Interesting Coincidence as LPGA Tour Moves to Asia

Over the past 10 days, the LPGA Tour has had two tournaments in Asia, both of which had to be decided by playoffs, with the championships both going to players of native blood.

Lee Minjee lifted the BMW Ladies Championship trophy on October 22. Photo: LPGA — Lee Minjee lifted the BMW Ladies Championship trophy on October 22. Photo: *LPGA*

On October 22, the final round of the BMW Ladies Championship at the par-72 course in the suburbs of Seoul recorded two players entering the play-off. Lee Minjee ranked T1, at -16 with Alison Lee after the qualifying score race.

On the par-4 extra hole, Minjee's second shot landed close to the hole and stopped 6 feet away, while Alison's was twice as far away. As usual, Alison putted first and couldn't finish the hole right away. Minjee, on the other hand, finished with a birdie.

She received $330,000 for her 10th LPGA Tour win. Minjee is of Korean descent and holds Australian citizenship.

"I always put Korea at the top of my list of places I wanted to win because it is my parents' homeland. This victory is even more special because my relatives and friends cheered me on enthusiastically," Minjee said after winning the BMW Ladies Championship 2023.

Minjee, 27, joined the LPGA Tour in 2015, just months after turning pro. She has won two majors on the top women's golf course in the US, including the 2021 Evian Championship and the 2022 US Women's Open.

Ten days before the BMW Ladies Championship, the Buick LPGA Shanghai in China also recorded a championship playoff in the final round. American golfer of Chinese origin Angel Yin and fellow Vietnamese-origin Lilia Vu finished T1 with a score of -14 after four rounds of the par-72 course. In the duel cup at hole 18, both had a chance to score birdie after hitting the green.

However, Vu missed the hole from six meters away, while Yin was closer and finished accurately. Thanks to that, Yin, born in 1998, won the championship and received 315,000 USD in his first trophy after 159 tournaments on the LPGA Tour.

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