Updated: April, 2017

BO BAE SONG

The Facts
Birthday: February 22, 1986
Rookie Year on KLPGA: 2004
Birthplace: ?, South Korea
Best LPGA Finish: Win (2009 Mizuno Classic)
Best LPGA Major Finish: T-55th (2005 Nabisco Championship)
Height: 5' 6"
2017 LPGA Status: Retired
Nicknames: BB
Sponsors: Unknown
How's her English?: Unknown
Hobbies: Unknown
Road to the LPGA: Plays on the JLPGA

Capsule Bio

Bo Bae Song is the latest in a long line of teenage superstars in Korean golf, stretching back at least since Se Ri Pak. Like Se Ri, Bo Bae made her first splash in one of the biggest tournaments in Korea, the Korean Women's Open, when she won it in 2003 as a 17 year old high schooler. She duplicated the feat in 2004 as a rookie on the KLPGA tour.

In fact, her rookie year in 2004 was sensational. She led the league in wins with two, made the most money of anyone on tour, and won Player of the Year. Not bad for an 18 year old! She also finished second to Joo Mi Kim in scoring average with 71.17.

As impressive as her 2004 exploits were, it looks like 2005 could be an even better year for her. She started it with a bang. Playing in the Samsung Ladies Masters in Singapore, an event jointly sponsored by the KLPGA and the Ladies European Tour, she stunned everyone by not only winning, but by leading wire to wire. She beat several European superstars, including Laura Davies, in the process. With that win, she became only the second Korean to ever win an LET event (Se Ri Pak won the 2001 Women's British Open), and in so doing earned a three year exemption on that tour.

The next week, she joined Jeong Jang in representing Korea at the Women's World Cup. They did marvelously, finishing tied for second, but were in the match until nearly the last hole, when Japan made two birdies on 17 to pull away for the win.

BB finished 2005 by repeating as KLPGA Player of the Year and winning the Low Scoring Average title as well (she finished second to Kyeong Bae on the money list).
Articles
Bo Bae Song Wins Ladies Masters

Galleries
2007 Photos
2006 Photos
Images
Seoul Sisters Pix

BB started 2006 at the ANZ Ladies Masters in Australia and also represented South Korea at the Women's World Cup along with Meena Lee. But after playing the SBS Open on the LPGA tour, she suffered an injury that kept her out for several weeks. It took her a few KLPGA events before she got her game back, but in late May she won the Lakeside Ladies Open to announce to the tour that she was back and ready to challenge for the top spot there for a third straight year.

Alas, she continued to struggle with injuries much of the year. In the end she only finished 8th on the year end money list, her worst result to date as a pro.

In 2007, Bo Bae joined the JLPGA, the Japanese ladies professional tour. She did quite well there, finishing 16th on the money list as a rookie. This qualified her to play on the Korean squad for the Kyoraku Cup, the annual team event that pits top Korean and Japanese women golf pros against each other. She did not do well, however, losing both of her matches. In fact, her first loss was one of the most lopsided in the history of the event, as her opponent beat her 64-82.

BB continued to play the JLPGA tour in 2008. She got her season off to a great start, winning the opening event, the Daikin Orchid, by four shots. It was her first JLPGA win after a number of close calls in 2007. She continued to be a strong presence on tour leaderboards the rest of the season.

In November, Song played in the Mizuno Classic, the LPGA event in Japan, and notched her first ever top ten at an LPGA event, a tie for 7th.

Due to the fact she had not played enough events in previous season, 2009 was technically Bo Bae's rookie year on the JLPGA. By the end of the year, she had claimed that tour's Rookie of the Year award. She had 7 top tens and finished 7th on the money list, but it was her two wins that really made her stand out. Her first victory of the season came at the JLPGA's biggest event, the Japan Women's Open. She followed this Major win with a brilliant win at the LPGA's Mizuno Classic, beating a field of top LPGA stars including Lorena Ochoa and Jiyai Shin, the defending champion. This win gave Song membership on the LPGA tour, but she set a precedent by turning down that membership to remain on the JLPGA tour. She is the first player in at least the past ten years to do that.

Was it a good move? Well, that's debatable. Song had a fairly weak 2010 season in Japan. She only finished 29th on the money list, with her best result being a third. She failed to make the top 20 on the money list for the first time in her career.

Bo Bae returned to form in 2011. She was not able to win on tour, but notched a bunch of top finishes, including a 2nd place at the year's final event and Major, the Ricoh Cup. She wound up 11th on the year's money list, with over 55 million yen in earnings. She was back down again in 2012, finishing just 49th on the JLPGA money list.

Song finished outside the top 50 on the JLPGA money list in 2013 with no wins. In 2014, she finished 68th on the JLPGA money list with a bit more than 11 million yen earned. She had two top tens, her best finish a tie for third.

Song retired after the 2014 season and sometimes works as a commentator, covering JLPGA golf for Korean television.
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