Na Yeon Choi
Encyclopedia
Na Yeon Choi is a South Korea
n female professional golfer
playing on the U.S.-based LPGA Tour.
(KLPGA), beating future Hall-of-Famer Se Ri Pak
by four strokes. Choi turned professional shortly thereafter, in November 2004. She won once each year on the KLPGA Tour in 2004 through 2007.
in the fall of 2007, but finished two shots shy of earning a fully exempt Tour card for the 2008
season. Her non-exempt card meant she was not automatically eligible for every event, yet her high conditional status and consistent good play put her in nearly every tournament. She won over $1 million and finished 11th on the 2008 money list with nine top-10 finishes in 27 events played. She finished second in the LPGA Rookie of the Year race, just behind winner Yani Tseng
.
In 2009
, Choi won twice on the LPGA Tour. In October she won the 20-player Samsung World Championship
. Two weeks later she won the Hana Bank-KOLON Championship, an event co-sanctioned with the KLPGA. Her third LPGA Tour win came in July 2010
at the Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic
at which she beat three other players on the second hole of a sudden-death playoff. In 2010, Choi was both the LPGA Tour money leader and the leading scorer (Vare Trophy).
LPGA Tour playoff record (1-2)
DNP = did not play
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" tied
Green background for a win. Yellow background for a top-10 finish.
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
n female professional golfer
Professional golfer
In golf the distinction between amateurs and professionals is rigorously maintained. An amateur who breaches the rules of amateur status may lose his or her amateur status. A golfer who has lost his or her amateur status may not play in amateur competitions until amateur status has been reinstated;...
playing on the U.S.-based LPGA Tour.
Amateur career
At age 17 in 2004, Choi won the ADT CAPS Invitational on the LPGA of Korea TourLPGA of Korea Tour
The LPGA of Korea Tour is a South Korean professional golf tour for women. LPGA stands for Ladies Professional Golf Association; it is the independent LPGA of Korea which runs this tour, not the American LPGA...
(KLPGA), beating future Hall-of-Famer Se Ri Pak
Se Ri Pak
Pak Se Ri is a South Korean professional golfer, playing on the LPGA Tour. She was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in November 2007.-Career overview:...
by four strokes. Choi turned professional shortly thereafter, in November 2004. She won once each year on the KLPGA Tour in 2004 through 2007.
Professional career
In 2007, Choi played in the Hana Bank-KOLON Championship, an event co-sponsored by the LPGA and KLPGA Tours, and finished eighth. She attended LPGA Qualifying TournamentQualifying school
In professional golf the term qualifying school is used for the annual qualifying tournaments for leading golf tours such as the U.S. based PGA and LPGA Tours and the European Tour. A fixed number of players in the event win membership of the tour for the following season, otherwise known as a...
in the fall of 2007, but finished two shots shy of earning a fully exempt Tour card for the 2008
2008 LPGA Tour
The 2008 LPGA Tour was a series of weekly golf tournaments for elite female golfers from around the world that took place from February through December 2008. The tournaments were sanctioned by the United States based Ladies Professional Golf Association...
season. Her non-exempt card meant she was not automatically eligible for every event, yet her high conditional status and consistent good play put her in nearly every tournament. She won over $1 million and finished 11th on the 2008 money list with nine top-10 finishes in 27 events played. She finished second in the LPGA Rookie of the Year race, just behind winner Yani Tseng
Yani Tseng
Yani Tseng is a Taiwanese professional golfer currently playing on the U.S.-based LPGA Tour. She is the youngest player ever, male or female, to win five major championships and is currently ranked number 1 in the Women's World Golf Rankings....
.
In 2009
2009 LPGA Tour
The 2009 LPGA Tour was a series of weekly golf tournaments for elite female golfers from around the world that took place from February through November 2009. The tournaments were sanctioned by the United States based Ladies Professional Golf Association ....
