Koreans Dominate LPGA Season-End Awards

The Sisterhood: Korean women have increasingly dominated the LPGA since Pak Se-ri burst onto the tour in 1998.

Korean women have emerged atop the LPGA’s year-end standings after Choi Na-yeon and Ryu So-yeon finished first and second at the season finale at the TwinEagles Country Club Sunday.

Choi’s two-under 70 in her final round gave her a 14-under 272, two strokes ahead of Ryu So-yeon. That was the second win of the season for Choi, 25. She had won the US Women’s Open in July. The $500,000 prize money from the seventh win of her LPGA career put her season earnings to a career high $1.9 million.

Ryu won the LPGA Rookie of the Year award before Sunday’s final round. The second place at Naples raised her top-10-finish percentage to a tour-best 65% for the season. She had earned her entry into the LPGA after winning the US Women’s Open last year. Her second LPGA victory came in August at the Jamie Farr Toledo Classic.

Park In-bee’s 11th-place tie at Naples allowed her to fend off 2012 Player of the Year Stacy Lewis to keep her top spot on the season’s money list. Park’s $2.29 million puts her with Annika Sorenstam, Lorena Ochoa and Yani Tseng as the only LPGA golfers to top $2 million in a single season. But she is only the third Korean to win the money title after Shin Ji-yai in 2009 and Choi Na-yeon in 2010.

Park also followed her countrywomen Pak Se-ri in 2003, Park Ji-eun (Grace Park) in 2004 and Choi in 2010 by winning the Vare Trophy for best average score. She is only the second Korean to top both the money list and win the Vare Trophy in the same year after Choi in 2010.

Players of Korean heritage have won nine titles this year, after three in 2011, 10 in 2010, 12 in 2009 and nine in 2008. Those included three of the four majors: Yoo Sun-young won the Kraft Nabisco Championship in April, Choi the US Open in July and Shin the British Open in September. The Evian Masters in July, which will become the fifth major next season, was won by Park.

Korean dominance of women’s pro golf is unmatched by any other nationality except the US since 1998 when Seri Park first came on the LPGA scene. Of the last 51 majors, nine Americans have won 12 times and 10 South Koreans have won 12 times. The other 27 titles are divided among players from other nations. Since 1998 South Koreans have averaged over seven LPGA wins each season.

While Koreans are immensely proud of the dominance of Korean women in golf, some recognize that the phenomenon may be an indictment of a society in which the lack of opportunities for women have driven so much talent to pursue professional golf.