LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. — In Gee Chun won the U.S. Women's Open the first time it was hosted by Lancaster Country Club in 2015. Only 20 years old at the time, In Gee laid her golf roots in the area with the victory and soon after, did something else that keeps her permanently connected to the club.
"At her heart, she's just an incredible person," said Lauren Stadel, who is the chairperson for the In Gee Chun Lancaster Country Club Educational Foundation. "You can't teach that, and education is really important to her. When her team and the club started talking, it made a lot of sense to create an education foundation.”
Her supporters came out in huge numbers to follow her during the first round of this year's U.S. Women's Open. Many were wearing the foundation's green t-shirts. It benefits the employees at the club, their dependents and caddies by handing out scholarships so they can pursue higher education or their career goals.
“If you know her, you gotta love her," gushed Mark Martel. "It’s more than golf with her, we’ve just gotten to know her, she knows my family, we travel, we’re from Florida, there are people from Japan, Arizona, all over the country and the world here to cheer for her.”
“You’ll see some of the hats say Dumbo, that’s her nickname," explained Stadel. "Some of them have the foundation's logo. She just has such a draw, not only because she’s had such a successful golf career, but when people read about the person that she is, it’s pretty easy to follow her.”
“It feels so special and I got a really warm heart from them, I really appreciate it," smiled Chun. "Without them I think my golf today was going to be tough. I appreciate all of my family and fans in Lancaster.”
She shot 75 in the first round and is currently seven shots behind the leader. Her reaction to finishing the 18th hole was to immediately sign autographs for her worldwide fan base.
“I know it’s really hard to get here from all over the world," said Chun. "So that’s why I always feel like I’m a lucky person.”