Oh joins list of Korean LPGA winners
BY Bruce Young | LPGA Tour | 2008 State Farm Classic | Round Four | 21 Jul 2008
Ji Young Oh joined the ever expanding list of Korean winners on the LPGA Tour when she defeated Yani Tseng in a playoff to win the State Farm Classic and claim her first title.
Oh is in her second season on the LPGA Tour having gained her status via the Tour School in 2006 in which she played as an amateur. She did well enough in her first season last year to retain her exempt status but in her second season had already passed her 2007 earnings prior to this week.
The 19-year-old, who is now based in Florida was given a second chance at victory after the LPGA’s leading rookie, Tseng, bogeyed the 72nd hole. Oh would go on to win at the first extra hole.
Na Yeon Choi, yet another in her rookie season, continued her good start to her LPGA Tour career when she finished third, just one shot behind then playoff.
Shanshan Feng, Stacy Prammanasudh and Hee Won Han finished in a share of 4th place only two shots from the winner. Rookie Feng finished with a brilliant back nine of 29, confirming her Corning Classic form when 4th in last week’s event in Ohio. Han is blazing a trail for female Chinese golfers and clearly has some serious talent.
Much of the week’s talk centred around the disqualification of Michelle Wie, who was in second position after her second round on Friday before inadvertently failing to sign her card. Wie left the specified scoring area but was advised by local volunteers from the scoring hut that she had not signed her card and she returned to do so.
Tournament officials then advised her after her third round of 67 of her slipup and the ramifications. Wie had opened with rounds of 67 and 65 to be just one off the lead after 36 holes and was just one behind Tseng after her round of 67.
“You know, it’s just really unfortunate,” said Wie after being notified. “I don’t know what happened to me. Usually, I sign it first. But I forgot to sign the scorecard. Unfortunately, I left the tournament area, and a couple of the scorers went after me and I signed it and I turned it in. And I thought it would be okay.”
“But it was an honest mistake. I don’t know why or how it happened. But, you know, I just forgot to sign it. Hopefully it won’t happen again. It was a good learning experience.”
The best of the Australians was Wendy Doolan who finished 12th, Michelle Ellis was 19th, Katherine Hull 25th, Anna Rawson 43rd and Sarah Kemp 49th.
The LPGA goes international for the next three weeks with events in France, England and Canada before returning to the US for the Safeway event in Oregon.
