After returning, he performed well in the KLPGA and advanced to the United States.
“It’s sad to say goodbye to the fans, but you will see growth.”
Yoon Ina (21), who conquered the domestic stage in 2024, officially declared her entry into the LPGA Tour and expressed her desire to win the Rookie of the Year Award.
At a press conference held at the Lunamiele Convention at the CCMM Building in Yeouido, Seoul on the 26th, Yoon Ina said, “After preparing as best as I can, I want to receive the LPGA Tour Rookie of the Year Award next year.”
Yoon Ina, who was suspended from competition in July 2022 after being caught for ‘reporting late play’, returned to the Korea Ladies Professional Golf (KLPGA) tour after completing her disciplinary action this year.
Yoon Ina, who has shown consistent performance by recording ‘top 10’ positions 14 times, including 1 winner, 4 runners-up, and 3 third places, prepared for the challenge of the United States.
Yuna was unstoppable. In the LPGA Tour Qualifying Series (Q Series), which ended on the 11th, she ranked 8th with a final total of 15 under par and 343 strokes, earning the right to participate in the 2025 LPGA Tour, which is given to the top 25 players.
Yoon Eana, who achieved her dream, said, “I started playing golf with my father about 10 years ago, and the LPGA has been my dream for a long time. I was able to get to this point thanks to the help of many people, including fellow players, KLPGA, Hite Jinro, and Titleist.” He said.
There are voices cheering for Yoon Ina, who is confidently heading to a higher place with her skills, but there are still some who are critical.
The KLPGA initially imposed a suspension of 3 years for Ogu’s play, but reduced it to 1 year and 6 months following Yoon Eana’s apology and the wishes of supportive fans.
However, there is also negative public opinion that it is morally unreasonable to play only one season in the KLPGA after returning and then immediately go to the U.S. stage.
Yoon Ina said, “(After my return), I received so much love from domestic fans that I couldn’t express it in words for a year. “I feel sad about leaving my fans behind and going to America, but I think showing myself growing is a way to bring joy to my fans,” he said calmly.
Although Yoon Ina is playing at a top level on the KLPGA stage, there is no guarantee that this will carry over to the LPGA Tour. They have to adapt to new environments such as climate, travel distance, and lifestyle, and they also have to overcome competition with better athletes.
Yoon Ina said, “First, I received advice from my seniors who entered the U.S. that I needed to overcome the difficult times physically. “First of all, I want to adapt well to the new environment,” he said.
He continued, “The players I met at Q School all had such great skills that it was difficult to pick just one person,” and “But my biggest competitor is me.” Only by winning the battle against yourself can you achieve your goal of winning the Rookie of the Year award. “In the long run, I want to be number one in the world,” he emphasized.
Meanwhile, Yoon Ina donated 200 million won in development funds to foster junior players. According to Yoon Ina’s wishes, this fund will be returned to the Korea Golf Association (KGA) and KLPGA, with 100 million won each.
Yoon Ina said, “I hope this fund will be a seed for athletes to grow their dreams.”
(Seoul = News 1)