Grace Park, known in Korea as Park Ji-eun, who was considering competing on the Korean Tour this season despite announcing her retirement from the U.S. LPGA Tour in June, said on Monday that she has decided to retire for good.
"I did not want to stand on the field without being confident of winning," Park said at a press conference in Seoul. "I am getting married on Nov. 27 with someone I've known since my elementary school days, and I plan on starting the next chapter of my life."
Park, who went to the U.S. to master her sport when she was still in junior high school, dominated the women's amateur golf circuit when she was studying at Arizona State University. She eventually earned herself the nickname "the Queen of Golf" after turning pro by winning six LPGA Tour wins, including the Kraft Nabisco Championship in 2004.
Park, who inspired interest in the sport in Korea as part of the first-generation of Korean LPGA golfers including Pak Se-ri and Kim Mi-hyun, began suffering from hip and back injuries in 2005 and was never able to recapture her peak form. Park said the pinnacle of her golfing career came in 2004, when she won the U.S. LPGA Nine Bridge Classic on Jeju.
"I was very happy at that time because I was able to perform at my best in front of my family members and many Korean fans," she recalled.
"I planned to compete again in front of Korean fans after earning a seed in the Korean LPGA last year, but the reality was different from what I had expected," she said. "I feel bad about ending my professional career without achieving a score that I am satisfied with due to my injuries, but after getting married, I will look for a job related to golf, which is what I know best."
She is currently preparing for her Master's thesis at Korea University. "I am very thankful to my fans, who still post encouraging messages on my Facebook page," Park said. "I hope they will continue to support women's golf."