The first time Na Yeon Choi missed the cut on the LPGA as a member (after 63 starts), her mom suggested that she go to the grocery store and buy a carton of eggs. Then she told her to throw them. Choi hurled eggs at the wall until she felt better, and then cleaned up the mess.
She told that story more than a decade ago without the aid of an interpreter. Choi was so committed to learning English in those early days that the South Korean hired a tutor to circle the globe.
She took her freedom a step further when she asked her parents to go back to South Korea and support her from a distance. In a way, this unusual act of independence made Choi a bit of a pioneer among her peers, who mostly traveled with family.
The decision came in her second year on tour after Choi found herself crying in a bathroom after a top-10 finish. Choi’s well-meaning parents kept quizzing her on what went wrong that week. She yearned for independence.
“My dad was like, ‘How dare you? I sacrificed my life for you, and you’re playing the LPGA,’ ” Choi once told Golfweek. “I want to see you win.”
Choi did win a few months later, and then cried about the fact that her parents weren’t there to see it. Life on the road can be lonely and complicated. Over the years, Choi has been open and honest about her journey.
Choi Na-Yeon of South Korea waves a hand to the fans during the award ceremony of the final round of the 2010 LPGA Hana Bank Championship at Sky 72 Golf Club on October 31, 2010, in Incheon, South Korea. (Photo by Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images)
After this week’s BMW Ladies Championship, Choi — who is playing on a sponsor exemption — will retire from the LPGA. She first shared the news earlier this month on her Instagram account. The 15-year tour veteran turns 35 later this month. She won nine times on the LPGA, including the 2012 U.S. Women’s Open, and ranked as high as No. 2. Choi has banked nearly $11 million in her career, putting her 19th on the career money list.
“I had been considering it, so I gave myself this season and around midseason, it sort of crystalized into this decision to retire,” said Choi in a pre-tournament press conference at Oak Valley Country Club.
“There was no one single moment where I decided this was the time to announce my retirement. I have been playing for a long time and I really want to start something new as fast as I can, and what that’s going to be, I have no idea. But I have no regrets with my career as a…
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