After finishing with a tied result for 12th in the CME Group Tour Championship in Naples, Florida, the two-time event winner Marina Alex announced her retirement from the LPGA Tour.
Alex finished the event’s final competitive round at 6-under-par 66, tying Jennifer Kupcho, Celine Boutier of France, and Jin Young Ko of South Korea. They trailed Thai winner Jeeno Thitikul by ten strokes.
Announcing her retirement, the athlete declared: “It’s always hard to say goodbye… I know this is what I want, and it’s the right decision for me right now. That doesn’t change the fact that this is a life that I built for the last 11 years out here, and golf has been my life since I was a kid. We’re about to enter a new world of a new identity. It’s great, but change is never easy.”
Alex made her LPGA Tour debut in 2013, and the New Jersey native won the Portland Classic in 2018 and the Palos Verdes Championship in 2022.
Moreover, the athlete earned $5 million in her career, including $720,000 this season with five top 10 finishes and 10 top-25 finishes. In her years as an athlete, she placed 35 times in the top 10 and 83 times in the top 25.
Several other players said goodbye to competitive golf this year. Among them were Catriona Matthew of Scotland, So Yeon Ryu of South Korea, Angela Stanford, Mariajo Uribe of Colombia, Laura Davies of England, I.K. Kim of South Korea, Amy Olson, Gerina Piller, and Brittany Lincicome.
At the Japan Classic, Rio Takeda won against American Marina Alex in a six-hole sudden-death play-off to secure her first LPGA tour title.
Due to the unexpected weather on the day of the competition, the play was shortened to 54 regulation holes. The 21-year-old athlete forced a play-off by birdieing the 18th hole, leaving them at 15 under.
The first play-off hole was birdied by both players, and they both found par on the following four holes. However, on the par-five 18th hole, Takeda made a birdie to seal her win and defeat Alex, who could only manage par.
Takeda has earned a tour card as a result of the play-off victory, which was one of the longest in LPGA history. With this, the athlete said: “I was planning to take Q School in December and now I can skip that and go and play next year on the LPGA tour, which is exciting for me now.”
In a social media post, Takeda also stated (translated): “It’s been a long time until the playoffs, but I think we won the championship thanks to everyone who supported us until the end 😆”
The golf phenomenon from South Korea, So Yeon Ryu, announced her decision to leave the professional golf scene next month following an incredible 13-season adventure on the LPGA Tour that included two incredible major wins. Ryu announced the breaking of a significant chapter in women’s golf history in a moving social media message.
Her name is carved among the sport’s best, her unmatched skill and unflinching resolve create an enduring impression on the greens. Fans will always be inspired by Ryu’s legacy, which embodies the spirit of greatness and tenacity in the game of golf, even after he leaves us.
So Yeon Ryu took her Instagram and shared;
As I declare a major turning point in my life—the Chevron Championship is the end of my adventure on the LPGA tour—I stand before you today feeling a mixture of emotions. I am grateful for the chance to follow my love professionally, and as I think back on my decision to retire, I’ve started a sentimental trip through the highs and lows of my career.
All these years have been a treasured chapter in my life, even with the expected hardships. More than everything, I want to express how grateful I am for all of your unfailing love and support over this incredible journey.
Because I really believe that “golf is life,” I’ve embraced the priceless lessons it imparts, like patience, respect, endurance, and more. I’m excited to improve my cherished sport as I prepare for the next stage. I am very grateful to all of my tour companions for your constant support; I can’t wait to see you again in Houston and give you all a hearty hug. Let’s push golf to new heights together.
Ryu wrote; “After deciding to retire, I spent much time looking back on my career,”
“I feel incredibly thankful that I can pursue my passion daily and even turn it into a profession.” Admittedly, there were some difficult times, but overall, I had a great time experiencing everything,” she said to news18.
Ryu: A Beginner Turned Champion
In an incredible feat of skill, Ryu defeated Hee Kyung Seo in a thrilling three-hole playoff to win her first major championship in the 2011 U.S. Women’s Open.hen On her LPGA debut in 2012 she won the coveted Rookie of the Year title, from then on, her ascent to fame only got faster.
Ryu established herself as a formidable competitor throughout the years, placing in the top five at the U.S. Women’s Open six times between 2011 and 2019.
The high point of her career was achieved at the 2017 ANA Inspiration in Mission Hills, California, where she made history again by winning her second major championship by defeating Lexi Thompson in a thrilling playoff match. Ryu’s journey is a monument to her unwavering skill, tenacity, and determination on the course. She boasts an astounding tally of six victories on the LPGA Tour and a stunning 10 victories on the Korean LPGA Tour.
