So Yeon Ryu is tied for 6th and six shots off the lead at the midway point of the Hugel-Air Premia LA Open. Her key for the final two rounds, as she tries to catch 36-hole leader Jessica Korda? Confidence.
Ryu, 30, is a six-time LPGA winner and owner of two major championships, but she said after her second round on Thursday that she still at times struggles to maintain her confidence on the course. This happened at the ANA Inspiration a few weeks ago, too, where she finished T50.
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“Then I realized, You know what, all of my ability is there and one thing I’m missing is just confidence,” said Ryu, who is ranked 17th in the world. “I really try to be confident. Almost try to [be a] little arrogant on the golf course to be like, You know, I got this. I’m really good at this. I think that kind of attitude is really helpful.”
As for what’s helping Ryu embrace that mindset? YouTube, and the book “Atomic Habit,” the latter a 2018 New York Times bestseller by James Clear that, as the title says, discusses “An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones.“
Ryu said a friend directed her to some helpful YouTube clips and she stumbled upon one about “Atomic Habit.”
“The writer talked about what kind of mindset you need to have and what kind of daily routine could help you out,” she said. “Then I started to follow a little bit and then I think it starts to work.”
Ryu’s third round begins at 4:04 p.m. ET on Friday. Golf Channel will broadcast the action from 6:30-9 p.m. ET.