1. Early Life and Education
Ryu So-yeon was born on June 29, 1990, in Seoul, South Korea. She completed her early education at Sejong Elementary School and later attended Daewon Foreign Language High School. After her secondary education, she pursued higher studies at Yonsei University, graduating in February 2013 with a degree in sports business from the Physical Education department. While attending Yonsei University, she concurrently maintained her demanding schedule as a full-time professional golfer, though she did not participate in collegiate golf.
2. Amateur Career
Ryu So-yeon had a distinguished amateur career, showcasing her talent on the international stage. She was a prominent member of the Korean National Team from 2005 to 2007, representing her country in various competitions. Her most notable achievement as an amateur came at the 2006 Asian Games held in Doha, Qatar. At these Games, Ryu secured two gold medals in the golf competition. She claimed a gold medal in the women's individual event, outperforming competitors including Japanese golfers Mika Miyazato and Miki Saiki. Additionally, she contributed to South Korea's gold medal victory in the women's team competition, becoming a two-time champion at the event.
3. Professional Career
Ryu So-yeon's professional golf career spans several major tours, highlighted by significant early successes, breakthrough major championship victories, and a period as the world's top-ranked female golfer. Her journey reflects a steady rise and consistent performance on the international stage.
3.1. Early Career and KLPGA Success
Ryu officially turned professional in October 2007 at the age of 17. Her first professional victory occurred in February 2008 on the American Cactus Tour, where she demonstrated her early prowess by winning an event at Wigwam Red by a commanding six strokes. Following this, she joined the LPGA of Korea Tour (KLPGA) and quickly made an impact, securing a win in only her second appearance on the tour at the 2008 Sports Seoul-KYJ Golf Open, where she finished four strokes ahead of the runner-up, Hye Yong Choi.
Her consistent performance led to her selection as a "KLPGA Promotional Model" for three consecutive years, from 2009 to 2011, a recognition typically bestowed upon approximately ten players from the top 60 in the KLPGA Tour's annual money rankings. In 2009, Ryu enjoyed her most successful season on the KLPGA Tour, capturing four victories and achieving her highest finish of second place in the tour's money rankings. She continued to add to her KLPGA win tally with one victory in 2010, one in 2011, another in 2012, and a further win in 2015. Her tenth KLPGA title came in 2020 at the Kia Motors Korea Women's Open Championship.
3.2. Breakthrough on the LPGA Tour
Ryu's breakthrough on the global stage came on July 11, 2011, when she clinched her first major championship title at the 2011 U.S. Women's Open. In a dramatic finish, she trailed clubhouse leader Hee Kyung Seo by one stroke heading into the 18th hole, known as the tournament's toughest. Ryu responded by hitting her approach shot to within 6 ft and sinking a crucial birdie putt to force a three-hole aggregate playoff. She ultimately won the playoff with a birdie on the final hole, securing the championship. This victory earned her full playing privileges on the LPGA Tour for the 2012 season.
As a rookie on the LPGA Tour in 2012, Ryu continued her winning ways, picking up her second career LPGA Tour win at the Jamie Farr Toledo Classic on August 12, 2012, with a seven-stroke victory over Angela Stanford. With one tournament remaining in the season, her consistent high finishes allowed her to secure a substantial lead in the LPGA Rookie of the Year points standings, clinching the award for the season. On June 23, 2013, Ryu faced Inbee Park in a sudden-death playoff at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship, ultimately losing when Park made a birdie on the first extra hole.
On April 2, 2017, Ryu secured her second major championship at the 2017 ANA Inspiration. This tournament was marked by controversy when then-leader Lexi Thompson received a retrospective four-stroke penalty midway through the final round. The penalty, reported by a television viewer, was for incorrectly marking and replacing her ball on the 17th hole during the third round. Despite Thompson's initial two-stroke lead, the penalty dramatically altered the leaderboard. Ryu capitalized on the situation and went on to win the championship with a birdie on the first extra hole of a sudden-death playoff against Thompson.
Her impressive performance continued throughout 2017. On June 25, 2017, Ryu won the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship, her fifth LPGA Tour title. This victory propelled her to the World No. 1 ranking in the Rolex Rankings on June 26, 2017, a position she held for 19 consecutive weeks. Her stellar 2017 season also saw her finish second in the LPGA Tour money rankings and be recognized as a co-LPGA Player of the Year alongside Park Sung-hyun. Ryu secured her sixth LPGA Tour victory at the Meijer LPGA Classic on June 17, 2018, finishing two strokes ahead of runner-up Caroline Masson.
3.3. Activities on Other Tours
Beyond her primary focus on the LPGA Tour, Ryu So-yeon has also achieved notable success on other international professional circuits. In 2015, she won the individual title at the World Ladies Championship on the Ladies European Tour, clinching a one-stroke victory.
