Seon Hwa Lee wins in Arkansas
BY Bruce Young | LPGA Tour | 2008 NW Arkansas Championship | Round Three | 07 Jul 2008
22-year-old Korean, Seon Hwa Lee, won her fourth LPGA Tour event and her second of the season with her victory at the NW Arkansas Championship after breaking clear of what had been a tight battle for the title throughout the final day.
Now in her third year on the LPGA Tour, Lee won in her rookie season, and again last year at the HSBC Match Play Championship and then just over a month ago at the Ginn Tribute.
Lee turned professional at the age of just 14 and won her first tournament at age 15 with the Korean LPGA Tour. Two years on the Futures Tour in 2004 and 2005 readied her for her LPGA Tour career. She led the Futures Tour money list in 2005 and when she finally joined the LPGA she was the Rookie of the Year in 2006.
A birdie at her final hole today gave her a one shot victory over Jane Park and Meena Lee. Park’s final round of 62 was completed nearly two hours ahead of the final group and she would wait while as many as ten players had a genuine chance to catch her total.
Rookie player, Kristy McPherson appeared as if she might be the one to secure an unlikely win when she moved to 15 under par and had the lead. McPherson who is in her second season on the LPGA Tour, opened with a 64 on Friday and when she picked up her fourth birdie of the day at the 11th today she had the lead on her own. A double bogey at the 15th would cost her chance of victory but her 4th place finish would be McPherson’s best on the LPGA Tour.
Katherine Hull was the best of the Australians after her final round of 66 moved her to a share of 11th, Michelle Ellis 2nd, Lindsey Wright 29th, Wendy Doolan and Rachel Hetherington 43rd and Sarah Jane Kenyon 73rd.
The LPGA Tour’s next event is the Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic in Ohio although there is still no sign of Lorena Ochoa or Annika Sorenstam.
