One of “Seri Park Kids” and speaks perfect English Golfer So Yeon Ryu of Yonsei University won the US Women’s Open after an extended competition against Seo Hee Kyung . This was the first time two Koreans fought over the final cup in a major competition. At The Broadmoor’s East Course (par-71, 7047 yards) in Colorado Springs, Ryu played in 2-under par during the extended game on the 16th (par-3), 17th (par-5), and 18th (par-4) holes, trailing off Seo who ended with 1-over par. Ryu, who became qualified to compete in the US Open with her fourth place rank in last year’s Korean LPGA Tour, was able to enjoy the honor of having her first LPGA Tour victory at the US Women’s Open as well as the $585,000 winning check. Ryu’s victory became clear on the 600-yard No. 17 (par-5) when Seo bogeyed, while Ryu hit her approach for a birdie, getting ahead of Seo by two shots. With another birdie on the 18th green, Ryu celebrated her victory. Ryu has a prominent and global record so far. She studied aiming for the best in the world ever since she was a young girl and she rose to prominence as the new “Seri Pak Kid” with the competitiveness that is well-matched with global standards. Ryu was raised in a well-off family with her father doing business in construction. Her parents tried to raise her as a violinist. She learned English from a very early age. Despite some hardships when her father’s business was not going well, she was able to graduate from Daewon Foreign Language High School and now attends Yonsei University, spending many hours on her studies. Thirteen years ago, when their role model Seri Pak won in the US Open, Korea was undergoing economic hardships. It was a hard-won victory that no one had imagined. It has been thirteen years since Seri Pak’s victory. Since then, Korean players have been leading the LPGA tour in terms of both quality and quantity. Korea is now in the position to set global standards for the gold world. Supported by large companies, young Korean players are now world-class in not only their playing skills but also their style, manners, and attitude when greeting fans. Ryu said, “Seri Pak is my hero and I was proud to win when she was watching.”