On the surface, it’s a charming “Meet the Players” video at Erin Hills, but for those who know the industry, this is a high-stakes autopsy of two careers at a crossroads. In Gee Chun, the three-time major champion, is walking the fairways of the 2025 U.S. Women’s Open with the heavy burden of a 2024 “sabbatical” still hanging over her.
While she speaks of “finding balance,” insiders whisper that the “Dumbo” of the tour has lost her flight—struggling to crack top-10s and fighting the mental fatigue that comes with a decade under the microscope. This isn’t just a tournament for her; it’s a fight for relevance in a world that has already started looking for the next big thing.
Then there’s Hye-jin Choi, the woman who was supposed to be the “Korean Tiger Woods” after her 2017 amateur heroics. Fast forward to 2025, and she’s still chasing that elusive LPGA win. The “Bridesmaid Curse” is real, and the tension is visible in every swing.
Sources close to the range suggest that Choi is “paralyzed by the podium”—performing perfectly until the pressure of the final nine holes exposes a lack of killer instinct. By featuring her alongside the legendary Chun, the media is cruelly highlighting the one thing Choi lacks: the ability to actually close the deal when it matters.
The locker room buzz is cynical: is this the last time we see these two as “headliners”? While they offer polished answers for the cameras, the statistical reality is a “Masterclass in Mediocrity” compared to the dominant forms of Nelly Korda or Lilia Vu. If Chun can’t regain her major-winning magic and Choi can’t finally break her winless streak, Erin Hills won’t be a milestone—it will be a tombstone for their A-list aspirations.
