Hye Jin Choi Bio
Hye Jin Choi is a South Korean professional golfer born on 23 August 1999 in Gimhae, Gyeongsangnam-do. She turned professional in 2017 and competes on both the LPGA Tour and the LPGA of Korea Tour. Across both circuits, she has built a record of thirteen professional wins, including twelve victories on the LPGA of Korea Tour. Her résumé also features strong showings in major championships and a silver medal from the 2014 Asian Games.
Choi first drew international attention as a teenager when she finished runner-up at the 2017 U.S. Women’s Open as a seventeen-year-old amateur. After a dominant 2019 season on the LPGA of Korea Tour, she earned her LPGA Tour card through qualifying school in 2022 and has since competed regularly on the premier women’s circuit.
Early Life and Background
Hye Jin Choi was born on 23 August 1999 in Gimhae, a city in the Gyeongsangnam-do province of South Korea. She grew up in a country with a deep tradition of competitive women’s golf, an environment that has produced generations of tour winners. From a young age, she gravitated toward the sport, training alongside South Korea’s deep amateur pipeline of junior players.
Her formative years were spent sharpening her game in junior and amateur competition, where she developed the ball-striking consistency and calm temperament that would later define her professional career. Although her parents and specific family connections are not publicly documented in detail, Choi’s early exposure to high-level competition prepared her for an unusually fast rise through the amateur ranks.
By her mid-teens, Choi was representing South Korea on the international stage, beginning with the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon. Those early experiences at multi-nation team events helped set the stage for a series of remarkable amateur victories.
Path to Professional Golf
Choi’s amateur career was one of the most decorated of her era. She represented South Korea at the 2014 Asian Games, helping her team earn a silver medal while finishing fifth in the individual event. The same year, she contributed to a third-place finish for South Korea at the Espirito Santo Trophy, the premier women’s amateur team competition.
In 2015, she won the World Junior Girls Championship both individually and as part of the South Korean team, confirming her status as one of the top young players in the world. The following year, she captured the 2016 Canadian Women’s Amateur and earned low-amateur honors at the 2016 U.S. Women’s Open. She also led Korea to victory at the 2016 Espirito Santo Trophy and finished runner-up at the 2016 New Zealand Women’s Open, an event co-sanctioned by the ALPG Tour and the Ladies European Tour.
Her 2017 amateur season was equally impressive. She won the Australian Women’s Amateur and added her first LPGA of Korea Tour title at the ChoJung Sparkling Water Yongpyong Resort Open, quickly followed by a second tour win at the Bogner-MBN Ladies Open. Her runner-up finish at the 2017 U.S. Women’s Open at the age of seventeen made her only the second amateur in history to reach the final pairing at that championship and confirmed her readiness for the professional ranks. She turned professional in August 2017.
Hye Jin Choi Career
Early Career (2017–2018)
Choi wasted little time making her mark after turning professional. She added a second LPGA of Korea Tour title in August 2017 at the Bogner-MBN Ladies Open and continued to compete regularly on the domestic circuit. Her early professional results showed a player who could win tournaments while still refining her game against more experienced opponents.
In 2018, she reached the final group of the ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open, an LPGA Tour event co-sanctioned with the WPGA Tour of Australasia, finishing as runner-up. That result signaled that her amateur form would translate directly into the professional ranks.
LPGA of Korea Tour Breakthrough (2019)
The 2019 season represented Choi’s breakout year. She won five events on the LPGA of Korea Tour, a run that established her as one of the circuit’s most dangerous players. Her consistency and winning habit were reflected in her selection as the LPGA of Korea Tour leading money winner for the season.
That same year, she continued to develop her game against stronger international fields, gaining experience that would later prove crucial when she returned to the LPGA Tour. Her dominance at home gave her the confidence to target the top global stage.
