2003 State Farm: Other Notes from Springfield

Minny Ha Ha!
Last week it was Sunny Lee who managed her career best finish of 29th place. Perhaps inspired by this, Minny Yeo made a statement of her own at the State Farm Classic. After a lackluster first round 74, she rebounded with a second round 68, tying her career best round on the LPGA. Her third round was an equally impressive two under 70, and suddenly, Minny found herself in 34th place. To put this in perspective, her best ever finish is 33rd. After the rain canceled the final round, that's where she ended up, cashing in a doubtless welcome $6,007 check. This moved her to over $20,000 in season earnings, another record for her. Despite the struggle she must obviously be enduring to continue to play when she makes so little money, she keeps trying, and keeps improving. Here's hoping for better and better things for her as time goes on!

Why is this woman smiling? How about
her season best finish at the Rail?

Young Kim was all smiles following a birdie
chip-in on Saturday
Reuters/Frank Polich

Young Kim, Get out of my mind!
Sorry, I was having a 'Gary Puckett and the Union Gap' flashback there (and like that will mean anything to the young'uns in the audience!). Young Kim needs a nickname, though. We can't call her Kimmie, and Youngie doesn't really work. K.Y. is probably not acceptable for obvious reasons. Well, if anyone comes up with a good one, let me know.

Oh yeah, meanwhile, K Yo came up with another great tournament. Hot on the heels of a 14th place at the King, she notched a 9th place here for her 4th top ten of the year. She still hasn't really been in contention to win one, and I suppose that will be the next step in her evolution, but this check moved her inside the top 40 on the money list, which is a very inviting place to be. The Young One, meanwhile, quietly continues to improve, and it isn't entirely unreasonable that she could be inside the top 30 by the end of the season. And keep in mind: 'she's still only 23' (a familiar refrain oft repeated about the Seoul Sisters). Stay tuned!

Jung Yeon Lee blisters the course
Meanwhile, another player is having some good results lately, that have allowed her to move up to 60th on the money list. Why, I'm talking about Lee (then we can dig it!). Jung Yeon Lee, that is, who opened the tournament with a debilitating 77, only to shoot her career best 64 in the second round. The 64 came courtesy of a back nine that featured birdies on every hole save two; and one of those was a par 5, which she bogeyed! Still, she managed, starting on the back nine, to make birdies on 8 of her first ten holes. How many players can say they have ever done something like that?

Jung Yeon is only in her second year on tour, and with her length and general skills, might be the sleeper among the Seoul Sisters. She still has yet to get a top ten this year, but her 14th place finish is one of her best in 2003, and comes off another good performance at the King, a 24th. Word!

Jung Yeon Lee during Round 3
Reuters/Frank Polich