Seoul: Ryu Hae-ran has won a tournament in each of her first three seasons on the LPGA Tour since her debut in 2023, but none of them has been a major.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the 24-year-old has had her chances, notably at the Chevron Championship in each of the last two years. She held a 54-hole lead on both occasions only to falter in the final round -- with a two-over 74 in 2024 and 76 in 2025.
"I've long thought about winning a major, but I guess I've not been ready," Ryu told reporters Tuesday after a corporate event in Seoul. "I am grateful that I've been able to win at least once every year, and I would love to do better at majors this year. I think it will come if I keep plugging at it."
Ryu, the 2023 LPGA Rookie of the Year, admitted memories of the blown leads at the Chevron Championship still haunt her to this day. The tournament was held at The Club at Carlton Woods in The Woodlands, Texas, in both of those years, but is reportedly moving to another Texas venue, Memorial Park Golf Course, this year.
"I've won tournaments on new courses before and I am looking forward to this year's Chevron Championship," said Ryu, who became the inaugural champion of the FM Championship in 2024 and again of the Black Desert Championship in 2025.
Ryu followed up her strong rookie campaign in 2023 with an even better sophomore season in 2024, when she recorded 13 top-10s in 26 starts and finished second in the Player of the Year points standings. Ryu took a step back in 2025, though, managing just five top-10s in 23 tournaments and earning US$1.37 million, down from over $2.8 million from the previous year.
If she didn't necessarily grow as a golfer, Ryu insisted she grew as a person. "Up until 2024, golf had been everything to me," she said. "But in 2025, I did a lot of things outside golf, including cooking. Though I had disappointing results as a golfer, I think I matured as a human being. I was quite stressed out last year because I had done so well in 2024, but this year, I will concentrate on the process and accept whatever results that come my way."