KLPGA: SBS Women's Open

[HappyFan]

After a two month layoff, the KLPGA was back in action in Kangwon province. The event was the SBS Ladies Open, which took place from August 28th - 30th. A number of LPGA stars took the chance to play in this event while their own tour was out of action and busy pillorying them with silly new language rules.

In the end, the winner was Hee Kyung Seo. Seo got out to a great start with a 68, followed it up with a second 68, and hung on for a one shot lead with a third round 72. The win earned Seo 200 million won. In second was US Women's Open winner Inbee Park, who shot a final round 67 to vault into solo 2nd. Among those in third was rookie star So Yeon Ryu and Ha Neul Kim.



Congrats to Hee Kyung Seo on her win!!

Scores:
1 Hee Kyung Seo 208(68-68-72) -8
2 Inbee Park 210(72-71-67) -6
3 So Yeon Ryu 212(71-73-68) -4
3 Chae Yong Yoon 212(74-68-70) -4
3 Ha Neul Kim 212(70-69-73) -4

Notables:
6 Birdie Kim 213(70-70-73) -3
6 Song Hee Kim 213(72-68-73) -3
8 Gloria Park 214(72-72-70) -2
8 Ji Yai Shin 214(69-71-74) -2
12 Hee Young Park 216(71-72-73) Even
16 Ran Hong 218(71-70-77) +2
16 Hyun Hee Moon 218(71-73-74) +2
20 Hae Jung Kim 219(71-75-73) +3
20 Eun Hee Ji 219(73-74-72) +3
20 In Kyung Kim 219(70-75-74) +3
25 Sun Ju Ahn 220(71-72-77) +4
38 Young Ran Jo 222(73-74-75) +6
38 Jae Eun Jung 222(75-73-74) +6
38 Il Mi Chung 222(74-70-78) +6
38 Feng Shanshan 222(74-73-75) +6
38 Soo Yun Kang 222(72-75-75) +6
52 Joo Mi Kim 225(72-76-77) +9
55 He Yong Choi 226(72-76-78) +10
58 Aram Cho 228(73-74-81) +12
_________________
Celebrating the Korean players on the LPGA
http://www.seoulsisters.com

[HappyFan]

Some photos:

Pro-am and practice:

Ha Neul Kim







Song Hee Kim





Eun Hee Ji





Shanshan Feng



Shanshan Feng, Ha Neul Kim and Ji Na Lim




_________________
Celebrating the Korean players on the LPGA
http://www.seoulsisters.com

[HappyFan]

Round one photos:

Major Queen Ji Yai Shin





The two Major Queens (Inbee and Ji Yai) played together on day one



Ha Neul Kim









Eun Hee Ji











Song Hee Kim









Birdie Kim (a former Major Queen)





Ji Yai Shin and friend



Ji Yai, Inbee & Ok Hee Ku (the KLPGA's all time winningest golfer)


_________________
Celebrating the Korean players on the LPGA
http://www.seoulsisters.com

[HappyFan]

Round 2 photos:

Inbee Park
(this is from round one)



Eun Hee Ji







Il Mi Chung



Inbee Park



Ha Neul Kim











Song Hee Kim







Kyeong Bae



Gloria Park



Birdie Kim



Joo Mi Kim



Hee Kyung Seo







Rookie star He Yong Choi



Ji Na Lim




_________________
Celebrating the Korean players on the LPGA
http://www.seoulsisters.com

[HappyFan]

Round 3 photos:

Hee Kyung Seo









Getting the awards

















w/ Ha Neul & Ji Yai



Ha Neul Kim













Song Hee Kim










_________________
Celebrating the Korean players on the LPGA
http://www.seoulsisters.com

[Verdant Garden]

Thanks, Happy Fan! Good to see Inbee do well. It always amazes me how these ladies can travel over several time zones and then get right out and play great golf.
_________________
It is golf. Gotta problem with that?

[Chigger]

Thanks for the report!

I was most pleased to see Birdie's good play... Would be nice if she could do that on a consistent basis stateside...

Way to go, SS!!

- SSFanBert
_________________
"I got a job in Atlanta in a mall playing Santa /
Not because of any talent but because /
I was the only one the suit would fit"

-- Alice Cooper, "No Man's Land"

[willyc]

As HF noted the winners check was 200 million won which equates to about $200,000. Living in Korea I should point out that I recall that when Se Ri and Mihyun were winning as teenagers over 10 years ago, the first place money was less than one tenth that amount. Ji Yai Shin won over a $1 million last year playing on the Korean LPGA tour. If the new LPGA language policy passes, it would be a shame if some of the talented Korean women were to say "the heck with the LPGA! I can make just about as much if not more back home and feel more welcomed!" The biggest irony would be if the Asian tours (JLPGA, KLPGA) were to keep on growing and then have more foreigners including Americans want to join. There is a popular show on Korean television called "Misuda" ("girl talk among beauties") showcasing foreign women speaking some good but mostly garbled Korean. Perhaps in a few years we could be seeing a "Natalie" and a "Paula" on the show.

[smokhee]

But the Asian tours will NEVER eclipse the LPGA in prestige. The majors are played on the LPGA. I bet if the Korean tour became popular with foreign players, they would institute some sort of language policy for full time players. And I wouldn't complain about that either.

[The Constructivist]

The KLPGA and JLPGA stopped trying to imitate the LPGA and instead merged with the LAGT, taking the LET as their model? A Ladies Asian Tour or a Ladies Asian Pacific Tour could easily match the LPGA in purses within a decade and could co-sanction majors, the way the LPGA teams up with the USGA on the U.S. Women's Open and with the LGU on the Women's British Open. As a multinational tour, it would have no reason to institute an official language.

European union seemed a far-off thing when I was growing up, so perhaps Asian union (at least in the golf world?) might not be as far off as we might think.

[HappyFan]

The JLPGA already has more events than the LPGA and nearly as much purse, if I'm not mistaken. The KLPGA continues to grow by leaps and bounds; just a few years ago, they had about half the number of events they have now. I do think it quite possible that a unified Asian tour would be strong enough to compete with the LPGA, certainly in terms of talent and possibly in terms of money in time. If they could ever make it happen, of course.
_________________
Celebrating the Korean players on the LPGA
http://www.seoulsisters.com

[ddwddick]

Good to see Joo Mi's smile again...
_________________
IBK - I'm Birdie Kim... (International Bank of Korea)

[The Constructivist]

Compare the JLPGA and JGTO schedules and money lists when you get a chance. It's a much better time to be a women golfer in Asia than ever before--and certainly better than for the men!

[ol_68]