Hailing from South Korea, I came here to achieve my wildest dreams. Thanks to my parents, hard work, and the opportunity given to me by The Epson Tour, I've punched my LPGA Tour card and will get the shot I've been waiting for my whole life — to compete against the best golfers in the world.
The beginning
My golf story started when I was ten years old, playing golf with my father. He was obsessed with the game, and apparently, that love was passed down to me. Starting that early is a big reason I've gotten where I am today.
I was on the fast track to success in golf, with my dad guiding me and pushing me to be my best. Not often do people find their passion and calling in life at such a young age and get a chance to go after that dream.
I'm one of the lucky ones. It's all thanks to my mom and dad.
Coming to America
The dream of playing professional golf manifested itself quite early in my life.
In order to go after that dream, my parents thought it would be best for me to move to America. So, at age 16, I did just that.
My dad thought it would give me independence and prepare me to become a pro and an adult. And he was right.
It was hard not knowing anyone, not speaking much English, and being so young. Everything was new and a struggle. But I was committed to making it work and putting my best foot forward.
That meant going all in on my studies in boarding school and playing as much golf as possible. I was relentless in my pursuit of mastering my sport. I was going to make it, or I was going to make it.
There was no backup plan.
A mother's love
I've already talked a lot about my dad's massive impact on my career, but my mom was just as impactful. In my rookie year on The Epson Tour, everything was a struggle. Being under 25, I couldn't rent a car, so I had to borrow one.
Some hotels didn't feel comfortable letting me stay unsupervised because I was barely over 18, so, motels it was.
All this added extra stress and worry for my parents, so my mother decided to fly to the US and stay with me.
It was such a huge help and relief.
She has already done so much for me, but to put her world on pause to support me was a big sacrifice. It made things so much easier for me and allowed me to stay focused on earning that LPGA Tour card.
Euphoria
Earning my LPGA status this year was such a surreal moment. It didn't even sink in until I started hearing it in interviews. I kept thinking; there must be some kind of error.
Did I really make it?
Yes, I did.
The euphoria I felt gave me an adrenaline rush that legitimately kept me awake for three days. I'm not known as a person to ever really celebrates things. For me, golf is life, and in golf, there isn't much to celebrate because you have to focus on what's next. The next swing, the next hole, the next tourney, et cetera. It's about moving forward always in all ways.
Accomplishing this, though, I had to acknowledge it was special. This was the culmination of everything I've been working for up until now. This 10-year journey has taken me worldwide and pushed me in ways I haven't reflected on or fully understand.
I'm grateful for everything and for a brief moment I allowed myself to take a victory lap at how far I'd come and celebrate what I'd done.
Next stop, LPGA
But now, the fun really begins.
I can't wait to compete with the best golfers and see where I stack up.
It's hard to know what to expect but I'm just going to put in the work, be consistent, and play to my ability.
I'm so grateful for the opportunities I've been given. I hope to be an example to all girls out there that if you work hard, anything is possible. And dreams can, indeed, come true.
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