Following her win at the 2018 California Junior Girls’ State Championship, a then just 16-year-old Yealimi Noh announced to the surprise of many that she was going to turn pro the next year.
At the time, Noh, of Concord, walked away from a potential full-ride scholarship to UCLA.
“The plan to turn pro is my decision and mine only. No one pressured me. I just want to turn pro earlier,” said Noh at the time. “I don’t think I’ll adjust well to college golf.”
No one can doubt her decision anymore.
After numerous close calls a new 23-year-old Noh broke through in February, capturing her first LPGA Tour title via a four-stroke victory over Jin Young Ko at the Founders Cup presented by U.S. Virgin Islands.
“This means so much to me,” Noh said. “I worked really hard the past few years and went through a lot of struggles. This means so much to me. I told myself 2025 is going to be my year, so this is the best way to start it.”
The difference for Noh this time was a pair of back-to-back birdies on holes No.13 and 14 that got her to a total of 21-under par. At the same time, Ko bogeyed both holes.
“I've been in contention a couple of times, and I told myself I could do it, but this is the first time it got done. This is a really big confidence booster for me,” Noh said.
With the win, Noh became the first former Junior Tour of Northern California member to win an LPGA Tour event. In 2018, Noh also won the U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship at Poppy Hills.
