As a 13-year-old in 2022, Hyo Song Lee stunned everyone
by winning the Korea Women's Amateur and the Malaysian
Women's Amateur as well. She finished the year with a third place
finish at the Women's Amateur Asia-Pacific Championship.
In 2023 she joined the National Team and quickly
went from strength to strength. Her most amazing accomplishment
that year came in defending her title at the Korea Women's Amateur.
Going into the final round tied for the lead, she shot a mind-shattering
62, the lowest score in the history of the event, to annihilate
the competition by 9 strokes. Included in her wake was Min Sol Kim,
the top amateur in the country, who finished ten shots back.
She also notched a bunch more second place and top
five finishes in amateur events. Her skill earned her a place in
several KLPGA events as well, although she didn't do particularly
well in them.
Lee joined with Min Sol Kim at the biennial Espirito
Santo Cup, the Women's World Team Championship. Korea had not won
the event since Hye Jin Choi was an amateur back in 2017, but the
two powerhouses and Kyo Rim Seo combined to get the win, their fourth
in the past seven cups and fifth in history. Lee's 5-under 67 in
the second round was key to the win. She also finished tied for
13th in the individual standings.
At the end of the year, Lee and Kim played another
event together, the Simone Asia Pacific Cup. This event pitted teams
of two players from the same country against other teams for team
and inidividual prizes. Kim and Lee were one of the few amateur
teams, and the youngest, one of five representing Korea (the other
four Korean teams were all professionals). They were incredible;
they finished tied for 2nd in the team event behind only Atthaya
Thitikul's team, and Lee and Kim tied for 4th in the individual
standings behind Thitikul, Da Yeon Lee and Min Byeol Kim.
Lee continued to shine in 2024. She attended the
Women's Amateur Asia-Pacific Championship again and
improved her result, finishing solo second and thus just missing
out on the invite to the Augusta National amateur event and three
Majors. She also finished tied for 38th at the Singapore Open, the
first event of the KLPGA season. The future looks super bright for
this prodigy.
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