Korean golfer Seo Hee-kyung clinched the Rookie of the Year honors on the LPGA Tour, becoming the seventh player from the country to win the annual points race.

The LPGA Tour announced Wednesday that Seo secured the top award for first-year players with one event left on the season. In 20 tournaments this year, Seo garnered 655 points, well ahead of Christel Boeljon of the Netherlands, who put up 297.

This is Seo's first year on the LPGA Tour as a full member. In 2010, as a non-member, Seo won the Kia Classic tournament.

This year, the 25-year-old posted three top-10 finishes in 20 tournaments and made US$611,347 so far to rank 17th. She finished runner-up to compatriot Ryu So-yeon at the U.S. Women's Open, one of four majors in the LPGA.

The last Korean to win the LPGA's top rookie award is Shin Ji-yai in 2009.

Seo joined the LPGA after snatching 11 wins on the Korean ladies' tour, all of them coming in 2008 and 2009. (Yonhap)