, Choi won twice on the LPGA Tour. In October she won the 20-player Samsung World Championship
Samsung World Championship
The Samsung World Championship was an annual golf tournament played between 1980 and 2009, for professional female golfers on the LPGA Tour. It was a limited field event, open by invitation only....
. Two weeks later she won the Hana Bank-KOLON Championship, an event co-sanctioned with the KLPGA. Her third LPGA Tour win came in July 2010
2010 LPGA Tour
The 2010 LPGA Tour was a series of weekly golf tournaments for elite female golfers from around the world that began in Thailand on February 13, 2010 and ended in Florida on December 5, 2010...
at the Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic
Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic
Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic, in full the Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic Presented by Kroger, is an annual golf tournament for professional female golfers on the LPGA Tour...
at which she beat three other players on the second hole of a sudden-death playoff. In 2010, Choi was both the LPGA Tour money leader and the leading scorer (Vare Trophy).
LPGA Tour (5)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | To par | Margin of victory |
Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 20 Sep 2009 2009 LPGA Tour The 2009 LPGA Tour was a series of weekly golf tournaments for elite female golfers from around the world that took place from February through November 2009. The tournaments were sanctioned by the United States based Ladies Professional Golf Association .... |
Samsung World Championship Samsung World Championship The Samsung World Championship was an annual golf tournament played between 1980 and 2009, for professional female golfers on the LPGA Tour. It was a limited field event, open by invitation only.... |
71-67-63-71=272 | –16 | 1 stroke |  Ai MiyazatoAi Miyazato is a Japanese professional golfer who currently competes on the U.S.-based LPGA Tour and the Japan LPGA Tour . She was the top-ranked golfer in the Women's World Golf Rankings for three periods of time in 2010.-Early life and amateur career:... |
| 2 | 1 Nov 2009 2009 LPGA Tour The 2009 LPGA Tour was a series of weekly golf tournaments for elite female golfers from around the world that took place from February through November 2009. The tournaments were sanctioned by the United States based Ladies Professional Golf Association .... |
Hana Bank-KOLON Championship | 68-71-67=206 | –10 | 1 stroke |  Yani TsengYani Tseng Yani Tseng is a Taiwanese professional golfer currently playing on the U.S.-based LPGA Tour. She is the youngest player ever, male or female, to win five major championships and is currently ranked number 1 in the Women's World Golf Rankings.... ,  Maria HjorthMaria Hjorth Maria Anna "Mimmi" Hjorth is a Swedish professional golfer. She attended the University of Stirling in Scotland. She won more than twenty amateur titles including the 1995 European Ladies Amateur Championship. She turned professional in 1996 and played mainly on the Ladies European Tour that year... |
| 3 | 4 Jul 2010 2010 LPGA Tour The 2010 LPGA Tour was a series of weekly golf tournaments for elite female golfers from around the world that began in Thailand on February 13, 2010 and ended in Florida on December 5, 2010... |
Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic, in full the Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic Presented by Kroger, is an annual golf tournament for professional female golfers on the LPGA Tour... |
64-67-68-71=270 | –14 | Playoff |  In-Kyung Kim,  Christina KimChristina Kim Christina Kim is an American professional golfer currently playing on the LPGA Tour and on the Ladies European Tour . From San Jose, California, she is known for her animated style of play, flamboyant dress, and outgoing personaliity.Not long after her 18th birthday, Kim turned pro... Song-Hee KimSong-Hee Kim Song-Hee Kim is a Korean female professional golfer currently playing on the United States-based LPGA Tour.-Futures Tour :*2006 Louisiana Pelican Classic, IOS Golf Classic, Aurora Health Care Championship, CIGNA Chip in For A Cure FUTURES Golf Classic, The Gettysburg Championship-Results in LPGA... |
| 4 | 31 Oct 2010 2010 LPGA Tour The 2010 LPGA Tour was a series of weekly golf tournaments for elite female golfers from around the world that began in Thailand on February 13, 2010 and ended in Florida on December 5, 2010... |
