John Chidley-Hill/ Canadian Press
Yeji Kwon’s life is uncommon, however she wouldn’t commerce it for something.
The 18-year-old Kwon has spent the previous 5 months on the street together with her dad and mom, taking part in golf on the Girls’s All Professional Tour, sharpening her abilities to turn out to be Canada’s subsequent high participant. That tough work paid off final week as she was the highest Canadian on the qualifying stage of the LPGA Tour’s Q-Collection, tying for tenth to advance to the ultimate stage.
“Undoubtedly totally different from common youngsters who go to high school each day,” stated Kwon on Wednesday from her dwelling in Port Coquitlam, B.C. “I’m undoubtedly lacking out on that aspect however I’ve gotten used to it, and truthfully, I like this life.
“I journey with my dad and mom all over the place, we take the van, and I’ve had numerous enjoyable this summer season. It’s been busy, it’s been very busy, however I’ve been having fun with each single second of it.”
The qualifying stage at Plantation Golf and Nation Membership in Venice, Fla., was definitely a spotlight.
Kwon had a tough begin to the four-round tourney on Oct. 22, taking pictures a 2-over 74 on the membership’s Panther Course. However she bounced again the second day, reeling off 5 consecutive birdies to complete the day with an 8-under 64 card on the Bobcat Course.
“Going into the primary spherical, I used to be undoubtedly a bit of bit extra nervous. I had much more ideas occurring,” stated Kwon, noting she was extra comfy within the second spherical. “I used to be much more assured. I wasn’t pondering rather a lot.
“I wasn’t hitting the ball actually, actually nice, however my placing was wonderful. I used to be making every thing from nearly all over the place, and made nearly each par save.”
She then had a 3-under third spherical and a 1-under fourth spherical to complete 10-under general. That put her 4 photographs again of co-winners Mimi Rhodes of England and French newbie Adela Cernousek.
“Yeji got here in very ready, had spent a lot of time taking part in the programs and getting used to them main as much as the occasion,” stated Salimah Mussani, Golf Canada’s ladies’s head coach, who was in attendance at Plantation. “She has at all times been a really composed golfer, from watching over the past couple years.
“She carries herself with a excessive sense of confidence, and enhances that with a powerful work ethic.”
Monet Chun of Richmond Hill, Ont., Maddie Szeryk of London, Ont., and Josee Doyon of St-Georges-de-Beauce, Que., tied for thirty first at 4-under general. All 4 Canadians will play within the LPGA Tour’s Q-Collection closing stage on Dec. 5-9 at Magnolia Grove Golf Membership in Cellular, Ala.
“It’s tremendous cool, as a result of clearly, all these women I look as much as and also you’re going to advance the ultimate stage together with them,” stated Kwon. “It means rather a lot.
“I’m not likely gonna suppose a lot about it, although, simply play my very own recreation.”
Mussani stated she has excessive hopes for Kwon, who’s a member of Golf Canada’s 2024 NextGen women staff.
“To proceed to develop, proceed to develop her abilities and be taught extra about herself,” stated Mussani in textual content messages to The Canadian Press. “She continues to be fairly younger, so I hope she finds time to take pleasure in her youth as nicely, whereas additionally following her goals and dealing in direction of her objectives.”
AROUND THE TOURS
LPGA TOUR — Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., is the lone Canadian within the subject on the TOTO Japan Traditional. She’s thirteenth on the Race to CME Globe Rankings after tying for tenth ultimately week’s Maybank Championship. That makes her the fourth highest ranked participant on the Seta Golf Course in Otsu-shi, Shiga, Japan when the match tees off on Thursday.
GRANT THORNTON INVITATIONAL — Henderson and Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., will once more pair up on the Grant Thornton Invitational Dec. 9-15 at Tiburon Golf Membership in Naples, Fla. The distinctive match has golfers from the LPGA and PGA Excursions staff up. The all-Canadian pair completed second ultimately 12 months’s GTI, a shot again of Australia’s Lydia Ko and Jason Day.
PGA TOUR — The primary stage of the PGA Tour’s qualifying sequence was in its third day on Wednesday. Held on the Nation Membership of Ocala in Florida, it needed to be rescheduled because of Hurricane Milton. Noah Steele of Kingston, Ont., and Blair Bursey of Gander, N.L., have been in rivalry within the match.
