KLPGA Update

ADT-CAPS Championship
At last the final event of the KLPGA season arrived, the ADT-CAPS Championship. By this point, Ji Yai Shin had won all the top accolades on tour; even if Hee Young Park won this event she could not catch Shin on the money list or for Player of the Year. Shin could, however, top Se Ri Pak's old record for most money made in a season with a win. So she still definitely had something to shoot for.

Meanwhile, Shin was trying to set several records. The last player to win four tournaments in a single season was Se Ri back in 1996. Could Shin tie that mark by winning this event? Also, her scoring average was currently 69.57 for 44 rounds. No one had ever finished the season with a scoring average in the 60s in the history of the KLPGA, not even Se Ri. Shin could score up to +12 at this event and still break 70. What would her final scoring average be?

There were a number of LPGA stars in the field as well this week. They were Soo-Yun Kang, Joo Mi Kim,
Soo Young Moon, and Jinnie Lee. Most of the top KLPGA stars were also present, although conspicuously absent was Bo Bae Song, the Player of the Year the previous two years on tour. Song had also skipped the Chinese event the previous week. She has struggled with injuries most of the year, and perhaps they have hit her again.

One neat extra this week was that the tour sponsors printed up a special book of stamps for this year's tournament. Among those pictured on the stamps were Soo-Yun Kang, Joo Mi Kim, defending champ Hae Jung Kim, and Ji Yai Shin.

In round one, the course played tough, and only a handful of players were able to break par.

One of them, currently tied for the lead, was a familiar name: Jin Joo Hong (pictured). She shot a one under par 71 which consisted of three birdies and two bogies. Hee Young Park got off to a great start with two early birdies, but made a double bogey later in the day. She then made a birdie to catch Hong and tie for the lead. All looked great until a bogey on 16 and a double bogey 7 on the par 5 18th knocked her back to 2 over par. Still, +2 was good for a tie for 7th at the moment.

Another player at +2 was Ji Yai Shin, trying to seal the deal on her sub-70 scoring average. The only player other than Hong under par was Ji Won Yoon, an obscure KLPGA player, who was tied for the lead with Hong at one under.

Among LPGA players, the top result on the first day was turned in by Soo Young Moon. She shot an even par 72 and sat all by herself in third. Joo Mi Kim shot a 75, and Kangsy shot a 76.

In round two, Jin Joo Hong continued to play strongly. She started weakly, making two bogies early, but collected birdies on holes 7 and 9 to return to one under total. She caught fire on the back nine, however, making birdies on 12, 15 and 17 to move to 4 under total.

However, that was not good enough for the lead. Her round one co-leader, Ji Won Yoon, had a similar day on Saturday. She also had two bogies and two birdies on the front nine, but went ballistic on the back nine. She made birdies on 13, 14 and 15 to take over the lead, then threw in another birdie on 17 to move to 5 under, where she finished.

Those two were really in the driver's seat. The next nearest golfer was Soo Young Moon, who shot a one under par round on Saturday and was at one under total. Joo Mi Kim typically has one great round per event at least, and she threw it out this day. Her 69 moved her to even par total, tied for 5th. Ji Yai Shin was also lurking at even par and could very conceivably make a run at the title. But Hee Young Park struggled, shooting a second straight 74 and was now in 12th place. Ever since she was disqualified a few months back, she has not played at the great level she had been at last year and the start of this year. But with the season nearly over, hopefully she could play well at the Kyoraku Cup the following week, then work hard to make 2007 a return to form.

In the end, the tournament came down to a battle between the two ladies in the final group, Jin Joo Hong and Ji Won Yoon. Yoon had never won an event on the KLPGA before, whereas Hong obviously had the two big wins this year, including the win at the Kolon-Hana Bank that secured her membership on the LPGA tour.

Yoon really struggled on the front nine in the final round. At one point she had three bogies in a row, and was +4 on that nine. Hong managed all pars. The conditions were rough, with not a lot of players going under par.

One golfer who did go under par was Joo Mi Kim. She had five birdies on the day and four bogies. This moved her to -1, which was good enough for a tie for third. But not good enough to contend for the title.

Even Ji Yai Shin was not able to get into contention. She was even par for the day and for the tournament. A tie for 6th. Yet another top ten in a fantastic season for this singular talent. She was not able to crack 400 million won for the season (she would have needed at least a second place finish here for that), but she managed a sub 70 scoring average, and arguably the best KLPGA season since Se Ri left for America. Congratulations to her!

Meanwhile, Yoon finally made a birdie on 10 to climb back to 2 under, two shots behind Hong. Jin Joo hit a rough patch at that point: after ten straight pars, she made back to back bogies to fall to 2 under and a tie for the lead. Yoon then birdied 13 to take a slim one shot advantage, which she maintained for hole after hole. Hong was not able to make another birdie, and Yoon held on to post her first ever KLPGA win. Congratulations to her, and to all the ladies of the KLPGA for an exciting season!