In 2018, Ryu participated in an official tournament on the LPGA of Japan Tour (JLPGA), the Japan Women's Open Golf Championship. She emerged victorious by three strokes, notably preventing Nasa Hataoka from achieving a third consecutive win in the event. She returned to the Japan Women's Open Golf Championship in 2019, where she finished tied for second place.
4. Professional Wins
Ryu So-yeon has accumulated 21 professional victories across various golf tours throughout her career.
4.1. LPGA Tour Wins
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | To par | Margin of victory | Runner(s)-up | Winner's share ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11 July 2011 | U.S. Women's Open | 74-69-69-69=281 | -3 | Playoff | Hee Kyung Seo | 585.00 K USD |
| 2 | 12 August 2012 | Jamie Farr Toledo Classic | 67-68-67-62=264 | -20 | 7 strokes | Angela Stanford | 195.00 K USD |
| 3 | 24 August 2014 | Canadian Pacific Women's Open | 63-66-67-69=265 | -23 | 2 strokes | Na Yeon Choi | 337.00 K USD |
| 4 | 2 April 2017 | ANA Inspiration | 68-69-69-68=274 | -14 | Playoff | Lexi Thompson | 405.00 K USD |
| 5 | 25 June 2017 | Walmart NW Arkansas Championship | 65-61-69=195 | -18 | 2 strokes | Moriya Jutanugarn Amy Yang | 300.00 K USD |
| 6 | 17 June 2018 | Meijer LPGA Classic | 64-67-69-67=267 | -21 | 2 strokes | Caroline Masson | 300.00 K USD |
4.2. LPGA Tour Playoff Record
Ryu So-yeon holds a LPGA Tour playoff record of 2 wins and 4 losses.
| 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 Granada Jessica Korda Stacy Lewis Brittany Lincicome Hee-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 Hataoka Park 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-jin Park Hee-young | Park won with par on fourth extra hole Ryu eliminated by birdie on second hole |
4.3. LPGA of Korea Tour Wins
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 13 April 2008 | Sports Seoul-KYJ Golf Open | -5 (68-70-73=211) | 4 strokes | Choi Hye Yong |
| 2 | 25 May 2009 | Doosan Match Play Championship | 27 holes | Choi Hye Yong | |
| 3 | 7 June 2009 | Woori Investment & Securities Ladies Championship | -12 (70-66-68=204) | 4 strokes | Yang Soo-jin |
| 4 | 19 June 2009 | MBC Tour S-Oil Champions Invitational | -6 (69-69-72=210) | 1 stroke | Kim Hye-jung |
| 5 | 16 August 2009 | SBS Charity Women's Open | -10 (69-70-67=206) | 1 stroke | Jung Il-mi |
| 6 | 19 December 2009 | Orient China Ladies Open | -10 (70-71-70=211) | Playoff | Hee Kyung Seo |
| 7 | 11 June 2011 | SBS Tour Lotte Cantata Ladies Open | -14 (69-69-74=212) | 1 stroke | Kim Hye-youn |
| 8 | 9 September 2012 | Hanwha Finance Classic | -9 (70-70-71-68=279) | 1 stroke | Heo Yoon-kyung |
| 9 | 30 August 2015 | High1 Resort Ladies Open | -11 (71-67-69-70=277) | 2 strokes | Jang Ha-na |
| 10 | 21 June 2020 | Kia Motors Korea Women's Open Championship | -12 (66-67-71-72=276) | 1 stroke | Kim Hyo-joo |
4.4. LPGA of Japan Tour Wins
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | To par | Margin of victory | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 30 September 2018 | Japan Women's Open Golf Championship | 65-72-69-67=273 | -15 | 3 strokes | Nasa Hataoka |
4.5. Ladies European Tour Wins
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | To par | Margin of victory | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 15 March 2015 | World Ladies Championship (individual) | 72-73-65-69=279 | -13 | 1 stroke | Inbee Park |
4.6. Cactus Tour Wins
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 February 2008 | Event #3 at Wigwam Red | -8 (70-70-68=208) | 6 strokes | Marcy Hart |
4.7. Other Wins
- 2014 Mission Hills World Ladies Championship - team (with Inbee Park)
- 2015 World Ladies Championship - team (with Inbee Park)
5. Major Championship Performance
This section details Ryu So-yeon's performance in major golf championships, including her two victories, a chronological overview of her results, and a statistical summary of her career in these prestigious events.
5.1. Wins
| 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
5.2. Results Timeline
Results not in chronological order.
| Tournament | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ANA Inspiration/Chevron Championship | T64 | T41 | T56 | 2 | T46 | T20 | T10 | 1 | T48 | T39 | T50 | T71 | CUT | CUT | |
| U.S. Women's Open | T25 | 1 | T14 | 3 | T5 | T5 | T11 | T3 | 23 | T2 | T20 | 22 | CUT | T53 | |
| Women's PGA Championship | T25 | CUT | T13 | T13 | T4 | T14 | T2 | T10 | T33 | 49 | |||||
| The Evian Championship ^ | T4 | DQ | T46 | T2 | T40 | T10 | T25 | NT | T54 | T8 | CUT | ||||
| Women's British Open | T5 | T17 | T17 | T3 | T8 | T43 | 3 | CUT | CUT | T35 | |||||
^ The Evian Championship was added as a major in 2013.
