SHI HYUN AHN

The Facts

Birthday: September 15, 1984
Rookie Year on LPGA: 2004
Best LPGA Finish: Win
Best LPGA Major Finish: None
Height: 5' 6"
2004 LPGA Status: Non-Exempt for 2004; Exempt for 2005
Nicknames: Cinderella
Sponsors: Kolon
How's her English?: Doesn't speak it
Road to the LPGA: Shi Hyun won the 9 Bridges Classic to gain LPGA status

Capsule Bio

Shi Hyun Ahn turned pro in 2002 and played mostly on the 'Dream Tour', the Korean equivalent of the Futures Tour. She ended up leading that tour at the end of the year, so in 2003 she qualified to play on the KLPGA tour full time.

She was in fourth place on the KLPGA money list and thus was invited to play the CJ 9 Bridges Classic, an LPGA event that takes place in Korea. She shocked almost everyone by not only winning that event, but by leading it from start to finish and beating Se Ri Pak when the two were paired together in the final group. Her win there was the first on the LPGA tour by a non-LPGA player in 8 years. She was also the second youngest to win on the tour in history, at just over 19 years of age.

The win earned her two years of status on the LPGA tour: non-exempt status in 2004 and exempt status in 2005. It also earned her a chance to compete in the Tournament of Champions in 2003, where the defending champion was once again Se Ri Pak.

Shi Hyun has become a big celebrity in Korea. Her fan club exploded from just 50 members before the 9 Bridges to over 6,000 just after it. She is frequently featured in newspaper articles, where she is invariably called 'Cinderella' Shi Hyun Ahn. Doubtless her progress over the next two years will be carefully watched there.

Galleries

2003 Action
2003 Candid
2004 Action
2004 Candid
Seoul Sisters Exclusive Pix!
Seoul Sisters Pix
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