A Blast by a Rookie, Lee Mi-na with 7 Under

“If it’s possible, I want to be the rookie of the year by winning the first championship of my pro career.”

Lee Mi-na (21. Lee Dong-soo Fashion), who was leading the rookie of the year race, moved up to the first place at the first round of the 2002 Ours Mall Invitational Golf Tournament (Total Prize Money 150 million won) by setting a course record.

The first round held at the East Course of Yongin Asiana Country Club in Gyeonggi on the 20th.

Lee Mi-na marked the first place by 4 shots by recording 7 under par, 65 shots with 8 birdies and a bogey at the Asiana CC, which was infamous for difficult greens.

The ‘dangerous rookie’ Lee Mi-na, who won the 2001 Sports Toto Women’s Open by beating Jung Il-mi (Hansol Forem) in extra holes as an amateur, started the round comfortably by making a birdie at the first hole.

She showed her nerve by making 4 consecutive birdies from the 8th hole and committed the only bogie of the day at the 14th hole (par 4); however, she collected a birdie at the 16th hole (par 3), which had difficult pin location, after putting the ball on 1m away from the hole cup, and finished the last hall with yet another birdie.

Lee Mi-na finished in top 5 for 3 tournaments this season including the second place at the Lakeside Women’s Open, and she is leading the rookie of the year race with 292 points and marking the 5th place at the money ranking with 3.118 million won.

The 3 players who tie for the second place (3 under par, 69 shots) are Kim Ju-mi (Sehwa Girls’ High School), who represents Korea at the Busan Asian Games next month, Bae Gyung-eun (CJ 39 Shopping), and Kang Bo-gyung.

In the meantime, the prize money leader of this season Jung Il-mi, who seeks to regain the prize money title, finished the round tie for the 10th place (72 shots) with Shin Hyun-joo (Fila Korea), who is in the 3rd place in the money ranking.

Young-Sik Ahn ysahn@donga.com