Yoon Ina, 21, has made a remarkable return to the golf scene, proving that her star quality remains undiminished. Despite an 18-month hiatus due to a penalty for a delayed report of an infraction, her sharp shot-making skills have made her long absence seem inconsequential.
Her performance has been consistently impressive, securing three runner-up finishes. Yoon’s standings are also noteworthy: she ranks fourth in player points, fifth in prize money, firsr in average birdies, second in average score, second in greens in regulation and second in top-10 finishes.
In an interview at the High1 Resort Country Club in Jeongseon County, Gangwon Province, the site of the final tournament of the first half of the 2024 KLPGA Tour season, Yoon reflected on her comeback.
“Honestly, I didn’t expect to perform this well so quickly,” she said. “I had a fairly long break and distanced myself from golf for a while. But within a short period, I’ve been competing for wins and making the cut.”
She expressed immense satisfaction with her high ranking in top-10 finishes. “I’m incredibly pleased with my performance. If I had to rate it, I’d give myself a perfect score of 100 out of 100.”
Yoon returned to the golf scene in early April at the Doosan E&C We’ve Championship, starting the season with a bow to the gallery on the 1st hole of the 1st round.
She has played each tournament with a heart full of gratitude, focusing on the process rather than obsessing over results.
“The key to my consistent performance in the first half of the season was focusing on the process and doing my best in each moment rather than fixating on the outcomes,” she said.
Yoon finished her comeback debut tied for 34th place but made a strong impression in her second tournament, the Mediheal-Hankook Ilbo Championship.
She shot nine birdies with no bogeys in the 1st round, taking a share of the lead. Although she couldn’t maintain her lead and finished tied for 11th, this 추천 performance set the stage for a successful run, including a 9th place finish at the Chris F&C KLPGA Championship in late April and a runner-up finish at the NH Investment & Securities Ladies Championship in early May.
She continued to compete for victories, finishing in playoffs at the BC Card Hankyung Ladies Cup in June and the Lotte Open earlier this month, though she fell short in the final moments.