2013 LPGA KEB-HanaBank Championship Final Thoughts: Amy Yang Wins; Goodbye to Grace Park

Amy Yang, 2013 LPGA KEB-HanaBank Championship winner (click to enlarge)

Going into the 2013 LPGA KEB-HanaBank Championship in Incheon, South Korea, if there were a list of the best players on tour without an LPGA victory, Amy Yang would be near the top if not in first place. She’s had a handful of 2nd place finishes and more than 2 dozen top 10s, all while hovering around the top 15 on the money list and scoring for 3 straight years, including a top 5 scoring finish in 2011. But nobody wants to be first among those who haven’t won. Now, Amy Yang takes her place as an LPGA winner, emerging from a playoff with Hee Kyung Seo as champion of the 2013 LPGA KEB-HanaBank Championship.

Amy Yang gets showered by Chella Choi and Hee Young Park

It was an afternoon of intriguing possibilities. KLPGA standout Sei Young Kim looked like she was poised to earn exemption onto the LPGA tour with a win until a final hole bogey. Hee Kyung Seo seemed in line to celebrate her upcoming wedding with her second LPGA title. For a little while, Michelle Wie was the leader in the clubhouse, awaiting the final groups to finish. In the end, an eagle 2 on the par 4 15th kickstarted Amy Yang on the road to victory. She added a birdie on 18 to tie Hee Kyung Seo at 9-under overall. They would play the par 5 18th again for the first playoff hole. Amy would settle matters with a 15 foot birdie putt for the win.

Grace Park bids farewell (click to enlarge)

I congratulate Amy Yang on her win, but the lasting memory for me will be a final farewell to the professional golf career of Grace Park. This blog probably doesn’t exist without the thrills and inspiration that Grace gave to her fans (including me) over her wonderful years on the course. I won’t go into another tribute to Grace. I have written a few already which can be found on this blog. Suffice it to say, I’m sure she would have preferred to have played a bit better here, but in all fairness, she hasn’t played any competitive golf in some time so just having her out there was the true gift for her fans.

(LPGA part starts at 50 seconds in)

BIRDIES

Michelle Wie made a big rally fromm T22 to T3, showing that her form might just be coming back following a T12 at Sime Darby.

Suzann Pettersen continues her strong play with a T3 finish. It’s been said many times and I’ll say it again…Suzann has all the tools to be #1 and rule women’s golf.

Ha Neul Kim continues to make her American fans wish she were on the LPGA tour. She has a strong solo 6th place. She has the game to play in the States.

