2006 ShopRite LPGA Classic

At the start of the year, the LPGA was touting the rookie class of 2006 as one of the deepest in recent memory. Much ink was used to extol the virtues of this impressive group. The American media fixated particularly on Morgan Pressel, the young American star who had finished second at the US Women's Open in 2005, and who received a special exemption from the LPGA to play on tour in 2006, as she was below the minimum age for playing at the start of the year. But several other players were also singled out for praise, including the Japanese star Ai Miyazato, who had won the LPGA Qualifying School by an astounding 12 shots; American Brittany Lang, who also had finished tied for second at the 2005 US Women's Open; Former US Women's Amateur and NCAA Champion Virada Nirapathpongporn; and another top NCAA player, Louise Stahle. But conspicuously absent from the pre-season hype were the Korean rookie class, which is more than a little odd, considering how well the Korean rookies have done the past few years. Korean golfers won the Rookie of the Year award in 1998, 1999, 2001 and 2004. They finished second in 2000, 2003 and 2005. In 2004, the Koreans snagged the top three spots on the Rookie of the Year list, while last year, Koreans finished second, third, fourth and fifth. Rare has been the year when a Korean was not in the top two rookies since Se Ri Pak burst through in 1998; in fact, there was only one year, 2002, where that had happened.

Well and good, but perhaps there simply were no Koreans who could be considered top prospects in this particular year? Alas, that, too, was incorrect. There are five exempt Korean rookies on tour in 2006, and at least three of them had very impressive credentials coming into the year. The first player to reckon with was Jee Young Lee, and she had a unique claim to fame: she was the only rookie coming into this season with an LPGA win already on her resume. Her win came at last year's CJ 9 Bridges Classic, which she participated in as a member of the KLPGA tour. She managed to not only beat a world class field that included Annika Sorenstam and Paula Creamer, she did it with ease, at one point having an 8 shot lead on the rest of the golfers. Perhaps she would have trouble making the shift to America, perhaps not; but anyone who had already proven her ability to win on tour should have been in the short list of possible Rookie of the Year contenders right from the start. The other two players got onto the LPGA via their success on the Futures Tour: Kyeong Bae and Seon Hwa Lee. Bae had finished third on the Futures Tour money list, Lee first. Bae won twice on the Futures Tour in 2005, Lee once, and both notched many many top tens besides that. In addition, Bae was the top money winner on the KLPGA tour in 2005, winning an event there, while Lee was third on the KLPGA. Yet neither potential star was mentioned in any preview article for the 2006 season. Considering how incredibly consistent these women had been, how long they had been pros, and the amount of experience they had playing in America, this seemed likely to be a mistake on the part of the prognosticators.

Seon Hwa Lee had never been a player who dilly dallied; when she wanted to get something done, she was always quick about it. Thus, when she turned professional, she did it at the tender of age of 14, the youngest to do so in Korea. And only a year after that, she achieved her first win on the KLPGA tour, again the youngest to ever do so in Korea. By the age of 17 she already had a lucrative sponsorship with Korean conglomerate CJ. She came over to America, and in just two years earned her LPGA tour card by finishing first on the Futures Tour money list.

Likewise, when she started her rookie season in February of this year, it took her almost no time before she made her presence felt on her new tour. She just missed out on a top ten finish in her first ever LPGA event. In her second event the next week, she seized control of the proceedings after the second round, and through much of the third and final round, looked destined to win. But another Korean star, the top Korean rookie the previous year, launched a full assault on Lee in an effort to take the trophy for herself. Meena Lee, who had finished 7th on the money list in 2005, made a fantastic final round charge, culminating in a brilliant birdie on the last hole to catch Seon Hwa. Seon Hwa, however, still had a few holes to go, and thus had a great chance to make that extra birdie and claim the win outright. But she was not able to do it, and would go on to lose in a three hole playoff. Seon Hwa had come close to an incredible feat, winning an LPGA event in only her second start. But a runner up finish was nothing to sneeze at either.

The very next tournament, Seon Hwa was at it again. At the MasterCard Classic, she was in contention much of the last day. She made a spectacular par save on the 17th hole, then had a birdie lined up that, as it turned out, would have put her into a playoff with none other than Annika Sorenstam. But she missed, and for the second straight event finished second. Still, it was hard to be disappointed; after only three events, she had already established herself as the early front runner for Rookie of the Year, and as the weeks went on, she would continue to solidify her position in that race.

The great results kept on coming for Seon Hwa. At her first Major, the Kraft Nabisco, she once again put herself into contention with two strong rounds and a so so one. Playing in one of the final groups on Sunday, she stumbled badly with an 80, but still managed a top 20 finish. As if to prove that that misfire was going to be a rare occurrence, at her next event, the Takefuji Classic, she once again played well. On the final day, she was brilliant, launching herself up the leaderboard at the end with one birdie after another. It was, alas, still not enough for her to catch Lorena Ochoa, who had run away with the event earlier in the week, but she notched her third second place finish of the season as a consolation. As impressive as that was, she was starting to get a little tired of always coming up just short of the win. Next time, she vowed, she would be the one holding the trophy.

In the next few weeks, she achieved several more top twenty finishes, but was not able to get close enough on Sunday to contend for the crown. Still, she finished 16th at the Florida's Natural; 12th at the Ginn Clubs & Resorts Open (just a shot out of a top ten); 11th at the Sybase Classic (again, one shot out of the top ten); and 23rd at the Michelob Ultra Open. Her lead in the Rookie of the Year standings kept getting bigger and bigger. Everywhere she went, fans were impressed by her marvelous swing, so smooth it looked like she was barely trying, but solid and very accurate. She also demonstrated an excellent short game; particularly her putting was top notch. And though only 20, her demeanor was that of a wily veteran (which, in a way, she was, having been pro for six years already). The only time her façade had cracked on course all season was when Meena Lee had beaten her at the Fields Open after Seon Hwa had led most of the previous two days; after that disappointment, she cried gently in her caddie's arms. But the rest of the time she wore a mask of total concentration, and seemingly nothing could disrupt it. It was pretty clear that, sooner or later, she was going to put herself into position to win again. And perhaps this time would be the time she broke through with her maiden victory.

Her chance came at the ShopRite Classic in Atlantic City, New Jersey. This event had a pretty good field, as it was the week before the LPGA's second Major, and many of the tour's top players wanted to use it as a warm up for that event. Several players got out to a good start in the morning wave; their scores indicated that this was going to be a low scoring event. The leader at that point was veteran American Michelle Redman, who shot a 7 under par 64 (it was a par 71 course). Taiwanese player Amy Hung finished second at 6 under par, with several players at 5 under.