Korean Hye-Jin Choi may be a 2022 LPGA Tour rookie, but she hasn’t been playing like one. The 22-year-old has five top-10s this year, including a solo third finish at the LOTTE Championship presented by Hoakalei, and her worst finish so far is a T32 at the JTBC Classic presented by Barbasol. And that upward trend has continued this week at the U.S. Women’s Open presented by ProMedica. After opening with an even-par 71, Choi carded a 7-under 64 on Friday at Pine Needles Lodge and Golf Club, a round that saw her make nine birdies and just two bogeys.
“I think I had a chance to make birdies yesterday, but I think my putting was much better today,” said Choi, who needed just 26 putts on Friday and hit 14 of 14 fairways as well as 16 of 18 greens. “Also, thanks to the rain I think the greens were working for me. And that's how I was able to attack and make birdies.”
Though she’s a fresh face on the LPGA Tour, Choi has already been around the block in her young tenure. She has 11 career top-10 finishes on Tour, including a solo second as an amateur at the 2017 U.S. Women’s Open, her best finish in four previous appearances and her best finish in a major championship. She’s an 11-time KLPGA winner, with five of those victories coming in 2019, and currently sits at No. 38 in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings and is No. 16 in the Race to the CME Globe. Those are a lot of accomplishments in a short amount of time to say the least, but they don’t faze Choi one bit and she remains focused on enjoying the walk as she looks ahead to the weekend in Southern Pines.
“I was fairly good when I was an amateur, but once I turned to pro I think I became a more sophisticated and detailed player, and I will continue to work very hard,” said Choi. “I play one by one, and that's how I don't think about everything so that helps when I play one by one. And I have experience being a rookie in Korea so that experience helps. I always try to enjoy as much as I can.”
)
)
)
)