MOST PICS CLICK TO ENLARGE

AMY YANG

ANNA NORDQVIST

BRITTANY LINCICOME

GRACE PARK

HA NEUL KIM

HEE KYUNG SEO

JU YOUNG PARK

MICHELLE WIE

SANDRA GAL

SE RI PAK

SEI YOUNG KIM

SO YEON RYU

YOON KYUNG HEO

PAULA CREAMER

SUZANN PETTERSEN

JESSICA KORDA

CHELLA CHOI

with Se Ri Pak

NATALIE GULBIS

	Pos	Start	Player		ToPar	Thru	Today	R1	R2	R3	Total	Earnings
	1	T3		YANG, Amy	-9	F	-3	67	71	69	207	$285,000
	2	T6		SEO, Hee Kyung	-9	F	-4	71	68	68	207	$173,411
	T3	T15		WIE, Michelle	-8	F	-6	69	73	66	208	$100,479
	T3	T6		KIM, Sei Young	-8	F	-3	71	68	69	208	$100,479
	T3	T3		PETTERSEN, Suzann	-8	F	-2	69	69	70	208	$100,479
	6	T6		KIM, Ha-Neul	-6	F	-1	69	70	71	210	$64,085
	7	T15		LINCICOME, Brittany	-5	F	-3	71	71	69	211	$53,642
	T8	T15		PARK, Jane	-4	F	-2	70	72	70	212	$40,825
	T8	T11		PAK, Se Ri	-4	F	-1	73	68	71	212	$40,825
	T8	10		SHIN, Jiyai	-4	F	E	69	71	72	212	$40,825
Download the LPGA’s Apps on iPhone, iPad and Android devices >>
	T8	T1		NORDQVIST, Anna	-4	F	+3	67	70	75	212	$40,825
	T12	T22		EWART SHADOFF, Jodi	-3	F	-2	71	72	70	213	$29,431
	T12	T22		JI, Eun-Hee	-3	F	-2	71	72	70	213	$29,431
	T12	T15		HEDWALL, Caroline	-3	F	-1	68	74	71	213	$29,431
	T12	T11		CHOI, Chella	-3	F	E	73	68	72	213	$29,431
	T12	T3		PARK, Ju Young	-3	F	+3	67	71	75	213	$29,431
	T17	T28		JANG, Ha Na	-2	F	-3	74	71	69	214	$22,748
	T17	T28		YOO, Sun Young	-2	F	-3	72	73	69	214	$22,748
	T17	T22		CHOI, Na Yeon	-2	F	-1	71	72	71	214	$22,748
	T17	T11		KANG, Haeji	-2	F	+1	72	69	73	214	$22,748
	T17	T6		WALSHE, Alison	-2	F	+3	71	68	75	214	$22,748
	T22	T53		GAL, Sandra	-1	F	-5	76	72	67	215	$18,514
	T22	T44		YANG, Soo Jin	-1	F	-4	73	74	68	215	$18,514
	T22	T28		THOMPSON, Lexi	-1	F	-2	71	74	70	215	$18,514
	T22	T28		CIGANDA, Carlota	-1	F	-2	69	76	70	215	$18,514
Find a local LPGA Teacher near you >>
	T22	T15		RYU, So Yeon	-1	F	+1	70	72	73	215	$18,514
	T22	T11		KIM, Hyo Joo	-1	F	+2	71	70	74	215	$18,514
	T28	T53		CHUN, In Gee	E	F	-4	77	71	68	216	$15,214
	T28	T28		KERR, Cristie	E	F	-1	73	72	71	216	$15,214
	T28	T26		SHIN, Jenny	E	F	E	69	75	72	216	$15,214
	T28	T22		PARK, Inbee	E	F	+1	70	73	73	216	$15,214
	T32	T53		PARK, Hee Young	+1	F	-3	73	75	69	217	$12,684
	T32	T44		MARTIN, Mo	+1	F	-2	71	76	70	217	$12,684
	T32	T40		LANG, Brittany	+1	F	-1	69	77	71	217	$12,684
	T32	T28		TSENG, Yani	+1	F	E	75	70	72	217	$12,684
	T32	T1		HULL-KIRK, Katherine	+1	F	+8	67	70	80	217	$12,684
	T37	T44		HEO, Yoon Kyung	+2	F	-1	76	71	71	218	$10,515
	T37	T44		KIM, I.K.	+2	F	-1	76	71	71	218	$10,515
	T37	T28		LINDBERG, Pernilla	+2	F	+1	71	74	73	218	$10,515
	T37	T26		GULBIS, Natalie	+2	F	+2	70	74	74	218	$10,515
	T41	T28		ICHER, Karine	+3	F	+2	72	73	74	219	$9,115
	T41	T28		UEHARA, Ayako	+3	F	+2	71	74	74	219	$9,115
	T41	T28		LEE, Meena	+3	F	+2	71	74	74	219	$9,115
	T44	T53		CHOI, Yoo Lim	+4	F	E	73	75	72	220	$7,785
	T44	T44		KUNG, Candie	+4	F	+1	74	73	73	220	$7,785
	T44	T44		CREAMER, Paula	+4	F	+1	72	75	73	220	$7,785
	T44	T40		JUTANUGARN, Moriya	+4	F	+2	74	72	74	220	$7,785
	T44	T28		MASSON, Caroline	+4	F	+3	73	72	75	220	$7,785
	T49	T61		KIM, Ji Hyun	+5	F	-2	73	78	70	221	$6,280
	T49	T53		SALAS, Lizette	+5	F	+1	73	75	73	221	$6,280
	T49	T44		LEE, Jeong Eun	+5	F	+2	73	74	74	221	$6,280
	T49	T40		MUNOZ, Azahara	+5	F	+3	72	74	75	221	$6,280
	T49	T28		KIM, Bo Kyung	+5	F	+4	72	73	76	221	$6,280
	T49	T15		KORDA, Jessica	+5	F	+7	71	71	79	221	$6,280
	T49	T15		SERGAS, Giulia	+5	F	+7	70	72	79	221	$6,280
	T56	60		PRESSEL, Morgan	+6	F	E	73	77	72	222	$5,411
	T56	T44		LEE, Ilhee	+6	F	+3	75	72	75	222	$5,411
	T58	T71		LEE, Min Young	+7	F	-3	82	72	69	223	$4,866
	T58	T64		RECARI, Beatriz	+7	F	-1	76	76	71	223	$4,866
	T58	T58		HARIGAE, Mina	+7	F	+2	75	74	74	223	$4,866
	T58	T40		HURST, Vicky	+7	F	+5	71	75	77	223	$4,866
	T62	T67		LEE, Jee Young	+8	F	-1	77	76	71	224	$4,462
	T62	T67		KANG, Danielle	+8	F	-1	76	77	71	224	$4,462
	T62	T61		AHN, Shin Ae	+8	F	+1	77	74	73	224	$4,462
	T65	T67		URIBE, Mariajo	+9	F	E	75	78	72	225	$4,082
	T65	T67		BYUN, Hyun Min	+9	F	E	75	78	72	225	$4,082
	T65	T64		PILLER, Gerina	+9	F	+1	76	76	73	225	$4,082
	T65	T61		CHO, Irene	+9	F	+2	74	77	74	225	$4,082
	T65	T58		JOHNSON, Jennifer	+9	F	+4	73	76	76	225	$4,082
	T70	T71		LEE, Sung Woon	+11	F	+1	76	78	73	227	$3,775
	T70	T64		GRANADA, Julieta	+11	F	+3	79	73	75	227	$3,775
	72	T44		SCHREEFEL, Dewi Claire	+12	F	+9	75	72	81	228	$3,702
	73	T71		PHATLUM, Pornanong	+14	F	+4	80	74	76	230	$3,655
	74	T74		MATTHEW, Catriona	+18	F	+5	77	80	77	234	$3,608
	75	T76		ARIMURA, Chie	+19	F	+2	76	85	74	235	$3,564
	76	T76		LEE, Mi Hyang	+22	F	+5	79	82	77	238	$3,519
	77	T74		PARK, Grace	+23	F	+10	76	81	82	239	$3,474
	78	78		CONCOLINO, Jacqui	+26	F	+5	79	86	77	242	$3,430

