2007 KLPGA Inter-Burgo Masters

The KLPGA returned to action at the Inter-Burgo Masters, a new event being played from October 26 - 28th. As usual, it was a 54 hole event, but it was played on a par 73 course, 6,761 yards long, quite unusual for the KLPGA.

Perhaps the most interesting player in the field was Cha Ryung Yang (pictured). Are you asking yourself, who is Cha Ryung Yang? Well, she's an American who recently turned 12. Yes, that's right, 12. Yang, whose American name is Julie, recently won an AJGA event shortly after turning 12 (The Randy Smith Classic). This made her the second youngest girl to ever claim an AJGA title. At the Inter-Burgo Masters, Yang wound up shooting a five over par 78 on day one, which tied her for 82nd. Not bad at all for a girl who is barely old enough to qualify for AJGA events, let alone the KLPGA.

Not so unusual for the KLPGA was the leaderboard, which featured its share of the usual suspects. For much of the afternoon, there was a group of players bunched at the top at 3 under par, but eventually one of those players grabbed another birdie to take a solo lead. That player was Ran Hong, who by the end of the day sat all by herself in the lead at 4 under. Among those tied for second were Na Yeon Choi, who has been on a hot streak of late, and Hee Young Park, who has yet to win an event on tour this year, but who had been showing signs she might be ready to win sometime soon. She was coming off a decent finish at the Kolon-Hana Bank, where she nearly captured her second top ten in the event.

Meanwhile, Ji Yai Shin got off to a so so start, and after 15 holes, she sat at even par. But she made birdies on two of the final three holes to finish at 2 under, just two shots out of the lead.

Unfortunately for her and her fans, Ran Hong (pictured) did not play well in the second round. She eventually limped in with a 76, which still left her with a shot at the win; but her 1 under total was several shots back of the lead. Hee Young Park stumbled similarly, and Na Yeon Choi was also over par. They were all still within a few shots of the lead, though, and could still win with a great Sunday effort.

For much of the day, the battle came down to the two best golfers on the tour this year: Ji Yai Shin and Sun Ju Ahn. Both of them were well under par and took the lead about halfway through the day. In the end, Ahn squeaked by Shin, shooting a three under par 70, the second best score of the day, to move to a 4 under par total.

Shin was one under for the day and 3 under total, just one shot back of Ahn. Shin made birdies on the 9th, 10th and 12th holes, and looked primed for a good position, but made a couple bogies coming in to fall to her final score. Ahn, meanwhile, added her birdies late to establish her lead.

Song Hee Kim, as the top LPGA full timer in the field, had a decent showing, an even par 73, to remain in 7th place at 1 under total. She was not out of it by any means.

The 12 year old American amateur Julie Yang shot an 80 and missed the cut, but she did manage to beat a few players, including KLPGA tour winner Ga Na Lee. So, not bad at all for this junior prodigy!

The final round started with Sun Ju Ahn in the lead, Ji Yai Shin trailing close behind, and other top players Na Yeon Choi and Hee Young Park in close pursuit. In addition, Song Hee Kim was in position to possibly win her first tournament of the year and make up for what had been a surprisingly weak 2007.

Ji Yai Shin (pictured), the seven time winner on tour, pretty quickly took control of the leaderboard, with birdies on holes 2, 5 and 6. That moved her to 6 under par and the lead. Her other competitors during that stretch were not doing nearly as well: Hee Young Park had a birdie and a bogey, Na Yeon Choi one birdie, and Sun Ju Ahn two bogies to slip back to 2 under.

Once Shin had control of the leaderboard, there was no dislodging her. She kept piling on the birdies while her competitors struggled to keep pace. Ahn was finished when she made a double bogey on the 11th hole; she wound up with a one over par 74 for the day and a -3 total. Song Hee Kim had a better day, going out in 2 under and finishing with a 71 to move to 3 under, a tie for third. Hee Young Park could only manage an even par round on the day.

That left just Na Yeon Choi, arguably the hottest golfer on tour over the last few weeks. She started well, going out in two under, but even so lost a stroke to Shin. Still, she was only two shots back at the turn, and seemed determined to make it a contest. But she couldn't. She made nothing but pars on the back nine and finished all by herself in second place at 4 under.

Meanwhile, Shin made three more birdies to match the three she made on the front nine, and cruised to a five shot win at 9 under total. She was never really seriously threatened once she made two birdies on 10 and 11. And so, Ji Yai Shin recovered nicely from her 'slump' at the Kolon Hana Bank Championship. Weirdly, the only two events in Korea this year where she has missed the top ten were the two most important events of the year, the Korean Women's Open and The Kolon. In every other event, she has been right up near the top of the leaderboard.

This win marked Shin's 8th win of the year, her 11th since turning pro and her 12th KLPGA win overall. She has now tied Kimmie for career wins, and the year is not over yet! In celebration, Shin jumped into the water near the 18th green, perhaps a rehearsal for doing that next year at the LPGA's first Major, the Kraft Nabisco? Time will tell!