship in 2018 and the World Ladies Championship of the Ladies European Tour in 2015.
Aside from Ryu, there were other top LPGA golfers in the field. Kim Hyo-joo was runner-up at 11 under par, 277; Kim Sei-young tied for fourth at nine under par, 279, and Ko Jin-Young was sixth with a four-day total of six under par, 282. Lee Jeong-eun finished tied for ninth at four under par, 285.
The Kia Motors Korea Women’s Open was held without fans, but it was televised in nine countries outside of Korea.The KLPGA Tour will continue its season at the BC Card Hankyung Ladies Cup 2020 at Fourtune Hills in Pocheon, Gyeonggi, starting from June 25 to 28.
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