For so long as she may bear in mind, Yeji Kwon has dreamed of enjoying the game of golf on the highest degree. Right now, with a robust supporting forged round her, the 19-year-old is closing in on that childhood dream.
Younger Yeji grew up following the success of three-time Canadian Ladies’s Open champion, Lydia Ko, and LPGA star, A Lim Kim.
“You could possibly see they had been comfy in any given scenario on the golf course and their success was inspiring. I assumed to myself that I actually wished to have the ability to play at that prime degree and have that success at some point.”
Her father, Do Yoon Kwon, speaks about her willpower to succeed from a younger age.
“Yeji was practising typically over ten hours a day. She was engaged on each space of her sport and due to her exhausting work, I may see she was getting higher and higher,” he stated.
“I do know she’s a very aggressive particular person and at all times desires to do her finest.”
The Canadian Nationwide Workforce member scored a powerful win as a bright-eyed 14-year-old when she captured the Alberta Ladies’s Beginner Championship in 2020.
“The climate wasn’t so good that weekend and the third spherical really needed to be cancelled,” she recalled.
“I actually didn’t have any expectations going to into the match. I used to be considering ‘let’s have enjoyable on the market and simply attempt to make the lower’ and I ended up profitable the match. I simply have loads of good recollections from that weekend.”
One other notable victory got here in 2022, when Kwon captured the Canadian Junior Ladies championship.
“I used to be enjoying with loads of my associates as a result of it was the Canadian Junior Ladies Championship so all one of the best junior ladies from Canada had been enjoying within the match. Each facet of my sport was on that week – my irons, driver, brief sport,” she recalled.
“With each my mother and father being there, it was a lot enjoyable. It felt nice to win it and it appeared like all of the practise and exhausting work was paying off.”
With the childhood dream of at some point enjoying on the LGPA Tour, the newbie standout turned skilled final yr in its pursuit.
Kwon gained her first match as a professional final July on the Genesis of Conway Central Arkansas Open.
“My sport was on and all the pieces was actually good. I used to be feeling actually comfy and assured that week,” she stated of her first professional win in Arkansas.
Kwon was requested to described the strengths in her sport that has led to her success on the golf course.
“I really feel my strengths are my distance off the tee and my iron play,” famous the five-foot six inch Canadian nationwide staff member.
The 19-year-old is aware of it’s nonetheless a piece in progress and he or she is consistently studying and eagerly in search of methods to enhance.
“I had performed within the ORORO PGA Ladies’s Championship earlier that month and made just a few errors that I knew I wanted to work on. I felt in Arkansas, I used to be in a position to appropriate these errors,” she famous.
“Getting that first win as a professional felt actually good and it gave extra confidence in my sport.”
Kwon says it additionally provides her loads of confidence figuring out she’s a part of Golf Canada’s Nationwide Workforce Program.
“I’ve been on a part of the Nationwide Workforce for 3 years. It’s been actually nice for my growth as a golfer as a result of we get the chance to compete in a few of the largest tournaments and getting that have is de facto essential,” she identified.
“It provides me confidence to see the success of previous and present members from this system. I’ve realized quite a bit from the coaches that I’ve labored with through the years and simply very grateful for all of the assist and all of the sources accessible to me from Golf Canada.”
Kwon says her largest supporters since day one has been her mother and pop; and it means all the pieces to have them alongside within the pursuit of her childhood dream.
“My mother and father received me into the game and had been my coaches from the start. It actually means a lot to have each of them journey with me. They’ve sacrificed a lot so I may have this chance to pursue my goals, it’s one thing I’m actually grateful for.”
The gifted younger Canadian has standing on the Epson Tour this yr and is holding her personal – making the lower in two out of her first three tournaments.
As one in every of her largest supporters, Do Yoon Kwon believes his 19-year-old daughter is heading in the right direction in direction of reaching her dream and shares his phrases on encouragement.
“Be assured, have enjoyable, work exhausting and preserve doing what you’re doing.”
