'Overcoming the Curse of Nine' Lee Da-yeon Achieves 10th Career Win on KLPGA Tour: "I Thought Winning This Time Would Be Difficult..."

*This content was translated by AI.

This marks her 10th career victory trophy. The 'tumbler' Lee Da-yeon (29, Medihill) has become the 17th player in KLPGA Tour history to reach 10 career wins after claiming this tournament title.

On the final day of the tournament held on the 2nd at Aurora Golf & Resort (par 72) in Wonju, Gangwon Province, Lee carded a 3-under-par 69 with one eagle, four birdies, and one triple bogey in her fourth round.

Finishing with a total of 12-under-par 276 strokes, Lee secured the victory by one stroke over Kim Soo-ji (11-under-par 277).

Lee claimed her first title since last September's Hanam Financial Group Championship after approximately 11 months, finally fulfilling her long-held goal. Although she had finished as runner-up twice and third once this season—seemingly trapped by the 'curse of nine'—she completed her 10th victory with this win.

According to the KLPGA, Lee said after winning, "I am truly happy. My first thought was gratitude for achieving my long-desired 10th career win."

On this day, Lee faced a crisis with a triple bogey on the 5th hole. She recalled, "At that moment, I even thought I might not win this tournament. Instead, I decided to focus only on doing my best at what I could do, and surprisingly, my mind became more relaxed, allowing me to finish strong until the end."

She identified the 9th hole as the decisive turning point. Lee stated, "I believe the 9th hole was the most critical moment. Until then, the stroke difference made things difficult, but when I hit a shot eagle, the momentum completely shifted. From that point on, I began to hope that if I gave my best, I could still win. That hole became the biggest turning point of today's match."

Regarding her ability to remain steady on holes 17 and 18, she explained, "Actually, from the 11th hole onward, I suffered severe stomach pain that made concentration difficult. From the 15th hole, I started feeling better and resolved to refocus. I decided to play more aggressively, which worked out well. I played with the mindset of not losing focus until the end and trying just one more shot."

On the pressure of the 'curse of nine' after finishing as runner-up twice and third once this year, she said, "I didn't pay much attention to the curse. Instead, I tried to make myself feel more at ease. I believed opportunities would keep coming and kept thinking about how to seize them."

Additionally, Lee cited surgery as the most difficult period of her career: "It was when I had to end my season early due to surgery. It was the first time I couldn't finish a full season, and since it was also my first major surgery, I had many worries. It was a time when I questioned whether I could continue my playing career."

On the meaning of achieving 10 career wins after overcoming difficulties, Lee shared, "I feel more like this is a new beginning. All moments until now have felt glorious. Having achieved my goal, I now feel strongly that I should forget the past and start anew with a fresh mindset."

Regarding her remaining season goals, she pledged, "When starting this season, my biggest goals were achieving 10 career wins and winning a major championship. With three majors left in the second half of the year, I plan to prepare more thoroughly for those tournaments. Above all, physical management will be crucial."

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*This content was translated by AI.