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What Golfers Can Learn From Haeran Ryu’s KPMG Women’s PGA Championship Win
By Brendon Elliott, PGA
Published on
Haeran Ryu’s win at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship was not built on a perfect final round.
That is the lesson.
Ryu won her first major championship at Hazeltine National after a day that could have easily gotten away from her. The final round was delayed by weather. The wind picked up. The golf course was wet, long and demanding. Then Ryu, who started the day with the lead, bogeyed the first hole and made three bogeys in her first five holes.
For most recreational golfers, that kind of start would lead to panic. The mind races. The swing gets quick. The player starts trying to make up shots instead of playing the next one correctly.
Ryu did the opposite. She settled down, kept playing and turned a difficult start into a major championship.
That is something every golfer can learn from.
A Bad Start Does Not Have To Become A Bad Round
One of the biggest mistakes I see from everyday golfers is letting the first few holes decide the entire day.
A double bogey on No. 1 becomes, “Here we go again.” A three-putt on No. 2 becomes, “I can’t putt today.” A tee shot into trouble becomes a full-round identity.
Great players do not think that way. They might be frustrated, but they understand that a round is long. There are still fairways to hit, greens to find, up-and-downs to save and smart decisions to make.
Ryu’s final round is a great reminder that golf rewards emotional patience. You do not need to feel calm to make a good decision. You just need to slow down enough to choose the right shot.
The Reset Should Happen Before The Swing
Most golfers try to fix a bad start with mechanics. They immediately start searching.
Was my backswing too long? Did I lift my head? Was I too quick? Did I get stuck?
Sometimes there is a technical issue. But under pressure, the first fix usually needs to be a reset, not a rebuild.
Here is what I recommend after a rough hole:
- Take one slow breath before you leave the green.
- Name one thing you can control on the next tee.
- Pick a conservative target.
- Make a committed swing.
- Judge the shot by the decision, not only the result.
That last part matters. If you hit the correct shot to the correct target with a committed swing, that is a win, even if the result is not perfect.
Play To The Biggest Safe Target
When a player starts poorly, the temptation is to get aggressive. The golfer wants to birdie the next hole, attack a tucked pin or hit a hero shot from a bad lie.
That is usually how one bad hole turns into three.
After a poor start, your best friend is a smart target. Aim at the widest part of the fairway. Aim for the middle of the green. Take one more club if you are between clubs. Choose a shot that gives you room to be human.
This is not playing scared. It is playing intelligently.
Tour players look aggressive when they are in control of their ball. But a lot of great golf is built on boring decisions. Fairway. Green. Two putts. Simple chip. Smart miss.
That is how momentum returns.
Try This: The Three-Shot Reset
The next time your round starts poorly, give yourself a three-shot reset.
Shot 1: Choose the safest tee shot you can hit with confidence. That may be driver, but it may also be a fairway wood, hybrid or iron.
Shot 2: Aim your approach at the center of the green or the biggest safe area near it. Do not chase a tucked flag.
Shot 3: On the green or around the green, focus only on speed. A good lag putt or simple chip can calm the entire body.
The goal of the three-shot reset is not to make birdie. The goal is to get your mind and rhythm back.
Once you do that, you can start playing golf again instead of reacting to what already happened.
The Lesson For Your Game
Haeran Ryu did not win her first major because everything went smoothly. She won because when things got difficult, she stayed in the round.
That is championship golf.
It is also the kind of golf everyday players can copy. You may not have Ryu’s ball-striking, speed or touch, but you can build a better reset. You can stop letting one hole define the next four. You can make smarter target choices. You can learn to respond instead of react.
The next time your round starts poorly, do not tell yourself the day is gone.
Tell yourself the round just gave you a chance to prove you can reset.
PGA of America Golf Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer. Read his recent “The Starter” on R.org and his stories on Athlon Sports. To stay updated on his latest work, sign up for his newsletter and visit OneMoreRollGolf.com.