Despite her dedication and perseverance, Alex Eala missed out on qualifying to the main draw round at the Miami Open 2024. However, this outcome made her commit to bounce back bigger and better in her next competitions.
In her last game, the tennis player trailed 6-2, 5-3 against Columbian Emiliana Arango, a high-ranked athlete, in her second qualifying match. Unfortunately, she was defeated with 6-2, 5-7, 1-6 because of severe cramps that affected her movements.
On her social media, she posted: “Thank you Miami. I am disheartened, to say the least, that I had to finish the match being wheeled off the court.”
Regardless of the Miami results, Eala still managed to make a memorable debut at the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) 1000 event, wherein she defeated Italian Sara Errani, who formerly ranked 5th in the world and a 2012 Roland Garros finalist, with 6-3, 6-1.
Eala failed to maintain this kind of momentum against Arango. Nevertheless, she is certain that she will do better in the next elite competitions.
Minjee Lee once again demonstrated her skill as a golfer, setting a record of her own and winning the first round of the Blue Bay LPGA Tour event in China.
Lee, who is vying for her second victory in the $US2.2 million ($A3.4 million) competition, had an impressive performance on Thursday at the Jian Lake Blue Bay Golf Course, shooting a perfect seven-under-par 65. She completed the course with accuracy and expertise without encountering any obstacles, laying the groundwork for what looks to be an interesting and intense competition.
The 2016 event was won by Australia’s strong world No. 5, who made history with a dominant performance that broke three scoring records. Through a masterful display, she managed to score the lowest 36-hole total of 135 and set a new low championship mark of 275 for the first 72 holes. She also shot a magnificent 65 on the first 18 holes.
Minjee Lee’s journey
Minjee Lee began her journey from the 10th tee, setting the stage for her eventual supremacy. She teed off in the morning’s first group. The Asian swing of the tour was coming to an important close, and Lee took the lead right away, making her first birdie on her second hole.
Australia’s world No. 5 dominated the Asian Tour championship match in 2016, winning with a brilliant performance. She began play on the tenth hole and promptly took the lead after making a birdie on the second. Three records were made by her amazing round: the best first 18 holes, which was 65, the 36-hole low total, which was an amazing 135 and the 72-hole low, which was 275, which defined the title. As a golf genius, her unmatched skill and accuracy had a lasting impression on the history of the game.
The 27-year-old golfer made the turn at an incredible four under par after navigating the course with ease and making birdies on the 13th, 15th, and 18th holes. Relentlessly, she persisted in her dominance, making two more birdies on the difficult first and third holes.
After making five straight pars, it appeared as though her momentum could falter, but on the last hole, she made another spectacular birdie to take the lead. Her round, a master class in tenacity and tactical play, concluded in an astounding talent show that astounded onlookers.
After the first round of the Women’s PGA Championship, Lexi Thompson obtained a score of 68 to take a one-shot lead. The American shot a four-under-par round to be one stroke of her fellow countrywoman Nelly Korda and player Patty Tavatanakit from Thailand.
With her success, the athlete stated: “It was overall just a great day… Can’t ask for better weather out there.”
She added: “I played solid golf. Just tried to stay in the moment… There was a lot of tough holes out there, so I just tried to visualize and pick small targets and take advantage of the few birdies that you get out there.”
Highlights of the play
The 29-year-old athlete opened her round with three consecutive birdies and finished with three more in addition to two bogeys. She shot a bogey-free 32 after hitting a faultless front nine, which was rounded off with a 6-foot birdie on the par-3 ninth.
Following a bogey on the tenth hole, Thompson remained composed, collected herself, and recovered to make birdies on the twelfth and fourteenth holes. Although she hadn’t anticipated making another bogey at the sixteenth hole, the seasoned player concluded the round one stroke ahead of Tavatanakit and Korda.
“My approach shots felt great. They felt really good last week, so just trying to simplify things and get in a rhythm with my swing,” Thompson admitted.
It was reported that Thompson, who has won one major since 2014, intends to retire from full-time golf after the 2024 LPGA Tour season.
In other news, 25-year-old Korda is aiming for her second major title of the year and her seventh victory of the year.
Korda said: “Overall, I played pretty well… I think I just had one bogey and one double. If you try to be aggressive when you’ve hit it off line, it just bites you in the butt. So I did on that hole.”
