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Hye Yong Choi was one of three Korean girls
representing South Korea in golf at the Asian Games in 2006.
The Games take place every four years, like the Olympics.
Virtually every sport imaginable is played at these games,
including sports like golf that are not part of the Olympic
games. Countries from all over Asia field teams.
In 2002, the Japanese junior sensation Ai
Miyazato won the individual gold in the women's golf event.
In 2006, South Korea dominated. Choi's teammate So Yeon Ryu
won the individual gold. Choi finished third to capture the
bronze, and also was part of the gold medal winning team along
with Ryu.
Choi had some success as an amateur playing
professional events. In 2007, she did well at the British
Open, although a third round 83 knocked her out of the top
20. Early in June, she made a big splash at the KLPGA's Hill
State Seokyung Open. In fact, after two rounds, she was the
leader, and on Sunday found herself in a fight with Hee Young
Park, Sun Ju Ahn, Eun Hee Ji and Ji Yai Shin, the top four
players on the KLPGA! Not surprisingly, Shin won, but Choi
wound up tied for third, a great result considering the competition.
She also continued to excel in amateur golf.
In 2007, she and Ryu powered the Korean squad to a mind boggling
20 stroke victory in the Queen Sirikit Cup, a women's amateur
team stroke play golf event featuring 13 teams from Pacific
Rim countries. Ryu also won individual honors with a 12 under
par total for the week, with Choi finishing second at 6 under,
6 shots ahead of the third place girl. It was Korea's 10th
win in 30 stagings of the event.
Ryu and Choi both turned pro at the end of
2007, and both joined the KLPGA tour as rookies in 2008. Once
there, the two waged a pitched battle for Rookie of the Year
all season. Ryu drew first blood by capturing an early win,
but Choi collected two second place finishes in her first
four starts to keep things close.
Choi looked like she would finally capture
her maiden win at the KLPGA's Match Play Championship. She
made it all the way to the finals, but lost to a largely unheralded
player named Bo Kyung Kim. It was her third second place finish
of the season.
Choi finally got that win at the Lotte Mart
championship a few weeks later. She followed that up with
another second place finish, and looked poised to overtake
Ryu. But after that, she had a number of off weeks, and Ryu
was once again able to solidify her lead in the rookie race.
But in October, Ryu started to slump, and
Choi surged. She made a huge comeback at the Interburgos Masters
to capture another second place, finished fourth at the Hite
Cup, then finished second the following week at the year's
third Major, losing to Ji Yai Shin in a two hole playoff.
At that event, Choi shot a mid boggling 64 in extremely tough
conditions to set the record for lowest score ever shot by
a rookie on the KLPGA tour (breaking Hee Young Park's old
mark). Her runner up finish also moved her ahead of Ryu in
the Rookie standings. She eventually won that title in the
final event of the season.
At the KLPGA Awards Show, she not only picked
up the Rookie of the Year trophy, she also joined four other
star golfers in a dance number on stage (!). Soon thereafter,
the KLPGA's 2009 season started with the Ladies China Open.
Choi proved she would be tough in her sophomore year by capturing
the title, her second on tour.
As it turned out, however, 2009 was not so
great a season for Choi after that early win. She did collect
5 top tens for the year on the KLPGA, and finished 6th on
the money list, but really only contended a few times all
year. Her best chance to win after China came at the Doosan
Match Play. Like in 2008, she made it all the way to the final.
Her final opponent was none other than arch rival Ryu. They
had a match for the ages. Tied after 18 holes, it took 9 playoff
holes to finally settle things. In the end, after more than
7 hours of play, Ryu won, and would go on to win 4 times on
the season.
Choi did have two bright spots outside of
Korea in 2009. She finished third at the Australian Women's
Open, and tied for 26th at the US Women's Open, her best Major
finish to date.
In 2010, Choi continued to search for her
next victory to no avail. She finished just 24th on the KLPGA
money list with 4 top tens on the season. In the Fall, she
went to Japan's LPGA Qualifying School, where she snagged
a card on that tour for 2011.
Choi played a full schedule on the KLPGA in
2011 despite having JLPGA membership. She was not able to
win, but did produce a runner up finish and three 4th places.
She finished 8th on the tour's money list.
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