“I think it’s only when I’m older that it works”
“I definitely feel stronger in the fall,” Sooji Kim, dubbed the “Autumn Queen” for winning all four of her titles in September and October, said at a press conference after winning the third major of the season, the Hanwha Classic, on Sept. 27.
“I knew it was fall a while ago. People told me that there was a cool breeze around me and that fall had arrived, and I actually felt a cool breeze during my practice round at this tournament, so I was looking forward to it,” she smiled.
When asked if the nickname “Autumn Queen” meant that she was weak in the spring and summer, she replied, “I think everyone struggles in hot weather,” and “I think I’m just a late bloomer.
Kim, however, admitted that the first half of the season, from spring to summer, was not without its challenges.
Last year’s winner of the grand prize and the top stroke average, Kim had five top-10 finishes in 15 tournaments leading up to this event, but she didn’t perform as well as she had hoped, slipping to 27th on the money list.
“It wasn’t a bad performance, but my goal was to get one win in the first half of the year, which I didn’t do,” she said, “I lost my shot feeling and my harmony.”
“I’m happy to have won such a big tournament,” she said, before breaking down in tears.
Kim credits practice as the driving force behind her victory.
“I practiced a lot during the pre-season, but when my scores weren’t as good as I expected and my shot feeling was down, I practiced even more,” she said.
Kim made a triple bogey on the seventh hole (par-3) on the first day of the tournament.
“It wasn’t a big mistake,” said Kim, who went on to win the tournament despite the ‘onion’. I missed my tee shot slightly and it hit the cart path and became a lost ball. It wasn’t a bad shot, so I didn’t take it to heart,” she explained.
Kim, who entered the final round in a tie for the lead, made four consecutive birdies on the 10th hole (par-4) after hitting a driver tee shot to put the ball on the green.
The 10th hole is 230 meters from the tee to the green, so players with some distance can get the ball on the green in one shot.
However, the green is surrounded by deep bunkers and rough, and many players choose to tee off with a hybrid club, as the ball can disappear into the woods if pushed to the right.
“In my practice rounds and last year’s tournament, I used a driver, but this time I chose to play it safe for the first three rounds,” said Kim. “I didn’t want to lose my birdie opportunity on the ninth hole, so I decided to go for it on the 10th.”
After her birdie on the 10th, Kim birdied the next three holes, but acknowledged that the 10th hole was the deciding factor, saying, “The birdie on the 10th turned the tide for me.”
With the win, her first of the season, Kim said she is looking forward to all five of the upcoming September and October tournaments, including the four she has won in the past two years and the one hosted by sponsor Dongbu E&C.
She also expressed her desire to win back-to-back titles at the KG Ladies Open, which begins on September 1.
The KG Ladies Open was Kim’s first career victory in 2021, and last year she missed out on a second straight title in a playoff.
“Actually, this year I practiced a lot on the course where the KG Ladies Open is held. I was looking forward to it,” she said.
Kim, who finished second on the money list and first in stroke average last year, didn’t hide her ambition, saying, “I didn’t have time to think about the individual title because I had a bad first half, but now I’m going to make it my goal.” “I also want to win the money list,” she added.
Kim, who tied for ninth at the Evian Championship last month, a major on the U.S. Women’s Professional Golf (LPGA) Tour, said, “It gave me a lot of confidence,” but added, “There are so many good players and I felt the barriers. I would like to go if I get the chance, but I need to see the conditions,” she said, adding that she is cautious about going overseas. 토토사이트