| Ryu So-yeon 유소연 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Ryu in 2017 | |||||||
| Personal information | |||||||
| Born | (1990-06-29)29 June 1990 (age 34) Seoul, South Korea | ||||||
| Height | 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) | ||||||
| Sporting nationality |  South Korea | ||||||
| Residence | South Korea | ||||||
| Career | |||||||
| College | Yonsei University[1] (did not play college golf) | ||||||
| Turned professional | 2007 | ||||||
| Current tour(s) | LPGA Tour (joined 2012) LPGA of Korea Tour (joined 2008) | ||||||
| Professional wins | 21 | ||||||
| Number of wins by tour | |||||||
| LPGA Tour | 6 | ||||||
| Ladies European Tour | 1 | ||||||
| LPGA of Japan Tour | 1 | ||||||
| LPGA of Korea Tour | 10 | ||||||
| Other | 3 | ||||||
| Best results in LPGA major championships (wins: 2) | |||||||
| Chevron Championship | Won:2017 | ||||||
| Women's PGA C'ship | T2:2018 | ||||||
| U.S. Women's Open | Won:2011 | ||||||
| Women's British Open | 3rd/T3:2015,2018 | ||||||
| Evian Championship | T2:2016 | ||||||
| Achievements and awards | |||||||
| |||||||
Ryu So-yeon (Korean: 유소연;pronounced[jusojʌn]; born 29 June 1990), also known asSo Yeon Ryu, is a South Korean professionalgolfer who plays on theLPGA Tour and on theLPGA of Korea Tour.
She is a two-time major winner having won the2011 U.S. Women's Open and the2017 ANA Inspiration.
On 26 June 2017, she became only the 11thNo. 1 ranked golfer in the Rolex Rankings by virtue of winning her 5th LPGA Tour title at theWalmart NW Arkansas Championship.
Ryu turned professional in 2007 at age 17. Her first win as a professional came in February 2008 on the AmericanCactus Tour, in which she won by six strokes.[2] She then joined the LPGA of Korea, winning the first event she played, theSports Seoul Open.
On 11 July 2011, Ryu won theU.S. Women's Open. On the 18th hole of the final round, the toughest hole for the tournament, she trailed the clubhouse leaderHee Kyung Seo by one stroke, but hit her approach to 6 feet and made the birdie putt to force a playoff. Ryu won the three-hole playoff with a birdie on the last hole.
Ryu picked up her second career LPGA Tour win in2012 at theJamie Farr Toledo Classic. With one tournament still to play in the season, Ryu had a big enough lead in theLPGA Rookie of the Year points standings to clinch the award for the season.[3]
On 23 June 2013, Ryu lost in a sudden-death playoff at theWalmart NW Arkansas Championship to fellow South KoreanInbee Park. Park made birdie on the first extra hole to take the victory after Ryu could only make par.
On 2 April 2017, Ryu won her second major championship at theANA Inspiration with a sudden-death playoff victory overLexi Thompson. The tournament was controversial though, after leader Thompson was handed a retrospective four stroke penalty midway through the final round, for an infringementreported by a TV viewer during the third round. Thompson was found to have incorrectly marked and replaced her ball on the 17th hole during the third round. At the time, Thompson had a two stroke advantage. Ryu went on to win with a birdie on the first extra hole of the playoff.