LPGA Hana Bank Championship | 69-68-69=206 | –10 | 2 strokes | Vicky Hurst Vicky Hurst Vicky Hurst is an American professional golfer currently playing on the LPGA Tour.She turned professional as a 17-year-old in 2008, while still in high school. Playing on the Futures Tour that year, she won five times and set a Tour record for single season earnings with $93,107.-Childhood and... |
| 5 | 16 Oct 2011 2011 LPGA Tour The 2011 LPGA Tour was a series of weekly golf tournaments for elite female golfers from around the world that began in Thailand on February 17, 2011 and had its last official event end on November 20, 2011 in Florida... |
Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia The Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia is a women's professional golf tournament on the LPGA Tour. It was played for the first time in October 2010 at the Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.... |
66-68-67-68=269 | –15 | 1 stroke | Yani Tseng Yani Tseng Yani Tseng is a Taiwanese professional golfer currently playing on the U.S.-based LPGA Tour. She is the youngest player ever, male or female, to win five major championships and is currently ranked number 1 in the Women's World Golf Rankings.... |
LPGA Tour playoff record (1-2)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2008 | Evian Masters Evian Masters The Evian Masters is a women's professional golf tournament played at the Evian Masters Golf Club in Évian-les-Bains, France each July.Founded in 1994 on the Ladies European Tour, it is one of two major championships on the LET. Not a major on the LPGA Tour, it became an LPGA co-sanctioned event in... |
Helen Alfredsson Helen Alfredsson Helen Christine Alfredsson is a Swedish professional golfer who plays primarily on the U.S. based LPGA Tour and is also a life member of the Ladies European Tour.-Amateur career:...  Angela ParkAngela Park Angela Park is a Brazilian-American professional golfer currently playing on the LPGA Tour. She holds dual citizenship in Brazil and the United States.-Childhood and personal life:... |
Alfredsson won with birdie on third extra hole Park eliminated with birdie on first hole |
| 2 | 2010 | Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic, in full the Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic Presented by Kroger, is an annual golf tournament for professional female golfers on the LPGA Tour... |
In-Kyung Kim, Christina Kim Christina Kim Christina Kim is an American professional golfer currently playing on the LPGA Tour and on the Ladies European Tour . From San Jose, California, she is known for her animated style of play, flamboyant dress, and outgoing personaliity.Not long after her 18th birthday, Kim turned pro... Song-Hee KimSong-Hee Kim Song-Hee Kim is a Korean female professional golfer currently playing on the United States-based LPGA Tour.-Futures Tour :*2006 Louisiana Pelican Classic, IOS Golf Classic, Aurora Health Care Championship, CIGNA Chip in For A Cure FUTURES Golf Classic, The Gettysburg Championship-Results in LPGA... |
Won with birdie on second extra hole |
| 3 | 2011 | Safeway Classic Safeway Classic The Safeway Classic is an annual golf tournament for professional female golfers on the LPGA Tour. Founded in 1972, the 54-hole event takes place every year in the Portland, Oregon area and is the oldest continuous event on the LPGA Tour. Tournament Golf Foundation has managed the tournament since... |
 Suzann PettersenSuzann Pettersen Suzann Pettersen is a Norwegian professional golfer. She plays mainly on the U.S.-based LPGA Tour, and is also a member of the Ladies European Tour. Her career best world ranking is second. She has held that position at several times, most recently beginning 22 August 2011.-Amateur... |
Lost to par on first extra hole |
KLPGA Tour (7)
- 2004 (1) ADT CAPS Invitational
- 2005 (1) Lake Side Ladies Open
- 2006 (1) KB Star Tour in Hampyung
- 2007 (1) Shinsegye Cup KLPGA Championship
- 2009 (1) Hana Bank-KOLON Championship (co-sanctioned with LPGALPGAThe LPGA, in full the Ladies Professional Golf Association, is an American organization for female professional golfers. The organization, whose headquarters is in Daytona Beach, Florida, is best known for running the LPGA Tour, a series of weekly golf tournaments for elite female golfers from...
