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Wednesday November 4, 2009

Korean Ji-yai bags LPGA’s Rookie of the Year award

MIAMI: South Korean Shin Ji-yai, a three-times winner on the LPGA Tour this season, was named the US circuit’s Rookie of the Year for 2009 on Monday.

Ji-yai, 21, also leads the race for the Player of the Year award with just three events remaining and could become the first player to complete the rare double since Nancy Lopez in 1978.

“In the beginning of this year, my goal was to win the Rookie of the Year and now I did that,” Ji-yai said in a statement released by the LPGA. “I’m very happy.

“Now I have (a) chance for the Rolex Player of the Year too, so I’m really excited about it. I have enjoyed my rookie year on the LPGA Tour very much.”

Ji-yai became the third player from South Korea to win the women’s British Open with a three-shot triumph at Sunningdale, England last year.

In her debut season on the LPGA Tour, she has clinched the HSBC Women’s Champions, the Wegmans LPGA and the Arkansas Championship along with nearly US$1.7mil in earnings.

Ji-yai piled up 1,406 points in the Tour’s rookie race to eliminate her closest challengers Michelle Wie (764 points) and McDonald’s LPGA champion Anna Nordqvist (722). — Reuters

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