The LPGA Tour can be challenging at times. Winning is not easy when someone like Nelly Korda takes away seven titles in a season, and shining more than others in the pack is also difficult. However, through it all, a golfer has to move, and that’s what Narin An does. Although her name would not ring a bell for many familiar with the LPGA Tour, An is a known golfer in her homeland. So, where is she from?

Unlike many pros who started their journey at a young age like Michelle Wie West at 10, Lexi Thompson at 12, and others, the 28-year-old was not into the game of golf until the age of 15. Growing up in the capital of South Korea, An was introduced to many sports, but to show her athletic ability, the LPGA Tour star chose golf. She was inspired by 9-time LPGA Tour and 2012 US Women’s Open winner Na Yeon Choi and wanted to pursue a career like her, both on the LPGA Tour and Korean LPGA Tour.

However, the major reason An started playing golf was because she wanted to experience various cultures from around the world. She once told the LPGA Tour, “I wanted to experience a lot of different cultures, and I thought that golf was fitting in that area. It’s why I started playing golf.” So that’s why, after making a name for herself in South Korea, An graduated from Q-School in 2021 and has been part of the LPGA Tour since then.

Even when times got difficult at the LPGA Tour Q-School, the Seoul native didn’t lose hope and noted, “It’s a tour that I’ve always wanted to challenge myself on playing. It’s why I’m here.” In the last two years on the American circuit, An has faced many challenges, but has she converted it into a victory?

Has Narin An ever won on the LPGA Tour?

When Narin An joined the LPGA Tour, she was already a two-time winner of the Korean LPGA after winning the Autech Carrier Championship and Hana Financial Group Championship in 2020. Following that, An’s only dream was to make it on the LPGA Tour and play with pros she only watched on television. At the 2021 BMW Ladies Championship, the 28-year-old had a solid chance to win the event as she finished T3 but couldn’t be the winner.

Then, once she was an LPGA Tour member, An tried her hands at winning many other times. But as evident, it has been hard to win and card top finishes. In the 2024 season, after playing 26 events so far, An has only one runner-up finish at the LPGA Portland Classic. She also made her career’s first ace there in the final round, but the victory was elusive then too.

As the LPGA Tour’s 2024 season comes to an end, Narin An surely hopes that she can play better at the CME Group Tour Championship and hopefully enter the next season with a victory and fulfill her dream of being an LPGA Tour winner.