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US Women’s Open champ enjoying near perfect season

July 21, 2015

South Korea’s In Gee Chun holds up the championship trophy after winning the U.S. Women’s Open golf tournament at Lancaster Country Club, Sunday, July 12, 2015 in Lancaster, Pa. Chun won by one stroke over second place finisher Amy Yang.(AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

SEOUL, July 21 (Yonhap) — Fresh off her first career LPGA major victory, South Korean golfer Chun In-gee said Tuesday she’s enjoying a near perfect season for herself.

At a press conference in Seoul ahead of a Korean LPGA Tour event, Chun, who captured the U.S. Women’s Open earlier this month, said she’s already accomplished four of the five goals she’d set before the start of the season.

“I’ve won three times on the KLPGA Tour, matching my win total from last year, and I’ve won the match play tournament here, defended a title and then won on the LPGA Tour,” Chun said. “I’ve got one more goal left, but I think you will hear about it later this year after I accomplish it.”

The 20-year-old is having a banner year. The U.S. Women’s Open victory catapulted her to No. 10 on the world rankings. On the KLPGA Tour, she’s ranked first in money with nearly 560 million won (US$482,720), second in scoring, second in putting average, and also second in the Player of the Year points race. She has also notched a victory in Japan, making her the first South Korean player in seven years to win in South Korea, Japan and the United States in the same season.

Chun recently committed to playing on the LPGA Tour full-time starting next year, with the major victory having given her playing privileges.

Before she can set about going after her goal, Chun needs to get her strength back. Right after the U.S. Women’s Open on July 12, Chun flew home to compete in a KLPGA event the following week, and withdrew in the final round, citing fatigue.

“I’d been in a hospital until yesterday; I was dizzy and couldn’t keep anything down,” she said. “But I’ve started to feel better.”

She said the key to her success has been to have fun on and off the course.

“I think the life outside the course is just as important (as my playing career),” Chun added. “If I can keep enjoying myself every tournament and being myself, then I think good results will follow.”