Carl Yuan Yechun has paid tribute to wife Luo Ying’s patience and support after winning his maiden Korn Ferry Tour title in the US. The Chinese golfer took a huge step towards securing a spot on the PGA Tour , and called Luo “his luck”. It was a big day all around for Yuan, who turns 25 on Monday. After beating Peter Uihlein in a playoff at the Chitimacha Louisiana Open, he paid tribute to Luo, a professional golfer in her own right, who he met at the University of Washington. “I’m thankful my wife is here with me,” he said. “We’ve been through a lot and I’m glad it’s happened. I’m really excited. Having a wife who knows golf, who knows how hard golf is and who is understanding about golf, it is a great thing, it is my luck. “She has patience with me. As an observer, she can tell me my weaknesses. We are a team and we support each other to be better,” added Yuan, who is now into his fourth season on the Korn Ferry Tour. Yuan has had a flying start to the year, and had finished in the top three twice already. The win moves him to the top of the tour rankings, with the best 25 players during the regular season securing PGA Tour status. With 853 Korn Ferry Tour points next to his name, he is now only 47 points shy of the anticipated 900-points projection to secure his card. A solo-16th place finish in any forthcoming event will seal the deal. “My wife said the birthday boy has got to win one,” Yuan said. “I really believed in her. Technically, it’s already my birthday, in China time, as we’re 12 hours behind. “Well, for my birthday wishes, I did not wish to win, it wasn’t one of my wishes. I saved up for something else. It’s definitely the best birthday gift I could get.”