On 25 June 2017, Ryu won theWalmart NW Arkansas Championship and became the number one golfer in theWomen's World Golf Rankings.[4][5]
In March 2024, Ryu announced her intention to retire after the 2024Chevron Championship.[6]
Ryu took classes atYonsei University while also competing full-time on the LPGA Tour.[7] She graduated in February 2013 with a degree in sports business.[8]
| Legend |
|---|
| Major championships (2) |
| Other LPGA Tour (4) |
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | To par | Margin of victory | Runner(s)-up | Winner's share ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11 Jul2011 | U.S. Women's Open | 74-69-69-69=281 | −3 | Playoff | Hee Kyung Seo | 585,000 |
| 2 | 12 Aug2012 | Jamie Farr Toledo Classic | 67-68-67-62=264 | −20 | 7 strokes |  Angela Stanford | 195,000 |
| 3 | 24 Aug2014 | Canadian Pacific Women's Open | 63-66-67-69=265 | −23 | 2 strokes | Na Yeon Choi | 337,000 |
| 4 | 2 Apr2017 | ANA Inspiration | 68-69-69-68=274 | −14 | Playoff | Lexi Thompson | 405,000 |
| 5 | 25 Jun2017 | Walmart NW Arkansas Championship | 65-61-69=195 | −18 | 2 strokes |  Moriya JutanugarnAmy Yang | 300,000 |
| 6 | 17 Jun2018 | Meijer LPGA Classic | 64-67-69-67=267 | −21 | 2 strokes |  Caroline Masson | 300,000 |
LPGA Tour playoff record (2–4)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2011 | U.S. Women's Open | Hee-Kyung Seo | Won three hole aggregate playoff: Ryu: 3-4-3=10 (−2), Seo: 3-6-4=13 (+1) |
| 2 | 2012 | Women's Australian Open |  Julieta GranadaJessica KordaStacy LewisBrittany LincicomeHee-Kyung Seo | Korda won with birdie on second extra hole |
| 3 | 2013 | Walmart NW Arkansas Championship | Inbee Park | Lost to birdie on first extra hole |
| 4 | 2017 | ANA Inspiration | Lexi Thompson | Won with birdie on first extra hole |
| 5 | 2018 | KPMG Women's PGA Championship |  Nasa HataokaPark Sung-hyun | Park won with birdie on second extra hole. Hataoka eliminated by par on first hole |
| 6 | 2020 | ISPS Handa Vic Open | Choi Hye-jinPark Hee-young | Park won with par on fourth extra hole Ryu eliminated by birdie on second hole |
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 13 Apr 2008 | Sports Seoul-KYJ Golf Open | −5 (68-70-73=211) | 4 strokes | Hye Yong Choi |
| 2 | 25 May2009 | Doosan Match Play Championship | 27 holes | Hye Yong Choi | |
| 3 | 7 Jun2009 | Woori Investment & Securities Ladies Championship | −12 (70-66-68=204) | 4 strokes | Soo Jin Yang |
| 4 | 19 Jun2009 | MBC Tour S-Oil Champions Invitational | −6 (69-69-72=210) | 1 stroke | Hye Jung Kim |
| 5 | 16 Aug2009 | SBS Charity Women’s Open | −10 (69-70-67=206) | 1 stroke | Il Mi Chung |
| 6 | 19 Dec2009 | Orient China Ladies Open | −10 (70-71-70=211) | Playoff | Hee Kyung Seo |
| 7 | 11 Jun2011 | SBS Tour Lotte Cantata Ladies Open | −14 (69-69-74=212) | 1 stroke | Hye Youn Kim |
| 8 | 9 Sep2012 | Hanwha Finance Classic | −9 (70-70-71-68=279) | 1 stroke | Heo Yoon-kyung |
| 9 | 30 Aug2015 | High1 Resort Ladies Open | −11 (71-67-69-70=277) | 2 strokes | Jang Ha-na |
| 10 | 21 Jun2020 | Kia Motors Korea Women's Open Championship | −12 (66-67-71-72=276) | 1 stroke | Kim Hyo-joo |
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | To par | Margin of victory | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 30 Sep2018 | Japan Women's Open Golf Championship | 65-72-69-67=273 | −15 | 3 strokes | Nasa Hataoka |
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | To par | Margin of victory | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 15 Mar2015 | World Ladies Championship (individual) | 72-73-65-69=279 | −13 | 1 stroke | Inbee Park |
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 Feb 2008 | Event #3 at Wigwam Red | −8 (70-70-68=208) | 6 strokes | Marcy Hart |
| Year | Championship | 54 holes | Winning score | Margin | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | U.S. Women's Open | Tied for lead | −3 (74-69-69-69=281) | Playoff1 | Hee Kyung Seo |
| 2017 | ANA Inspiration | 3-shot deficit | −14 (68-69-69-68=274) | Playoff2 | Lexi Thompson |
1 Defeated Hee Kyung Seo in a three-hole playoff: Ryu (3-4-3=10) and Seo (3-6-4=13)
2 Defeated Lexi Thompson in a sudden death playoff with birdie on first extra hole
Results not in chronological order.
