Yu Hae-ran (21), a professional golfer with a solid physique standing at 1m70cm, will play on the LPGA tour starting next year.
Yoo Hae-ran reduced 4 strokes in the final 8th round of the LPGA Tour Qualifying (Q) Series, which ended on the 12th (Korean time) at Highland Oaks Golf Course in Doseon, Alabama, USA, and took first place with a total of 29 under par 545 strokes. Out of 100 participants, he proudly embraced the joy of passing the top spot.
The Q Series is a kind of entrance test for players who do not have an LPGA tour card, with a ticket to participate in the next season. 100 people from all over the world compete for 8 rounds over 2 weeks to determine superiority and inferiority. If you are in the top 20, you will receive a card, and from 21st to 45th you will receive a conditional card and a ticket to the second part tour (Epson Tour). Places 46-75 qualify for the second part of the tour.
Yoo Hae-ran, who started the first round in a tie for 61st with a 1-over par, improved her ranking as time passed. He finished round 4, the last of week 1, at 12 under par for 6th place. Yu Hae-ran, who had finished adapting to the course, began to show his potential in the second week. In the 5th round, he only caught 2 birdies without bogey, and in the 6th round, he entered the lead by reducing 5 strokes with a lucky shot eagle. 토토사이트 Then, in the 7th round, he caught 6 birdies and jumped to the lead by 2 strokes alone, then reduced 4 strokes with 6 birdies and 2 bogeys in the final round to keep first place. As a result, Yoo Hae-ran was named as the top passer of the Q series following Annarin (26) last year. Among Koreans, it is the third highest pass ever, including Lee Jung-eun 6 (26) in 2018.
Yoo Hae-ran, born in 2001, won a silver medal in the team event with Lim Hee-jung (22) and Jeong Yoon-ji (22) at the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games, which she participated in as a sophomore in high school. The following year, in May 2019, high school student Yoo Hae-ran, who entered the professional league, participated in the Jeju Samdasoo Masters of the Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Tour held three months later as a recommended player and won a surprise victory. In 2020, he achieved the best performance among his rookies and was named Rookie of the Year.
Yoo Hae-ran, who recorded 5 wins on the KLPGA Tour, challenged the LPGA Tour with the dream of playing on a wider stage. Then he took first place in the Q Series and pioneered his new golf life. Yoo Hae-ran and Park Geum-gang (21), who is the same age as him, also tied for ninth place with a total of 20 under par, so they will play on the LPGA Tour from next year.
Yoo Hae-ran said, “I played a better game than yesterday. I was a little nervous at the beginning and missed a few putts, but soon I caught a birdie and got on the rise,” he said. “As a Korean, I am proud that I won the Q Series for two consecutive years. I am delighted to be playing on the best tour in the world.”
Yoo Hae-ran, former KLPGA Rookie of the Year, will challenge the LPGA Tour Rookie of the Year next year. Korea has produced the LPGA Rookie of the Year for five consecutive years, starting with Kim Se-young (29) in 2015, Jeon In-ji (28) in 2016, Park Seong-hyun (29) in 2017, Ko Jin-young (27) in 2018, and Lee Jeong-eun in 2019. In 2020, due to the aftermath of Corona 19, the Rookie of the Year could not be selected. Last year and this year, Thailand’s Patty Tawatanakit (23) and Ataya Titikkun (19) won the rookie of the year. Yoo Hae-ran said, “I didn’t know that I would get a ticket to the LPGA Tour so quickly. He is looking forward to playing with some of the best players in the world. I will make up for the lacking parts such as putting for the rest of the period.”