- Win (Green background)
- Top 10 (Yellow background)
- Did not play (Light gray background)
- DQ = disqualified
- CUT = missed the half-way cut
- NT = no tournament
- T = tied
5.3. Summary
| 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 |
- Most consecutive cuts made - 24 (2015 ANA - 2019 Evian)
- Longest streak of top-10s - 3 (twice)
6. Career Statistics and World Ranking
This section presents comprehensive statistical data regarding Ryu So-yeon's overall career performance on the LPGA Tour and her standing in the Women's World Golf Rankings.
6.1. LPGA Tour Annual Summary
| 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 | 5.81 K USD | n/a | 74.33 | n/a |
| 2009 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | T29 | 13.11 K USD | n/a | 73.80 | n/a |
| 2010 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | T12 | 61.88 K USD | n/a | 73.18 | n/a |
| 2011 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 624.48 K USD | n/a | 71.80 | n/a |
| 2012 | 24 | 23 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 16 | 1 | 1.28 M USD | 6 | 70.30 | 2 |
| 2013 | 24 | 23 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 10 | 2 | 1.28 M USD | 5 | 70.29 | 4 |
| 2014 | 25 | 24 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 15 | 1 | 1.47 M USD | 5 | 69.98 | 4 |
| 2015 | 25 | 25 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 10 | 2 | 1.29 M USD | 8 | 70.32 | 7 |
| 2016 | 24 | 24 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 11 | 2 | 1.26 M USD | 10 | 70.07 | 6 |
| 2017 | 23 | 21 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 12 | 1 | 1.98 M USD | 2 | 69.68 | 6 |
| 2018 | 23 | 23 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 1 | 1.44 M USD | 6 | 70.10 | 9 |
| 2019 | 20 | 16 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | T2 | 815.77 K USD | 23 | 70.81 | 32 |
| 2020 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | T2 | 320.63 K USD | 35 | 71.00 | n/a |
| 2021 | 20 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 | T3 | 687.09 K USD | 29 | 70.01 | 14 |
| 2022 | 20 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | T7 | 332.19 K USD | 72 | 71.09 | 54 |
| 2023 | 11 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | T7 | 78.67 K USD | 137 | 72.70 | 134 |
| 2024 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | CUT | 0 USD | n/a | 75.50 | n/a |
- Includes matchplay and other events without a cut.
Ryu was not a full member of the LPGA Tour until 2012. Money earned from 2008 to 2011 was not considered official by the LPGA Tour.
6.2. World Ranking
Position in Women's World Golf Rankings at the end of each calendar year.
| Year | World ranking |
|---|---|
| 2007 | 554 |
| 2008 | 127 |
| 2009 | 59 |
| 2010 | 43 |
| 2011 | 27 |
| 2012 | 7 |
| 2013 | 5 |
| 2014 | 7 |
| 2015 | 5 |
| 2016 | 9 |
| 2017 | 3 |
| 2018 | 3 |
| 2019 | 18 |
| 2020 | 14 |
| 2021 | 25 |
| 2022 | 78 |
| 2023 | 218 |
| 2024 | 714 |
7. Team Appearances
Ryu So-yeon has represented South Korea in several significant team golf events, both as an amateur and a professional.
- Amateur
- Espirito Santo Trophy: 2006
- Professional
- International Crown: 2014, 2016, 2018 (winners)
8. Awards and Honors
Ryu So-yeon has received several notable individual awards and recognitions throughout her career, underscoring her achievements in professional golf:
- LPGA Rookie of the Year: 2012
- Rolex Annika Major Award: 2017
- LPGA Player of the Year: 2017 (shared with Park Sung-hyun)
9. Personal Life
Ryu So-yeon was born on June 29, 1990, in Seoul, South Korea. She completed her early education at Sejong Elementary School and Daewon Foreign Language High School. She later attended Yonsei University, where she earned a degree in sports business in February 2013, balancing her studies with her professional golf commitments. Her height is 66 in (167 cm).
10. Public Image and Assessment
Ryu So-yeon's consistent performance and technical skill have garnered significant praise from golf experts and the media. Renowned Swedish golfer Annika Sörenstam provided a notable assessment of Ryu's playing style on the LPGA's official website, stating that "Ryu So-yeon makes few mistakes and has almost no weaknesses in her game. Consistency drives Ryu So-yeon's detailed record." This highlights Ryu's reputation for reliable and strong play throughout her career. In addition to her golf achievements, Ryu also engaged in public appearances, including an advertisement for Wii Sports Resort for Nintendo Korea in 2010.
11. Retirement
In March 2024, Ryu So-yeon publicly announced her decision to retire from professional golf. Her final professional appearance was designated to be at the 2024 Chevron Championship, a major championship on the LPGA Tour.