Born in Yokohama, educated in South Korea and now lives in Hawaii. Has a Korean mother and Japanese father, and moved to Seoul at the age of five and was schooled in the Korean capital. On graduation, she selected Japanese nationality. Started to play golf at age of 11, and in 2007 she won the Japan Junior title. Was the low amateur at the 2009 Japan Women’s Open and turned pro the following year after qualifying for the LPGA Tour on her first attempt. First professional victory came on the LPGA Futures Tour in April 2011 and also recorded wins in Japan and Korea. This February, held off world number one Lydia Ko to win her first LPGA tournament, the ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open, the first Japanese victory on the LPGA Tour since 2012. Enjoyed a rapid-fire follow-up by winning the Swinging Skirts LPGA Classic two months later.