“He told me to hit it”: Ina Yoon revisits cheating scandal during Chevron Championship

Ina Yoon has found herself back in the spotlight at the Chevron Championship, not only for her position on the leaderboard but also for a controversy that continues to shadow her career.

The 22-year-old South Korean sits solo fifth at the LPGA’s first major of the season, eight shots behind runaway leader Nelly Korda heading into the final round at Memorial Park. But much of the attention surrounding her week has returned to a cheating scandal that led to a three-year suspension from the Korea Golf Association (KGA) and KLPGA.

Speaking through an interpreter in an interview with Golfweek’s Beth Ann Nichols, Yoon revisited the incident in which she played the wrong ball during the 2022 DB Group Korea Women’s Open and failed to report it immediately.

“I wasn’t sure what to do because this had never happened to me, so I was a bit frazzled,” said Yoon, who was still a teenager at the time of the incident. 

“My caddie said to hit it. I shouldn’t have listened, but I did. I should have reported it right away, but I was really nervous and scared about that.”

She added: “People believed what the caddie said, and I was pretty upset that that became the truth at that time. 

“He told me to hit it, but at the end of the day, I am the player and the player takes responsibility. I think I was just young and naïve and I listened to it.”

The KLPGA ultimately issued a three-year ban, stating: "We will continue to deal sternly with similar incidents.”

Yoon accepted responsibility but admitted the punishment felt career-altering.

“People around me that knew the situation felt that it wasn’t fair,” she said of the length of her ban, “but whatever the punishment was as a player, it was my fault at the end of the day, so I took that on.”

She added: “I didn’t do it with malicious intent, but people were pointing fingers at me.”

During her time away, Yoon rebuilt her career in the United States, competing on the men’s Minor League Golf Tour in Florida and posting a scoring average of 67.92 before returning to competition. 

Her suspension was later reduced to 18 months following a fan petition.

She returned strongly to the KLPGA in 2024, winning once, topping the money list, and earning LPGA status via Q-School, where she finished solo eighth.

Away from Yoon’s storyline, the Chevron Championship has also been hit by frustration after a broadcasting error means fans will miss the first hour and 22 minutes of Korda’s final round, including her opening five or six holes. 

Korda takes a five-shot lead over Patty Tavatanakit into the final round. 

Yoon, now ranked 53rd in the world, says she is focused on moving forward.

“I’ve reflected a lot, and now I will do my best to become the best player I can be.”

READ YOON'S FULL INTERVIEW HERE