LPGA Tour Era (2022–Present)
Choi earned her LPGA Tour card through qualifying school for the 2022 season, beginning her full-time commitment to the premier women’s circuit. That year, she recorded a top-five finish at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, finishing tied for fifth at one of the five LPGA majors. She also reached the top of the leaderboard at the U.S. Women’s Open at the age of seventeen back in 2017, finishing tied for second, and has continued to log strong major results in subsequent seasons.
In 2022, she also competed at the Women’s British Open, where she finished tied for 28th. By 2024, she had posted a tied for seventh result at the Evian Championship, and in 2025 she recorded a tied for ninth finish at the Chevron Championship. Across her major appearances, she has compiled one runner-up, one top-five, and multiple top-ten finishes, confirming her ability to compete with the world’s best on the biggest stages.
Her LPGA Tour playoff record stands at zero wins and one loss, a reminder of how thin the margins remain at the top level. Nevertheless, she has continued to build a consistent presence on tour, and her combination of Korean-tour pedigree and major-championship pedigree makes her a steady contender week in and week out.
Notable Events and Milestones
One of the defining moments of Choi’s career came in 2017, when she finished second at the U.S. Women’s Open at seventeen years old, narrowly missing a chance to become only the second amateur to win the championship. She followed that breakthrough by claiming five Korean Tour wins in 2019 and becoming that circuit’s leading money winner. Her return to the LPGA Tour via qualifying school in 2022 marked another major milestone, opening the door to full-time competition against the world’s top players.
Hye Jin Choi Career Wins
Through her professional career, Hye Jin Choi has accumulated thirteen professional victories. Twelve of those wins have come on the LPGA of Korea Tour, with one additional win coming on another tour. She has also notched notable non-winning results on the LPGA Tour, including a runner-up finish at the ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open in 2018.
LPGA of Korea Tour Highlights
Choi’s first professional win came at the 2017 ChoJung Sparkling Water Yongpyong Resort Open, followed later that year by the Bogner-MBN Ladies Open. Her most prolific season came in 2019, when she won five times on the circuit, a run that delivered the LPGA of Korea Tour leading money winner award.
She has continued to compete regularly on the Korean circuit while splitting time with the LPGA Tour, maintaining her status as one of the top players in South Korea.
Other Wins and Performances
Beyond her LPGA of Korea Tour victories, Choi has produced strong performances in major amateur events, including the World Junior Girls Championship in 2015, the Canadian Women’s Amateur in 2016, and the Australian Women’s Amateur in 2017. She has also recorded top finishes in LPGA Tour co-sanctioned events, including a runner-up result at the 2018 ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open.
| Tour | Wins |
|---|---|
| LPGA of Korea Tour | 12 |
| Other professional wins | 1 |
Hye Jin Choi Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Public information about Hye Jin Choi’s parents and immediate family is limited. She was raised in Gimhae, Gyeongsangnam-do, a region with a strong sporting culture that has produced numerous Korean athletes. Detailed information about her family’s direct connection to golf is not publicly documented.
Personal Life
Hye Jin Choi keeps her personal life largely private. There is no publicly confirmed information about a spouse, partner, or children. She maintains a public presence on social media, including an Instagram account, where she shares updates about her golf career and tournament travels.
2025 Season Performance
Choi entered the 2025 season as a continuing member of the LPGA Tour with a schedule split between the U.S.-based circuit and the LPGA of Korea Tour. Her major-championship form remained strong, with a tied for ninth finish at the Chevron Championship in 2025 adding another top-ten result to her major résumé.
Throughout the 2025 campaign, she has continued to be a steady presence in the field, drawing on her experience from thirteen professional wins worldwide. Her mix of Korean-Tour dominance and LPGA Tour competitiveness has positioned her as a reliable contender in weekly events.
Looking ahead, Choi’s focus remains on adding to her LPGA Tour win total and pushing deeper into major-championship weekends. With her blend of international experience, ball-striking skill, and proven winning pedigree, she remains one of the most consistent South Korean players on the global women’s circuit.