Kim Hyo-joo aims for a major win at Women's British Open

South Korean golfer Kim Hyo-joo said she will not dwell on the past mistake she made at the Evian Championship, which ended on Monday. “There are more opportunities to win a championship coming to my way. I haven’t successfully seized an opportunity yet, but I expect to do better next time,” Kim said.

The South Korean golfer was leading the Evian Championship until the 13th hole of the fourth round, creating the buzz that she may win a championship for the first time in three and a half years. However, she faltered with a triple bogey at the par-3 14th after a tee shot plugged beneath a bunker. The final result was a second-place win as South Korean golfer Ko Jin-young took the lead.

Kim arrived in the U.K. on Tuesday for the 2019 AIG Women's British Open, which is the last major championship of the season. “Kim enjoyed a massage and Korean dishes cooked by his father Kim Chang-ho after arriving in London,” said a member of the South Korean golfer’s management company.

Winning the British Open will be the climax of Kim Hyo-joo’s recent rise. She was ranked top 10 in all four recent tournaments – excluding team matches – including two second-place wins. She is No. 1 in the LPGA tour for the number of average putts with hers standing at 27.68.

“I’ll try to stay relaxed by reminding myself that the Women's British Open is just one of the many tournaments that I need to go through during a season,” she said. “I want to move away from the idea of the ‘revival of the genius golfer,’ and focus on showcasing myself as a golfer who can climb to the top at any time.”


Yun-Cheol Jeong trigger@donga.com