KLPGA: 2009 Lotte Mart Women’s Open Rd 3

So Yeon Ryu.  Hee Kyung Seo.  Ha Neul Kim.  Sun Ju Ahn.  Eun Hee Ji.  Jin Joo Hong.  All of these top golfers were within four shots of the lead starting the final round of the Lotte Mart Women’s Open.  But the leader was an untested golfer named Soo Hwa Jang.  Would Jang be able to hold off all that talent, or would one of those stars claim the win?

Jang did OK on the front nine other than a double bogey, but unfortunately for her, the scoring was low today, and that meant she got caught and passed.  She hit a bad patch starting the back nine, going bogey and two double bogies, which knocked her well out of the hunt.  Her playing partner So Yeon Ryu was playing par golf on this day, which meant she, too was unable to keep up with the fireworks.  She eventually shot a 72.

It was not an easy day for So Yeon Ryu

 Elsewhere on the course, the birdies were flying.  Bobea Park went 6 under on the front nine, but a bunch of bogies and doubles on the back quashed her run.  Soo Young Moon went 5 under on the front and ended up finishing tied for 5th. 

Bobea Park

Il Hee Lee, meanwhile, was three under on the front, but when she added three more birdies from holes 10-13, she cruised to 4 under total and right in the hunt for the trophy.  Lee is one of those up and coming young players who has a lot of promise, but up to now hadn’t really lived up to it.  You may recall she led the ANZ Ladies Masters this year after the first round.  Now here was a great chance to get a title.

Two of the established stars were trying hard to prevent that.  Sun Ju Ahn was only even on the front nine, but on the back ripped off three straight birdies to move to 4 under herself.  Hee Kyung Seo, meanwhile, had three birdies on the front to move to 4 under.  The fight was on!

Hee Kyung Seo

 Seo added two birdies on 12 and 13 to move to 6 under.  Meanwhile, several holes ahead of her, Il Hee Lee got into the clubhouse with a 5 under total.  Sun Ju Ahn and second year player Ae Ri Pyun were at 4 under with a hole to play.  They needed a birdie on the par 5 18th to catch Lee and possibly force a playoff.  Ahn made the birdie, Pyun didn’t. 

Ae Ri Pyun

So Ahn and Lee now had to wait to see what Seo would do.  If she simply parred her final three holes, she would have the title.  And, in fact, that’s just what she did!  Congratulations to her on another brilliant win!

Hee Kyung gets another beer bath

Hee Kyung Seo captured her first win of the 2009 season and 7th in the last 10 months.  That’s a winning tear of Shinlike proportions.  Without any doubt, she has established herself as the player to beat on the KLPGA in 2009.  If she could win 6 times in half a season last year, what could she do playing well for a full season?  Could Jiyai Shin’s record of 9 wins in a year be in jeopardy?  Or will someone step up to derail the Seo freight train?  The fun is just beginning!

Hee Kyung Seo

Scores:
1. Hee Kyung Seo 71-72-67 -6
2. Sun Ju Ahn 72-71-68 -5
Il Hee Lee 71-75-65 -5
4. Ae Ri Pyun 71-72-69 -4
5. Hye Youn Kim 73-73-67 -3
Soo Young Moon 73-73-67 -3

Notables:
7. Ha Neul Kim 72-71-71 -2
So Yeon Ryu 71-71-72 -2
9. Jin Joo Hong 71-74-70 -1
Ji Na Lim 70-76-69 -1
Eun Hee Ji 71-74-70 -1
12. He Yong Choi 72-75-69 Even
Anna Oh 73-72-71 Even
16. Ran Hong 75-71-71 +1
19. Bobea Park 73-73-72 +2
Seon Hwa Lee 2 70-73-75 +2
23. Soo Jin Yang (R) 70-75-74 +3
26. Ha Na Chae 74-76-70 +4
Soo Hwa Jang 72-69-79 +4
Hyun Hee Moon 73-75-72 +4
29. Young Ran Jo 72-76-73 +5
33. Hae Jung Kim 72-74-76 +6
36. Da Na Kang 73-75-75 +7
Michelle Wie 77-75-71 +7
41. Da Ye Na 75-74-75 +8
45. Aram Cho 75-76-74 +9
65. Chae Ah Oh 76-72-82 +14