Korea Roster Almost Revealed for match Against Japan
By Yoon Chul
Staff Reporter
The Korea team roster for the KYORAKU Cup, the 10th Korea-Japan Women's National Golf Team Match Play Competition, is starting to take shape.
The match play competition, which takes place in Okinawa, Japan on Dec. 4 and 5, will pit the best 13 female golfers from Korea and Japan against each other.
Among those who will be called to represent Korea is Ladies Professional Golf Association money leader Shin Ji-yai.
The Korean team will consist of the top five Korean players from the LPGA, the top four from the Korean LPGA and the top three from the Japanese LPGA, and one sponsor exemption.
The LPGA qualifiers will consist mostly of golfers following in Pak Se-ri's (the first Korean to win an LPGA major) footsteps, while a few veteran Koreans playing in Japan could also make the list.
In the United States, points will be awarded until the tour's last competition, the Navistar LPGA Classic, held from Oct. 1 to 4.
Among Korean LPGA players, Shin has garnered 1,730 points, followed by Kim In-kyung, Choi Na-yeon, Ji Eun-hee, Oh Ji-young and Park Hee-young.
Oh leads Park by just two points ― 493 to 491 ― for the last spot while Yoo Sun-young is not far behind with 481, meaning the race for the final position will be tight.
Although Kim Song-hee is ranked 13th on the LPGA money list, she can't join the group because she is not a member of the KLPGA.
Shin, unquestionably one of the world's top female golfers, could grab a rare trifecta this year: rookie of the year, player of the year and overall money leader on the LPGA.
She is a lock for the Korean roster, but she has posted a record of just 1-3 in her last three KYORAKU Cup appearances, including two losses to current JLPGA money leader Shinobu Moromizato.
For Kim In-kyung, it will be her first appearance at the competition. She finished seventh in the points among LPGA golfers and failed to qualify last year.
Kim solidified her place on the team with a win at the State Farm Classic in June and has seven top-10 finishes overall.
Choi, who won the Samsung World Championship last week, is also on the team for the third time. U.S. Open Champion Ji is another lock for the competition.
Two spots from across the East Sea appear to be secured. Jeon Mi-jeong and Lee Ji-hee will take up two of the three JLPGA positions. Jeon has won three tournaments and has amassed 10,153 points while Lee has 5,711.
Lim Eun-a and Hwang Ah-reum are battling for the last spot with four competitions still left to go.
On the domestic tour, Seo Hee-kyung is the points leader and An Sun-ju, Ryu So-yeon and Lee Jung-eun are second through fourth.
The KLPGA has only one tournament left, but it is one of the major championships. Lee Bo-mi and Kim Bo-kyung, ranked fifth and sixth, still have a chance to join the Korean roster.
However, some players may choose not to play in the KYORAKU Cup, as it conflicts with the JLPGA's qualifying school, held from Dec. 1 to 4.
Among LPGA players, Choi, Ji and Park reportedly may go for their JLPGA exemption cards, and would have to miss the tournament.
Korea has a record of four wins, one draw and three losses, while one tournament was cancelled. Last year, heavy snow on Jeju Island meant all Korean players could only play nine holes. The competition was finally declared a draw. In 2007, Korea lost to Japan in an extra round.
Korea and Japan alternate as hosts of the KYORAKU Cup.