| ! Tournament | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chevron Championship | T64 | T41 | T56 | 2 | T46 | T20 | T10 | 1 | T48 | T39 |
| Women's PGA Championship | T25 | CUT | T13 | T13 | T4 | T14 | T2 | T10 | ||
| U.S. Women's Open | T25 | 1 | T14 | 3 | T5 | T5 | T11 | T3 | 23 | T2 |
| The Evian Championship ^ | T4 | DQ | T46 | T2 | T40 | T10 | T25 | |||
| Women's British Open | T5 | T17 | T17 | T3 | T8 | T43 | 3 | CUT | ||
| ! Tournament | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chevron Championship | T50 | T71 | CUT | CUT | |
| U.S. Women's Open | T20 | 22 | CUT | T53 | |
| Women's PGA Championship | T33 | 49 | |||
| The Evian Championship ^ | NT | T54 | T8 | CUT | |
| Women's British Open | CUT | T35 |
^ The Evian Championship was added as a major in 2013.
DQ = disqualified
CUT = missed the half-way cut
NT = no tournament
T = tied
| Tournament | Wins | 2nd | 3rd | Top-5 | Top-10 | Top-25 | Events | Cuts made |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chevron Championship | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 14 | 12 |
| U.S. Women's Open | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 12 | 14 | 13 |
| Women's PGA Championship | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 9 |
| The Evian Championship | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 10 | 8 |
| Women's British Open | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 8 |
| Totals | 2 | 4 | 4 | 15 | 20 | 34 | 58 | 50 |
| Year | Tournaments played | Cuts made* | Wins | 2nd | 3rd | Top 10s | Best finish | Earnings ($) | Money list rank | Scoring average | Scoring rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | T46 | 5,806 | n/a | 74.33 | n/a |
| 2009 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | T29 | 13,111 | n/a | 73.80 | n/a |
| 2010 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | T12 | 61,878 | n/a | 73.18 | n/a |
| 2011 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 624,477 | n/a | 71.80 | n/a |
| 2012 | 24 | 23 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 16 | 1 | 1,282,673 | 6 | 70.30 | 2 |
| 2013 | 24 | 23 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 10 | 2 | 1,278,864 | 5 | 70.29 | 4 |
| 2014 | 25 | 24 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 15 | 1 | 1,468,804 | 5 | 69.98 | 4 |
| 2015 | 25 | 25 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 10 | 2 | 1,292,395 | 8 | 70.32 | 7 |
| 2016 | 24 | 24 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 11 | 2 | 1,259,651 | 10 | 70.07 | 6 |
| 2017 | 23 | 21 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 12 | 1 | 1,981,593 | 2 | 69.68 | 6 |
| 2018 | 23 | 23 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 1 | 1,438,850 | 6 | 70.10 | 9 |
| 2019 | 20 | 16 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | T2 | 815,768 | 23 | 70.81 | 32 |
| 2020 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | T2 | 320,626 | 35 | 71.00 | n/a |
| 2021 | 20 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 | T3 | 687,086 | 29 | 70.01 | 14 |
| 2022 | 20 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | T7 | 332,195 | 72 | 71.09 | 54 |
| 2023 | 11 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | T7 | 78,668 | 137 | 72.70 | 134 |
| 2024 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | CUT | 0 | n/a | 75.50 | n/a |
Official through the 2024 season[9]
* Includes matchplay and other events without a cut.
Ryu was not a member of the LPGA Tour until 2012. Money earned from 2008 to 2011 was not considered official by the LPGA Tour.
Position inWomen's World Golf Rankings at the end of each calendar year.
| Year | World ranking | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 554 | [10] |
| 2008 | 127 | [11] |
| 2009 | 59 | [12] |
| 2010 | 43 | [13] |
| 2011 | 27 | [14] |
| 2012 | 7 | [15] |
| 2013 | 5 | [16] |
| 2014 | 7 | [17] |
| 2015 | 5 | [18] |
| 2016 | 9 | [19] |
| 2017 | 3 | [20] |
| 2018 | 3 | [21] |
| 2019 | 18 | [22] |
| 2020 | 14 | [23] |
| 2021 | 25 | [24] |
| 2022 | 78 | [25] |
| 2023 | 218 | [26] |
| 2024 | 714 | [27] |
Amateur
Professional