2013 LPGA WINNERS (number in parentheses indicate career LPGA victories)

Dates	Tournament	Location	Winner
Feb 14-17	ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open	Australia	Jiyai Shin (11)
Feb 21-24	Honda LPGA Thailand	Thailand	Inbee Park (4)
Feb 28-Mar 3	HSBC Women’s Champions	Singapore	Stacy Lewis (6)
Mar 14-17	RR Donnelley LPGA Founders Cup	Arizona	Stacy Lewis (7)
Mar 21-24	Kia Classic	California	Beatriz Recari (2)
Apr 4-7	Kraft Nabisco Championship	California	Inbee Park (5)
Apr 17-20	LPGA Lotte Championship	Hawaii	Suzann Pettersen (11)
Apr 25-28	North Texas LPGA Shootout	Texas	Inbee Park (6)
May 2-5	Kingsmill Championship	Virginia	Cristie Kerr (16)
May 16-19	Mobile Bay LPGA Classic	Alabama	Jennifer Johnson (1)
May 23-26	Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic	Bahamas	Ilhee Lee (1)
May 31-Jun 2	ShopRite LPGA Classic	New Jersey	Karrie Webb (39)
Jun 6-9	Wegmans LPGA Championship	New York	Inbee Park (7)
Jun 21-23	Walmart NW Arkansas Championship	Arkansas	Inbee Park (8)
Jun 27-30	U.S. Women’s Open	New York	Inbee Park (9)
Jul 11-14	Manulife Financial LPGA Classic	Ontario	Hee-Young Park (2)
Jul 18-21	Marathon Classic	Ohio	Beatriz Recari (3)
Aug 1-4	Ricoh Women’s British Open	Scotland	Stacy Lewis (8)
Aug 16-18	Solheim Cup	Colorado	Europe
Aug 22-25	CN Canadian Women’s Open	Alberta	Lydia Ko (2) (a)
Aug 29-Sep 1	Safeway Classic	Oregon	Suzann Pettersen (12)
Sep 12-15	The Evian Championship	France	Suzann Pettersen (13)
Oct 3-6	Reignwood LPGA Classic	China	Shanshan Feng (2)
Oct 10-13	Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia	Malaysia	Lexi Thompson (2)
Oct 18-20	LPGA KEB-HanaBank Championship	South Korea	Amy Yang (1)

2013 TOP 10 MONEY LEADERS THROUGH KEB-HANABANK CHAMPIONSHIP

Rank	Change	Player	Country	Events	Prize money($)
1		Inbee Park	South Korea	21	2,335,460
2		Suzann Pettersen	Norway	20	1,941,847
3		Stacy Lewis	United States	23	1,764,236
4		So Yeon Ryu	South Korea	21	1,161,093
5		I.K. Kim	South Korea	21	1,089,699
6		Shanshan Feng	China	17	989,712
7		Beatriz Recari	Spain	22	977,132
8		Lexi Thompson	United States	21	963,145
9		Na Yeon Choi	South Korea	22	889,172
10		Hee-Young Park	South Korea	23	811,760

Advertisement