'My performance wasn't there after the wrist injury'

Lee Jeong-min, an 11-time winner on the KLPGA Tour, holds her retirement ceremony Thursday. [KLPGA]
Lee Jeong-min, an 11-time winner on the KLPGA Tour, holds her retirement ceremony Thursday. [KLPGA]

Lee Jeong-min, an 11-time winner on the KLPGA Tour, has retired from professional golf.

Lee held a retirement press conference Thursday at H1 Club in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province, saying she was putting down her clubs "without any regrets, because I gave my best every single moment."

Known for her precise iron play, Lee debuted on the KLPGA Tour in 2010 and claimed her first victory that year at the Doosan Match Play. She enjoyed her peak years in 2014 and 2015, winning twice and three times respectively, and in 2015 finished second in both the Player of the Year and scoring average categories.

Lee reached 10 career victories at the 2023 PLK Pacific Links Korea Championship, then captured her first major title the following year at the KLPGA Championship — her 11th and final win.

A wrist injury prompted her decision to retire. After injuring the cartilage in her left wrist in the second half of 2024, she struggled to compete in cold weather and out of deep rough. The Hana Financial Group Championship last month was her final tournament.

"After the injury, my performance wasn't what I wanted, and that's what led me to retire," Lee said. Reflecting on her career, she added: "I think I was competing against myself more than against other players. I played golf without regrets, so I'd give myself 1,000 out of 100."

"For now I want to live like I'm unemployed, empty myself out — I think something will fill back in once I do," she said. Lee earned a Level 1 teaching certification last winter but plans to rest and enjoy skiing before considering her next steps.

Fellow players and younger tour members attended the ceremony to offer their support.

Lee had a message for the next generation: "I hope you don't pour everything into every single shot. Even if you hit it out of bounds, the ball is still on the course — it's not going anywhere."


yjc@heraldcorp.com