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Na On Min started playing golf at age 14.
She was a top amateur in Korea for several years and played
on the national team. She also played in several KLPGA events
as an amateur.
She gained a non-exempt card on the LPGA tour
by finishing tied for 18th at the 2006 LPGA Qualifying School.
She narrowly missed earning an exempt card by two strokes.
She turned pro immediately thereafter.
Min got her LPGA career out to a great start.
In her very first LPGA event, the Corona Morelia, she put
herself into contention and wound up finishing 5th. She nearly
managed a second top ten at her third event, the Sybase Classic,
finishing 11th.
But the unquestioned highlight of the year
for her came at the year's second Major, the LPGA Championship.
After a blistering third round 65, she found herself in contention
for the title. She played brilliantly on the final day, notching
four straight birdies at one point, but it wasn't enough.
She still finished third, though, and established herself
as one of the top rookies on tour as a result. In the only
other Major she played in 2007, the British Open, she finished
11th.
She would go on to finish third in the Rookie
of the Year race, behind only In-Kyung Kim and the eventual
winner, Angela Park. That she did this as a non-exempt rookie
is further testament to her skill. She also finished in the
top 40 on the money list, earning an exempt card for the next
two years.
Weirdly, Na On had a much weaker year in 2008
as an exempt player than she had had in 2007 as a non-exempt
player. She didn't secure even one top ten and made only half
her 2008 money. Still, she made enough to maintain exempt
status on tour for 2009.
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