[Golf] `Japanese Dream` Elusive for Korean Female Players

Several Korean female golfers threatened yesterday but came up short to finish as the money leader on the Japanese tour.

At the Ricoh Cup in Miyazaki, Japan, yesterday, Shin Ji-yai lost her bid to become the first Korean female golfer to win all three major tournaments in Korea, the United States and Japan and the first Korean to finish the season as the money leader on the Japanese women’s tour.

After participating in majors in both Korea and the United States this season, she apparently succumbed to fatigue in the final round of the Ricoh Cup. She finished 16th with a score of four over-292.

After returning home, Shin will play in a Korea-Japan pro competition next week, then attend an orientation for LPGA rookies.

Lee Ji-hee of Jinro Japan, who topped the money rankings until last week in threatening to become the first Korean to finish as the Japanese tour’s money leader, came in 10th (one under-287) after firing a two under-70 in the final round.

Though Lee finished as one of the top three money leaders, she was upended by Japan’s Miho Koga, who scored a dramatic come-from-behind victory.

Adding 25 million yen (262,000 U.S. dollars) with her Ricoh Cup win, Koga finished with a combined 120.85 million yen (1.2 million dollars) this season. As a result, she claimed the title of the Japanese tour’s money leader over Lee by 1.2 million yen (12,591 dollars).

Lee had led Koga by 16.16 million yen (170,000 dollars) through last week.

Song Bo-bae, who had led the Ricoh Cup until the day before, shot a three over-75 for seventh place with a final score of two under-286.

kjs0123@donga.com