Post by HappyFan on Dec 21, 2015 8:44:16 GMT
After banner season, Chun In-gee eyes top-10 finish on 2016 LPGA money list
Article here
SEOUL, Dec. 21 (Yonhap) -- After a monumental season in which she won major championships in three different countries, South Korean golfer Chun In-gee said Monday she hopes to finish in the top 10 on the LPGA Tour money list next year,
Chun won the U.S. Women's Open, the LPGA's oldest major, as a non-member of the tour, earning herself exempt status for 2016. It was one of her eight victories in 2015, which also included national titles in South Korea and Japan, making her the first female golfer to win majors in South Korea, Japan and the United States in the same season.
Currently world No. 10, the 21-year-old said she hasn't set any specific goal on how many victories she'd like to have, but said she hopes to be consistent enough to be among the money leaders.
"If I can finish among the top 10 on the money list, I'd be patting myself on the back for the job well done," Chun said in her year-end press conference in Seoul. "I had such a great season this year, and I think I will be too stressed out if I tried to improve on it."
Chun dominated the Korea LPGA (KPGA) Tour in 2015, leading the circuit in money, wins, scoring average and the Player of the Year points. With the LPGA Tour card in her bag, Chun will now take her talent across the Pacific.
"I want to concentrate on playing on the LPGA Tour and making adjustments there rather than competing at home," she said, adding that she hasn't finalized her playing schedules and she doesn't yet know if she will be defending some of the KLPGA titles.
"By playing in some overseas events this year, I grew more confident about playing on different grass," Chun added. "But since it will be my rookie year (on the LPGA Tour), I will try to enjoy myself rather than trying to do too much."
Chun battled some shoulder issues late in the season. She said she developed pains much earlier in her career and regretted that she didn't take proper care back then.
"I had bad swing habits that caused pains," she said. "I ignored some of the signals that my body was sending, and there was a point when I couldn't turn my neck and couldn't train for four months. I'd been undergoing special exercises and treatments to stay healthy, but I couldn't stick to that routine this season. I am leaving for the United States early to start taking better care of my body."
Chun is scheduled to depart for Palm Springs, Florida, on Sunday, and she said she is "80 percent certain" that she will make her LPGA debut at the Coates Golf Championship during the first week of February in Ocala, Florida, not too far from her training camp.
Chun said she'd love to win the Women's British Open, one of five majors in women's golf, at some point in her career, if not next year. She said she was also driven by the opportunity to represent South Korea at the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro next year.
Chun will have her work cut out just to make the Olympic team. The top-15 players on the world rankings will be eligible for the Olympics, though each country can only have up to four players. South Korea currently boasts six players inside the top 10 on the world rankings alone, and Chun, at No. 10, will have to leapfrog two players -- No. 8 Amy Yang and No. 9 Kim Hyo-joo -- to make the cut.
Article here
SEOUL, Dec. 21 (Yonhap) -- After a monumental season in which she won major championships in three different countries, South Korean golfer Chun In-gee said Monday she hopes to finish in the top 10 on the LPGA Tour money list next year,
Chun won the U.S. Women's Open, the LPGA's oldest major, as a non-member of the tour, earning herself exempt status for 2016. It was one of her eight victories in 2015, which also included national titles in South Korea and Japan, making her the first female golfer to win majors in South Korea, Japan and the United States in the same season.
Currently world No. 10, the 21-year-old said she hasn't set any specific goal on how many victories she'd like to have, but said she hopes to be consistent enough to be among the money leaders.
"If I can finish among the top 10 on the money list, I'd be patting myself on the back for the job well done," Chun said in her year-end press conference in Seoul. "I had such a great season this year, and I think I will be too stressed out if I tried to improve on it."
Chun dominated the Korea LPGA (KPGA) Tour in 2015, leading the circuit in money, wins, scoring average and the Player of the Year points. With the LPGA Tour card in her bag, Chun will now take her talent across the Pacific.
"I want to concentrate on playing on the LPGA Tour and making adjustments there rather than competing at home," she said, adding that she hasn't finalized her playing schedules and she doesn't yet know if she will be defending some of the KLPGA titles.
"By playing in some overseas events this year, I grew more confident about playing on different grass," Chun added. "But since it will be my rookie year (on the LPGA Tour), I will try to enjoy myself rather than trying to do too much."
Chun battled some shoulder issues late in the season. She said she developed pains much earlier in her career and regretted that she didn't take proper care back then.
"I had bad swing habits that caused pains," she said. "I ignored some of the signals that my body was sending, and there was a point when I couldn't turn my neck and couldn't train for four months. I'd been undergoing special exercises and treatments to stay healthy, but I couldn't stick to that routine this season. I am leaving for the United States early to start taking better care of my body."
Chun is scheduled to depart for Palm Springs, Florida, on Sunday, and she said she is "80 percent certain" that she will make her LPGA debut at the Coates Golf Championship during the first week of February in Ocala, Florida, not too far from her training camp.
Chun said she'd love to win the Women's British Open, one of five majors in women's golf, at some point in her career, if not next year. She said she was also driven by the opportunity to represent South Korea at the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro next year.
Chun will have her work cut out just to make the Olympic team. The top-15 players on the world rankings will be eligible for the Olympics, though each country can only have up to four players. South Korea currently boasts six players inside the top 10 on the world rankings alone, and Chun, at No. 10, will have to leapfrog two players -- No. 8 Amy Yang and No. 9 Kim Hyo-joo -- to make the cut.
