“It has been a while since the U.S. Women’s Open, I thought the fans and reporters wouldn’t care this much,” Lee said. “But today, I saw so many media and fans are here, to celebrate with me, and congratulate me, put so much effort into today, I feel so happy and blessed.”

Part of what made the return to South Korea so meaningful was that Lee6 was finally able to share the victory with her parents. Neither her mother, Eunjin Ju, or father, Jung Ho, were in South Carolina in May to see their daughter, an LPGA rookie, win her first major. The 23-year-old hasn’t seen her parents for months. They keep in touch via video calls while she’s travelling.

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“We were watching her on TV overnight and were thinking would she have a chance to win? We didn’t have too much expectation actually,” Eunjin Ju said. “Until at the prize ceremony, her name was called, and we just realized that she really won. It felt so unreal, just like a dream.”

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Jeongeun Lee6 met with the media as part of a two-day celebration for the #USWomensOpen champ back home in South Korea. pic.twitter.com/JKTRzfpmOV

— USGA (@USGA) September 4, 2019

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When Lee6 was 4, her father, who worked as a truck driver, was paralyzed in an accident. His disability makes it difficult for he and his wife to travel to tour events to see their daughter play. Lee6’s determination to become a professional golfer came not only from a love of golf, but also as a way to help financially support her family.

Lee6’s mom, Ju, said that she and her husband are hoping to be at Champions Golf Club in Houston to see their daughter defend her Women’s Open title in 2020. Lee6 says she wants them there, too.

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The rain at the U.S. Women’s Open finally stopped late Friday, but the course remained wet and playing long. Shanshan Feng played in the afternoon wave and had three birdies and one bogey on her way to a second-round 70 that gave her a two-stroke lead at eight-under-par 136 at Trump National Bedminster.

There is a three-way tie for second at six under among Jeongeun Lee, Amy Yang and Hye Jin Choi, an amateur from South Korea. This is Lee’s first time in the United States, and this is Choi’s second U.S. Women’s Open.

“I just did really well for the first two rounds, and I think that I should just keep doing the same thing for the weekend,” said Feng who won her fourth Omega Dubai Ladies Masters title last December. “So I’m not going to make any changes. I’m just going to be myself.”

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There’s a decade’s worth of age difference amongst the top four players. Both Feng and Yang are 27, while Choi is just 17.

Choi, who was the low amateur in the 2016 Women’s Open when she finished T-38 at CordeValle, had four straight birdies on her ninth through 12th holes to get to eight under and a share of the lead. Bogeys on her 16th and 17th holes dropped her back to six under. Choi was the medalist in the qualifying site in Korea in June and has won a KLPGA event earlier this year.

“Last year’s experience gave me a lot more confidence than my first event and the results were pretty good, so I feel a lot better this year,” Choi said.

Choi’s six-under score is the second lowest 36-hole total in a Women’s Open by an amateur. In 1999 at Old Waverly, Grace Park was nine under at the halfway mark. The last time an amateur was this high on the leader board after 36 holes was Michelle Wie, who was T-2 in 2005 at Cherry Hills.

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