Full credit to So Yeon Ryu.
The two-time major champion and former women’s world No.1 claimed victory in the Korean Women’s Open at the weekend – then pledged her ENTIRE winnings to the fight against COVID-19.
Ryu, 29, held off Hyo Joo Kim to win her national open – a Korean LPGA major, no less – by one shot at Bears Best Cheongna Golf Course in Incheon.
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That earned her a cheque for 250 million Korean won, the rough equivalent of $206,000. However, rather than keep the winnings for herself, the big-hearted Ryu is donating it all to COVID-19 relief and research causes instead.
"I've always wanted to win the national championship of my country," she told the Yonhap News Agency. "Since I hadn't played for such a long time, I didn't have such high expectations for myself this week. But I was well rested, and I was able to play well until the very end.”
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This isn’t the first time that Ryu has demonstrated her philanthropic side. Following her most recent victory in the US, the Meijer Classic in 2018, she gave $100,000 – around a third of her winner’s cheque – to one of the title sponsor’s charity programmes.
Last year, gave away half of her the money she made – around $45,000 – for finishing runner-up at the ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open to help those affected by the country’s bushfires.
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