ANA INSPIRATION

For So Yeon Ryu, winning again at ANA Inspiration overshadowed the controversy

Larry Bohannan
Palm Springs Desert Sun
So Yeon Ryu kisses the trophy after winning the ANA Inspiration in Rancho Mirage, April 2, 2017.

Yes, the 2017 ANA Inspiration is going to be remembered for years for the penalty shots Lexi Thompson received, perhaps denying her a chance to win a second title in the LPGA major championship.

But the focus on the day for So Yeon Ryu didn’t have much to do with the Rules of Golf. Ryu was more interested in changing the path of her own career.

“I hadn’t won a tournament since the 2014 Women’s Canadian Open until I won the ANA Inspiration,” Ryu said. “So before I started the season last year, the only thing I was able to talk about for me was let’s just win a tournament. Of course, I thought it’s going to be great to win a major tournament or whatever, but the only thing I was able to talk to myself about was win a tournament.”

More:2018 ANA Inspiration: Tickets, parking and general information

More:Rules changes are lasting legacy of Lexi Thompson penalties at ANA Inspiration

More:Ashley Judd, Olympic medalists highlight ANA Inspiring Women in Sports conference

Ryu’s victory for now may be overshadowed by the rules controversy that hit the final two hours of the ANA Inspiration last year. But Ryu’s win, in a one-hole playoff over Thompson, reminded her fans and some of her critics that Ryu can be a top player on the LPGA.

With a second win later in the year at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship, Ryu lifted herself to No. 1 in the Rolex World Rankings. And the end of the season, Ryu shared LPGA Player of the Year honors with Sung Hyun Park. And the critics who had questioned the ability to close out a tournament by the former LPGA Rookie of the Year had to be quiet.

“Even when you are not thinking that way and people start to talk like that to you, you start to worry about it,” Ryu said. “I’m not going to lie. For sure, I was worried about it as well.”

So Yeon Ryu hits her tee shot on the 9th hole during the ANA Inspiration in Rancho Mirage, April 2, 2017.

The winless streak from the Canadian Open in 2014 to the 2017 ANA Inspiration was surprising because Ryu had been such a talented and consistent player from the time she first made her mark on the LPGA by winning the 2011 U.S. Women’s Open in a three-hole playoff over Hee Kyung Seo. That gave the Korean star status on the LPGA, and she capitalized by winning the Jamie Farr Toledo Classic that year as well as taking the rookie of the year honor.

Even in her winless years, Ryu was playing solid golf. In 2015 she had eight top-five finishes, but no wins. In 2016 there were 10 top-10 finishes, including six top-five finishes. Even in 2017 heading into the ANA Inspiration, Ryu had two second-place finishes, a fifth and a seventh in four starts. It might have looked like another second-place finish for Ryu at Mission Hills Country Club, but Thompson’s four penalty shots set up a playoff that Ryu won with a birdie on the par-5 18th hole against a tearful Thompson.

For all that had happened in the closing holes, the victory was still the culmination of a dream Ryu had held since watching her idol Grace Park win the 2006 ANA Inspiration and jump into Poppie’s Pond.

So Yeon Ryu jumps into Poppie’s Pond after winning the ANA Inspiration in Rancho Mirage, April 2, 2017.

 

“Since I saw Grace Park jumping into Poppie’s Pond, winning the tournament became one of my biggest dreams. When you achieve your dream, it feels so special, and I dreamed about that dream for like 10 years,” said Ryu, who was 16 when Grace Park won the event. “That was definitely really special. And then because of this win, I was able to achieve No. 1 player, and then because of this win I was able to receive the Rolex Annika Major award, and then I was able to win the co-player of the year. So this tournament just brought everything to me.”

More:Readers respond with anger, humor, disbelief to Lexi Thompson ruling

With 2017 behind her, Ryu must now try to avoid the all-too-common pitfall of not following up a good year with another good year.

“Actually, it’s really hard to set up the goal after having an incredible year because it’s really tough to say I want to win player of the year again, I want to win the major again,” she said. “It’s kind of easy to say, but hard for me to believe myself that I am going to do it again.

"What I can do is just enjoy this game as I always did," she said. "If I look back, one thing I was kind of like disappointed for was when I was No. 1 I haven’t won any tournaments (since). So hopefully I can get back to No. 1 position, and if I get back to No. 1 position, I want to win a tournament.”

So Yeon Ryu hits out of a greenside bunker on the 17th hole at the ANA Inspiration in Rancho Mirage, March 30, 2017.