Kyoraku Cup

On day two, Kimmie played and benched Na Yeon Choi. She started strong by sending Jeong Jang out first, with a number of the LPGA players playing in the middle of the pack. She was hoping the cup would be theirs by the time she herself finished her round.

Match one: JJ (pictured) vs. Miho Koga. This was a great match to start the day. JJ had been extremely tough in round one, and she carved out a four shot lead with 4 holes to go. It looked good for Jang to notch her second win, but on the 15th hole, Koga made a birdie and JJ a bogey to cut the lead to two. The real disaster came on the next hole, when JJ double bogied. Just like that, they were tied, JJ losing four strokes to her opponent in just two holes. They finished tied at even par, and each player earned a point for her team. But even a tie still helped the Koreans more than the Japanese at this point. Score: Korea 17-9.

Match 2: Seon Hwa Lee vs. Akiko Fukushima. Seon Hwa did a good job on day one, but she struggled on day two, and Fukushima claimed the win, 74-78. Score: Korea 17-11.

Match 3: Hyun Ju Shin vs. Yumi Kawahara. The Koreans needed someone to get some momentum, and Shin delivered. This was another close match, though. They were tied until 16, when Shin made a birdie to take a one shot lead that she maintained to win, 72-73. This win gave the Koreans a little breathing room again. Score: Korea 19-11.

Match 4: Hee-Won Han vs. Shiho Ohyama. Japan had to win some matches to have any chance to take the cup, which meant they had to beat some of the LPGA stars. Ohyama, being their top player in 2006, was probably their best shot at doing this. She delivered, shooting a brilliant 71 to edge Hee-Won Han, 71-74. Score: Korea 19-13.

Match 5: Jee Hee Lee vs. Momoko Huaeda. Japan continued the momentum when Huaeda beat this Korean JLPGA player 72-75. Score: Korea 19-15. Things were starting to get a bit tighter than the Koreans would have liked, but they still had a gaggle of LPGA stars coming up to hopefully put the team over the top.

Match 6: Mi Hyun Kim vs. Sakura Yokomine. This was Kimmie's first action of the week, and she was paired up against another of Japan's strongest players. This was pretty much a must win for Japan. Kimmie, alas, was never able to get going, and lost 73-76. With those two points, Japan amazingly had moved to within two points of Korea. Score: Korea 19-17.

Match 7: Se Ri Pak (pictured) vs. Mie Nakata Somehow you knew it was going to come down to this. Korea was starting to lose it, and the legend, Se Ri Pak, had to stem the tide. She had played miserably on day one, but count on this: she was NOT going to let her team down. And she didn't. Se Ri produced a 71 and waxed her opponent 71-77 for a much needed two points. Se Ri might not be quite at the level she once was, but she is still hands down the most clutch golfer Korea has ever produced. When you absolutely have to win a match, there is no Korean golfer you'd rather have on the course. Score: Korea 21-17.

Match 8: Meena Lee vs. Mikio Nizizuka. Meena got embroiled in a big and crucial battle that turned out to be the crucial match of the week. Were she to win, Korea would need only one more point to tie for the Cup, and there were several Korean golfers on the course poised to claim that point (we'll get to them in a minute). But were she to lose, Japan could still steal the trophy. Meena played great on the front nine, carving out a three shot lead. She struggled more on the back, making bogies on both back nine par fives, but despite that, she hung on, shooting a scintillating 71 to edge her opponent 71-73. Her win all but sealed the deal for the Sisters. Score: Korea 23-17.

Match 9: Ji Yai Shin vs. Shinobu Moromizato. Ji Yai had the chance to put the winning points on the board, but she was up against a Japanese phenom only a few years older than she. Shin played well, but Moromizato was inspired, and this time it was the Japanese who came out on top, 71-73. It wasn't over yet! Score: Korea 23-19.

Match 10: Jee Young Lee vs. Hiromi Mogi. Mogi had already upset Se Ri Pak on Saturday; would she be able to knock off another LPGA Korean today? No way! Jee Young had put the icing on the (birthday) cake yesterday, and she did it again today. After a 71 on Saturday, she shot a 72 today to edge the pesky Mogi 72-74. With her win, Korea officially accumulated enough points to retake the Kyoraku/Pinx Cup! Score: Korea 25-19.

Match 11: Hee Young Park vs. Michiko Hattori. Hee Young had played great on Saturday but still lost. Put into a pressure situation today, she produced, shooting a fantastic 70 to dominate her hapless opponent, 70-76. By the time she finished her round, Korea had already claimed the Cup, but her strong lead all day doubtless warmed the hearts of her teammates while they were still on the course. Score: Korea 27-19.

Match 12: Mi Jung Jeon vs. Akane Ijima. It's a pity that this match didn't count for much, because Mi Jung Jeon produced the best round of the week in destroying her opponent. She was 8 shots up on her at the turn, and shot a 67 compared to Ijima's 79. Like with Park, Jeon's great play had put even more pressure on the earlier Japanese players, who knew they had to pretty much all win to make up for the almost certain points Park and Jeon were going to claim for the Korean team. Final score: Korea 29-19

The Korean team chanted and cheered near the 18th green as one by one each of their teammates finished. They were bundled up in thick parkas and thematic earmuffs complete with Korean flags printed on them. Kimmie was perhaps the happiest of them all. She had successfully navigated her team to victory on hostile territory, and afterward, was the player presented with the victory cup. The MVP award went to Meena Lee, who had won both her matches but, more crucially, had claimed two points at a time when the outcome of the tournament was still in doubt. She won a little extra bread for claiming this title, and also burnished her reputation a little more in the process.

Congratulations to the Korean team for winning their fourth cup in the past five years. The overall record in this event now stands at 5 wins for Korea, two for Japan and one tie. This will doubtless make Christmas dinner a little easier to enjoy!