) - 2010 (1) LPGA Hana Bank Championship (co-sanctioned with LPGALPGAThe LPGA, in full the Ladies Professional Golf Association, is an American organization for female professional golfers. The organization, whose headquarters is in Daytona Beach, Florida, is best known for running the LPGA Tour, a series of weekly golf tournaments for elite female golfers from...
) - 2011 (1) Hanwha Finance Network Classic
Results in LPGA majors
| Tournament | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kraft Nabisco Championship Kraft Nabisco Championship The Kraft Nabisco Championship is one of the four major championships on the LPGA Tour. It was founded in 1972 by Dinah Shore and has been classified as a major since 1983... |
DNP | T6 | T40 | T27 | T47 |
| LPGA Championship LPGA Championship The LPGA Championship, currently known for sponsorship reasons as the Wegmans LPGA Championship, is the second-longest running tournament in the history of the Ladies Professional Golf Association surpassed only by the U.S. Women's Open. It is one of four majors on the LPGA tour... |
DNP | T18 | 8 | CUT | T43 |
| U.S. Women's Open | CUT | T19 | T9 | T2 | CUT |
| Women's British Open Women's British Open The Women's British Open is a leading event in women's professional golf and the only tournament which is classified as a major championship by both the Ladies European Tour and the LPGA Tour. Since 2007, it has been called the Ricoh Women's British Open, for sponsorship reasons... |
DNP | T21 | T8 | T3 | T7 |
DNP = did not play
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" tied
Green background for a win. Yellow background for a top-10 finish.
LPGA Tour career summary
| Year | Tournaments played | Cuts made | Wins | 2nds | 3rds | Top 10s | Best finish | Earnings ($ United States dollar The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies.... ) | Money list rank | Scoring average | Scoring rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 2005 LPGA Tour The 2005 LPGA Tour was a series of weekly golf tournaments for elite female golfers from around the world which took place from February through December 2005. The tournaments were sanctioned by the United States based Ladies Professional Golf Association... |
2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | T14 | 18,136 | n/a | 73.80 | n/a |
| 2006 2006 LPGA Tour The 2006 LPGA Tour was a series of weekly golf tournaments for elite female golfers from around the world which took place from February through December 2006. The tournaments were sanctioned by the United States based Ladies Professional Golf Association... |
2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | T11 | 29,113 | n/a | 72.17 | n/a |
| 2007 2007 LPGA Tour The 2007 LPGA Tour was a series of weekly golf tournaments for elite female golfers from around the world that took place from February through December 2007. The tournaments were sanctioned by the United States based Ladies Professional Golf Association... |
3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | T8 | 27,899 | n/a | 75.00 | n/a |
| 2008 2008 LPGA Tour The 2008 LPGA Tour was a series of weekly golf tournaments for elite female golfers from around the world that took place from February through December 2008. The tournaments were sanctioned by the United States based Ladies Professional Golf Association... |
27 | 27 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 9 | T2 | 1,095,759 | 11 | 71.10 | 8 |
| 2009 2009 LPGA Tour The 2009 LPGA Tour was a series of weekly golf tournaments for elite female golfers from around the world that took place from February through November 2009. The tournaments were sanctioned by the United States based Ladies Professional Golf Association .... |
26 | 26 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 11 | 1 | 1,341,078 | 6 | 70.51 | 7 |
| 2010 2010 LPGA Tour The 2010 LPGA Tour was a series of weekly golf tournaments for elite female golfers from around the world that began in Thailand on February 13, 2010 and ended in Florida on December 5, 2010... |
23 | 22 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 15 | 1 | 1,871,166 | 1 | 69.87 | 1 |
| 2011 2011 LPGA Tour The 2011 LPGA Tour was a series of weekly golf tournaments for elite female golfers from around the world that began in Thailand on February 17, 2011 and had its last official event end on November 20, 2011 in Florida... |
21 | 20 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 12 | 1 | 1,357,382 | 3 | 70.53 | 2 |
- official as of 21 November 2011