"I think I should quit." After a decade without a win, Jang Eun-so sheds tears of emotion at her first victory [KLPGA]

*This content was translated by AI.

"I told my coach many times that I thought I should quit golf."

Although she began her career brilliantly by winning the Rookie of the Year award, prolonged struggles led her to consider giving up. However, with strong support from those around her and her refusal to give up, she experienced the thrilling joy of victory.

Jang Eun-so (28, Goodvins) shot a 3-under-par 69 without any bogeys and with three birdies in the final fourth round of the KLPGA Tour Jeju Samdasoo Masters (total prize money 1 billion won) held on the 9th at Teddy Valley Golf & Resort in Seogwipo, Jeju (par 72).

Finishing with a total score of 14-under-par 274, Jang Eun-so claimed the title by one stroke ahead of joint second-place finishers Moon Jung-min (Dongbu Construction) and Kang Chae-yeon (Pacific Rings), who both recorded 13-under-par 275.

Jang Eun-so joined the KLPGA Tour in 2017, winning the Rookie of the Year award that year after finishing as runner-up once and reaching the top 10 ten times. However, she faced ups and downs thereafter. Over a decade, she alternated between the regular tour and the Dream Tour (second division), achieving three victories on the Dream Tour but only three runner-up finishes on the regular tour.

After winning her 187th tournament appearance and securing prize money of 180 million won, Jang Eun-so could not hold back tears upon confirming her victory.

According to the KLPGA, Jang Eun-so said after the tournament, "I am truly happy to win my first regular tour event. It feels even more meaningful and joyful as it is my first victory in ten years since my debut." She added, "Although I won the Rookie of the Year award in 2017, I spent a long time alternating between the regular tour and the Dream Tour. I often thought about whether I should quit golf. At those times, my coach believed in me until the end and encouraged me to keep going. Thanks to that belief, I was able to reach this point. Ultimately, winning is truly joyful."

Despite her positive personality, the decade-long winless streak weighed heavily on Jang Eun-so. "I am naturally optimistic and always thought 'I can do it,' but after the 2024 season ended, I had strong thoughts like 'Maybe I just can't make it anymore,'" she said. "I told my coach many times that I thought I should quit golf. At that time, my coach said that since my golf has improved so much, quitting now would surely lead to regret and believed I could continue. Trusting those words and continuing to challenge myself seems to have led to today's positive result."

She endured difficult moments while alternating between the Dream Tour and the regular tour. Jang Eun-so said, "When I went back down to the Dream Tour, I felt a deep sense of emptiness. It felt like everything I had done was washed away, and I faced an overwhelming feeling of having to start all over again." However, regarding last year, she added, "I wasn't particularly worried. I was confident that I could secure regular tour seed status again based on the Dream Tour prize money list. Since I personally felt my golf had improved significantly compared to before, I wasn't too concerned about that aspect."

Although she defeated Park Min-ji (NH Investment & Securities) to claim the Rookie of the Year award, their paths diverged completely afterward. Park Min-ji achieved a record-tying 20 career tour victories, while Jang Eun-so struggled to secure even a single win.

Ambition became poison. "After winning the Rookie of the Year award and competing on the regular tour, I think I developed too much ambition," she reflected. "I tried to change many aspects, including my swing, but it unfortunately went in a negative direction." She continued, "I experienced many anxious feelings, and as I realized how difficult golf truly is, my performance seemed to decline."

Because of the difficult times, this victory moment was even more thrilling. Regarding why she shed tears immediately after winning, she said, "I couldn't speak with my father even once during this tournament. I wondered why he didn't call, but I think he must have been watching on broadcast today." She added, "However, the main reason I cried was likely because of our management representative who has been with me for so long. Over ten years, they witnessed all my difficult moments. Looking back at my tour life, there were more painful and sad memories than good ones, yet they always stayed by my side. I was surprised to learn that they came to the venue before the tournament began, and after winning, thinking about all those years brought tears to my eyes."

She finally achieved her long-awaited first victory. Her next goal is multiple wins. "My goal when starting the 2026 season was to win my first title," said Jang Eun-so. "Since I achieved this goal faster than expected, my next target is two victories. Having created a good momentum from the first tournament of the second half, I want to continue believing in myself and playing with confidence going forward."

She also laid the groundwork for envisioning her future. Jang Eun-so said, "I haven't thought specifically about the distant future yet," but added, "However, even I feel like a player who truly loves golf. Although it's my 10th year on tour and people around me say I'm getting older, I don't think that way. I hope to continue playing golf and pursuing my career as a player for a long time."

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*This content was translated by AI.