Lee Settles for 2nd at LPGA Fields Open

“I am starving. I have not even had lunch.”

Lee Ji-young, 22, shouted in triumph after her second-place victory at the Ladies’ Professional Golf Association Tour Fields Open held at the Koolina GC in Hawaii on Sunday. Despite the disappointment of not grabbing the first-place cup, she happily munched on chocolate after the post-game press conference. The bright look on her face shone as brightly as her future.

She hit an outstanding 68 strokes, four under par, with four birdies and no bogies in the third round of the tournament, finishing with a total of 203 strokes, 13 under par. Victory went to Stacy Prammanasudh, who finished with 202 strokes, just one fewer than Lee Ji-young.

Lee Ji-young had prepared a memo to read if she won the champion cup, but she missed out on the chance to deliver it. She missed birdie opportunities at almost every hole as the ball kept straying from the hole.

Lee Ji-young, who debuted on the U.S. tour last year, is popular among golfers. She maintains a happy attitude and a smart tongue, two attributes that go well with her 170 cm stature. Wendy Doolan, an American golfer known for her meticulous personality, even nicknamed her “Jelly”. She won the Korean Women’s Open and the CJ Nine Bridges Classic in 2005, and the Korean Ladies’ Professional Golf Association Match last year. Her drivers exceed 270 yards. She uses a number two iron, something most women do not do. Her drivers land on the fairway more than 90 percent of the time.

“I am not disappointed because I came in second. I found out that I could someday come out on top,” said Lee Ji-young.

Angela Park, a Brazilian rookie of Korean descent who led the charts on the first day, tied with Japanese star Miyazato Ai and American golfer Morgan Pressel by the third with 205 strokes. “I am happy I got to meet many Koreans. I want to make a good impression on my seniors,” Angela Park said in fluent Korean. She also said that she ate Korean food before competing.

Kim Mi-hyun (KTF) had a hard time on the putting green and finished with 207 strokes in eighth place. Pak Se-ri (CJ) finished with 210 strokes in 14th place.

Lee Meena (KTF), who took first place in the event last year, failed to make the cut by two strokes. She was preceded by Kim Joo-mi (Hite), a defending champion who also failed to make the cut at the SBS Open last week.

kjs0123@donga.com