The top winner tearfully announces in retirement that no one saw it coming

ST. ANDREWS, Scotland – Late Saturday evening, seven-time LPGA winner IK Kim received word that she would be the first tee off Sunday morning at the AIG Women’s Open at 7:10. A chilly final round awaited in wind and rain, not to mention another pre-dawn wake-up call. But before she retired to bed, Kim, who is 36, had an important job to do. She had to warn her loved ones that this would be the final round THE the final round. She was retiring.

No one was ready for it. They tried to push him away. Kim himself, apparently, did not make the decision until recently. But then came Sunday morning, and Kim, who won this championship in 2017, split into the bleachers, made a few birdies, ran over the Swilcan Bridge, signed for a 75 and, with tears in her eyes, explained it. all for him Martin SlumbersOutgoing CEO of the R&A.

“He said, ‘You caught me off guard,'” Kim said after her round on Sunday. She had caught us all of them in surprise. There were no photographers there to document Kim waving at the Swilcan Bridge. No reporter to record her every move. And there really wasn’t much to catch, because she had been too “shy” (her word) to give us a goodbye moment on the bridge. She finished just before noon and had to come BACK on course to tell the media about her decision.

“Even Alastair (Scott) this morning,” Kim said of the first starter, “he’s like, ‘Why? You have to go back’. It’s so nice to hear that from the people you love.”

Kim better get used to it. She was only able to tell a few coaches, her parents and her best friend Saturday night. She smiled as she said there would be plenty of time to catch up with everyone else.

Kim’s career has come to an end. She was in the field because of her victory in the 2017 Women’s Open at Kingsbarns, her crowning achievement in a stellar career. And she can keep playing Women’s Opens for decades if she wants to. But she said she would rather play the Open at Muirfield in 2022.

“I told Martin Slumbers I wasn’t going to retire until I played at Muirfield,” she said. “I had always read about it from Jack Nicklaus’ book and a lot of great players have talked about Muirfield. I wanted to keep going until I played Muirfield. And when I did, I felt very satisfied. And at the same time, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with my life. So I continued to the data.”

“India,” Kim said, was all that added up to golf numbers. In her 18th year on the LPGA Tour after taking up the game at age 9, she saw it all lined up and kept her secret mostly to herself.

“I talked to Yani (Tseng) afterwards, and she kept crying, and I cried with her,” Kim said. “I just don’t know when it’s going to end. Not just golf, relationships and stuff. We are not here forever. I feel like golf is teaching me that a little faster.”

St. Andrews, for all its understanding of the sport, is a place known for finishes. The Home of Golf saw Tiger Woods address his retirement two years ago. (We are not there yet.) It felt like a natural place for Lydia Ko (a contender this week) to shut it down as well. (Asked about it, she said it’s unlikely.) Jack Nicklaus played his last Open in St. Louis. Andrews in 2005, as did Tom Watson in 2015. Catriona Matthew offer parting in the Women’s Open just two days ago.

These goodbyes often come in some form. A warning. Time to prepare. Kim’s will be one of the most unexpected. Without much preparation, the press corps asked the two most natural questions.

What’s next?

“Fortunately, I have many interests. I don’t know. I have to ask people.”

What are you most proud of?

“I am very proud of the hard work I have done. I wasn’t the most talented or talented, but I loved the game. I was willing to travel anywhere to play golf and learn the game. And I wanted to thank all the girls here. I learned a lot from them. So it’s just, I think, their relationship.”

Here her voice began to shake. She wiped away a few tears and said thank you one last time.