How 2019 U.S. Women's Open Champion Jeongeun Lee6 Got Her Unique Last Name

Jeongeun Lee6's first win on the LPGA Tour was a big one.  Lee6 won the 74th U.S. Women's Open at The Country Club of Charleston by two strokes over her nearest competitors, and finished 6-under par for the tournament.  And for the Korean golfer known as "Six," the win couldn't have been more on brand. 

 

Lee6 became the 19th golfer to make the U.S. Women's Open their first LPGA Tour victory, but Lee6's win did not come out of nowhere.  Lee6 has seven Korean LPGA Tour victories, and in six LPGA starts last season, she finished inside the top-20 five times (including three top-10 finishes).  But it wasn't until her major win yesterday that fans really grew curious about her name. 

When Lee6 joined the LPGA Korean Tour, there were already five players with the same full name (Jeongeun Lee) on Tour.  So because she was the youngest, she was given the number 6 to add to her last name, and when she joined the LPGA Tour she decided to keep the "six," and it's become as much an exercise is branding as it is her embraced identity ever since. 

 

Lee6 writes a large number "6" on her golf balls.  She wears clothes with the number 6 on them.  There's even a Lee6 fan club in South Korea called "Lucky 6." 

Lee6 said, 

"As a rookie player, I didn't expect to win the tournament this fast.  I think this is very lucky." 

 

Lee6 earned $1 million for her victory.  And with that prize money she said she'd now be able to eat ramen and buy herself a new pair of shoes.  A victory she called a "double" win.