SeoulSisters Awards

Best Start to the Season
Seon Hwa Lee
Seon Hwa Lee came off of winning the Futures Tour money list in 2005, but got almost no attention from the American press coming into 2006. In just three tournaments, she seized control of the Rookie of the Year race and didn't let go. She played well at the first event of the year, the SBS Open, but a weak opening round prevented her from getting a top ten. In the very next event, the Fields Open, she played brilliantly, and going into the final round was the player to beat. Meena Lee made a huge run to post a score, then waited to see if Seon Hwa could top her. Alas, Seon Hwa was not able to do it, falling into a playoff with Meena which she eventually lost. Still, her second place finish in just her second career LPGA start was pretty sterling.

In the third event she played in 2006, she again finished second, this time to Annika Sorenstam. She also put herself into contention at the year's first Major, the Kraft Nabisco, although she ended up falling down the leaderboard in the final round thanks to an 80. But in the very next tournament, she again finished second. So, in her first six tournaments, she had three second place finishes and only one finish outside the top twenty. That's about as hot a start to your LPGA career as you can ask for!

Honorable Mentions:
Song Hee Kim - three top tens in her first three events, including a win.
Ji Yai Shin - Shin started her KLPGA career with two third place finishes, then won the biggest event of the KLPGA season, the Korean Women's Open. She never looked back after that.

Biggest Disappearing Act:
Grace Park
It wasn't entirely Grace's fault; she struggled all season with recurring injuries that impeded her progress. Still, few expected that a player of her talent would slip to the 90s on the money list in 2006. Occasionally, she put together a good round or two and looked like she would be back on track. In fact, she led after the first round at the first event of the year. But she wound up not even finishing that tournament in the top ten, then missed four of the next five cuts. In fact, her 13th place finish at the SBS Open would turn out to be her best of the entire year; it was the first time in her career that she failed to even make a single top ten in a season.

By the middle of the year, Grace was so discouraged that she considered taking the rest of the year off. But after a few months of idleness, she felt her hunger to compete return, and she began working on her game again. She did pull off a decent result at the Tournament of Champions, then played a little closer to her old self at the Lexus Cup. So the signs are there that, if she can avoid any more serious injuries, she can make 2007 a return to form. But 2006 was still a big letdown for one of the greatest Korean golfers of all.

(Dis)honorable mention:
Soo-Yun Kang
Like Grace, Kangsy struggled all year with injuries. After the brilliant way she ended 2005, it looked like 2006 would be her breakout year. Instead, she was a non-factor most of the season. Finally, at the end of 2006, she showed signs of life, even scoring a top ten in her final event of the year. Still, 2006 was far below everyone's expectations.

Kimchi Power: Best Korean performance
Orient Chinese Ladies Open (KLPGA)
The Orient Chinese Ladies Open is a new event on the KLPGA tour, the only one in 2006 that was contested outside of Korea. The event was co-sanctioned by several Asian tours, and thus had top stars from China, Taiwan and Thailand in the field. But the tournament turned into a rout for the Korean ladies in more ways than one. Ji Yai Shin decimated the field, winning by eight shots. But the Korean ladies as a whole dominated the proceedings: they captured the top seven spots on the leaderboard. Among the other KLPGA stars who produced good results were Na Yeon Choi, who finished second, rookie Son Joo Ahn, who finished third, and Hee Young Park, who was tied for fifth.

Honorable Mention:
Kolon-Hana Bank Championship
Another dominating performance by the Korean ladies in their home country. Jin Joo Hong won the title, earning herself a ticket to the LPGA, while Jeong Jang finished second, Se Ri Pak third, KLPGA star Ji Yai Shin fourth, and Jee Young Lee and amateur Mi Jung Hur tied for 6th.
Best Korean Confrontation of the Year
Meena Lee vs. Hee-Won Han, Corning Classic
Perhaps this is a playoff that shouldn't have happened at all. With two holes to go, Hee-Won Han was two shots behind Meena Lee. No one else had a chance to catch Lee for the title.

Meena had already won one event in 2006, and seemed assured of winning her second. She had gotten to this place thanks to great playing all Sunday. With a few holes left in her round, she had been locked in a battle with several players, including Hee-Won and Jeong Jang. But a fantastic iron on the 16th gave her a short birdie for the lead, then she put her approach on 17 to about two feet for another birdie. She finished the day at 15 under par, looking like she had it all sewn up. In 2005, she had just missed capturing this title: she had been tied with Jimin Kang on the final hole, but made a double bogey to give the title to Kang. This year, though, only Han stood in her way.

After saving par on the 16th, Hee-Won hit her approach on 17 to about ten feet. By no means was this an easy birdie, but she made it anyway to move to within one shot with one hole to go. She then stuffed her approach on 18 to two feet, made that birdie, and forced a playoff.

The playoff was a great battle between two of the top Koreans on the LPGA. Hee-Won hit her approach on the first playoff hole into the bunker, but made a great sand shot for a gimme par. Meena was not able to make a birdie from ten feet, so they moved on to the next hole. On the second playoff hole, Meena hit a nice approach, but the ball landed on a ridge and rolled well away from the hole. She put her first putt five feet away, then nailed the dicey par save. Han two putted for par as well. On to playoff hole #3.

On the third playoff hole, both ladies hit poor drives, but Han got lucky: her ball bounced into a decent lie. She got on the green in two. Meena was forced to lay up, then hit her third shot from 112 yards to about six feet. She pretty much had to make that putt after Hee-Won narrowly missed her birdie try and left herself with a tap in par. And make it Meena Lee did! A great clutch par save, and their third playoff hole was squared.

Finally, on the fourth playoff hole, Hee-Won put her approach eight feet from the flag, while Meena missed the green. She chipped her ball ten feet past the flag, then had to hit again, as she was still farther from the flag than Han. She missed the par save this time, and Hee-Won two putted for the win, her first of 2006. Meena had to be content with a second straight runner up finish at this event.

Honorable Mention:
Meena Lee vs. Seon Hwa Lee, Fields Classic
Meena pulled the same come from behind magic on Seon Hwa Lee at the Fields Classic that Hee-Won had pulled on Meena at Corning. She made a clutch birdie on the tough 18th hole to eliminate Michelle Wie, then watched as Seon Hwa could only tie her total. After three playoff holes, Meena claimed her only trophy of 2006, and the second of her career. Seon Hwa would have to wait a few more months to get her first LPGA win.