KLPGA: Where the Action Is

The KLPGA stars have shown that they can get the job done even when they play outside of their home country. In fact, in almost every tournament this year with a KLPGA player, at least one of them has made some kind of impact on the leaderboard. Right at the beginning of the year, Ji Yai Shin teamed with Young Kim to represent Korea at the Women's World Cup. Their team wound up finishing third, just a shot behind a team consisting of Hall of Famer Juli Inkster and US Women's Open runner up Pat Hurst. At around the same time, Shin also scored two straight top fives in Australian tournaments, including a second at the ANZ Ladies Masters. At the same tournaments, Sun Ju Ahn also played well, notching a top ten at the Australian Open, then leading the ANZ Masters for several rounds before fading to fourth. Both Shin and Hee Young Park finished in the top 31 at the year's first Major, the Kraft Nabisco. Shin contended and even led the US Women's Open before finishing sixth. She only finished 28th at the British Open, but Eun Hee Ji picked up the slack, finishing tied for fifth there. At the Evian, all three of the KLPGA big guns did well, notching top 20 finishes, with Shin coming one inch away from joining a playoff with Jeong Jang and Natalie Gulbis for the title (her eagle pitch on the final hole stopped on the lip of the cup). Shin also dominated the Thai Open, winning by ten shots. Though she did not play that well at the LPGA's Korean event, the Kolon Hana Bank Championship, Eun Hee Ji finished in second, just a shot out of the lead. In just a few events played on the LPGA, the non exempt rookie Ji earned enough money to secure her tour card for 2008. Ahn also finished in the top ten at the Kolon, as did Na Yeon Choi and Hyun Hee Moon, while Hee Young Park just missed the top ten herself.

Again, what is probably most remarkable about this crop of KLPGA stars is that several of them, despite their talent, have chosen to focus on the KLPGA rather than moving to America or even Japan. Ji Yai Shin has already stated that she intends to play in Korea at least one more year, hoping to break the all time win record. Hee Young Park and Na Yeon Choi (pictured) also both stayed for several years, although they are both trying to earn cards at Q-School this year. Hyun Hee Moon, Eun Hee Ji and Hae Jung Kim all earned non-exempt cards at last year's Q-School, but decided to play in Korea in 2007 rather than on the Futures Tour. For Ji in particular, it proved to be a good move: as mentioned, she has already earned her 2008 exempt card in just a few appearances on the LPGA. And it appears that Sun Ju Ahn is in no hurry to go to America, either. Korean fans can look forward to seeing many of these stars on tour next year.

Best of all, KLPGA events often turn into battles between the top players on tour, much more often it seems than LPGA events do. As dominant as Ji Yai Shin has been this year, she has still often had to duke it out with her top rivals to get her wins, sometimes not securing the victory until the final hole. She seems to be in contention most of the time, and usually either Ahn, Ji or both are right up there with her. With Choi, Park and Moon also getting into the mix at times, the result is top notch golf and great rivalries. How often does it get good? Ahn has seven top three finishes this year, Ji 9 and Shin 11 in 17 events. It doesn't get much better than that!

Especially with the struggles the Korean ladies on the LPGA have had this year, the KLPGA at times has been the best chance to see the Seoul Sisters really strutting their stuff. Fans of great golf will certainly look forward to seeing what Ji Yai Shin, Sun Ju Ahn and company will do in the future!

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