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Amy Yang is one of a growing number of young
Korean hopefuls who leave Korea to train elsewhere while still
in their teens. They hope that the easier access to training
and golf courses afforded outside of Korea will enable them
to progress in their golf skills much quicker. Amy, however,
did not go to the US as many Korean prodigies do; rather,
she and her family moved to Australia to hone her skills.
Amy was born to Joon Mo (James) and Sun Hee
(Sunny) Yang. James had been a member of the Korean national
canoe team at one point, while Sunny had been a champion javelin
thrower. Amy was also interested in sports, and started playing
golf at age 10. Originally, she had wanted to be a swimmer,
but a driving range near her community swimming pool drew
her towards golf. After just three years of playing, she would
become a strong golfer.
Amy moved to Australia's Gold Coast when she
was 15. Barely a year later, she was already one of the top
amateur players in her adopted country, finishing as a runner-up
at the Australian Women's Amateur championship and winning
the New Zealand Women's Amateur. But nothing prepared Amy
for a week early in February, 2006.
That week, she participated in the ANZ Ladies
Masters, at a course just twenty minutes away from where she
lived in Australia. This is an official event on the Ladies
European Tour, and is considered a Major by Australian golfers.
She had been granted a sponsor's exemption due to her outstanding
amateur record in 2005.
After shooting a 6 under par 66 in round 2,
the unlikely leader of the tournament was none other than
Amy Yang. She hung onto that lead in round 3, despite a great
few finishing holes by French pro Ludivine Kreutz. In the
final round, Amy played with Kreutz and another amateur, a
Korean American named Tiffany Joh.
History was on the line. No amateur had ever
won an Australian ladies event, and no one younger than 18
had ever won an event on any of the major golf tours in the
world (Amy was 16 years 6 months old at the time). It was
only her second ever pro event, but she seemed unflappable,
and with just two holes to go, she had a two shot lead over
Joh and seemingly had the event in the bag. A large group
of kids from her high school followed her to cheer her on.
But Joh birdied 17, and professional Catherine
Cartwright birdied 18 to move to within a shot of Yang. Yang
finally hit a bad shot, her approach on 18, which went into
the stands; she bogied, as did Joh, and suddenly Yang found
herself in a playoff against Cartwright for the title.
But Yang righted the ship and played two great
shots on the first playoff hole. She then dunked a 7 meter
birdie putt to win the trophy and become the youngest to ever
do so on the European Tour, as well as the first amateur to
win on that tour since 1984. She broke down in tears of disbelief
on the final green.
Yang's win earned her invitations to play
in the 2006 Evian Ladies Masters and the British Women's Open.
In the latter tournament, she was the low amateur. The Ladies
European Tour (LET) then offered her a 3 year exemption if
she turned professional, providing she was accompanied by
one of her parents until she turns 18. Turning pro had not
been on her agenda until the end of 2007, but after much discussion
with her school, her coach and her family, a way was found
that she could both turn professional and also complete her
schooling. She played the LET events that fall on or around
school holidays, and planned to graduate from Robina High
School at the end of the year.
Her professional success was immediate. Her
first event was the Dubai Ladies Masters in late October.
In a field stocked with top talent, she finished fourth, behind
only Annika Sorenstam, Karrie Webb and multiple winner Helen
Alfredsson. She pocketed more than $40,000 Australian dollars
for her efforts. At her next event, the Mauritius Open, she
finished third.
She continued to play professional events
in 2007, including the US Women's Open, where she finished
tied for 50th, her best Major finish to date. In late 2007,
she tried to qualify for the LPGA at Q-School, but barely
managed to acquire non-exempt status. Chances are she will
focus on playing in Europe for the time being. She planned
on moving her home base to Florida starting in 2008; for her
final tournaments in Australia, she managed two top tens at
the 2008 Australian Ladies Open and the ANZ Ladies Masters.
Amy played sporadically on the LPGA in 2008,
and started well, nearly grabbing a top ten in her first event,
the SBS Open. Months later, she secured a tie for 9th, her
first career top ten, at the Hana Bank Kolon Championship.
It was her first time playing professionally in her homeland.
These finishes were not good enough to get her an exempt card,
however, so she had to return to Q-School in December. She
did brilliantly there, finishing second to easily earn full
playing privileges on the LPGA for 2009.
Amy had much more luck in 2008 playing on
the Ladies European Tour, where she was somewhat of a pioneer,
the only Korean on that tour. Week after week, she made top
tens, often finishing in the top five. She very quickly became
one of the top players on tour.
In the summer, she played brilliantly at the
Swiss Open, only to lose to Suzann Pettersen, who was practically
unstoppable that week. Still, her second place finish was
the best since she had won the ANZ. She didn't have to wait
long to better it: the next week, at the German Open, she
crushed the field, shooting a third round 63 to seize the
lead and eventually win by four shots. Among those in the
field she beat was American Michelle Wie. With that win, Yang
became the top player on the tour's money list. She then proved
she was one of the most generous, donating the entire first
place check to the victims of the Sichuan earthquake in China.
Yang wasn't done. A week after the British
Open, she played at the Scandinavian TPC hosted by Annika.
In Sorenstam's last pro event in her homeland, Yang stole
the show, winning her second title of the year.
Although she would not finish the year atop
the money list, she still had played well enough as the youngest
player on the LET to make everyone sit up and take notice.
All in all, Amy's 2009 season, her first one
where she had full playing privileges on the LPGA, was not
bad, but perhaps did not live up to the potential she has
shown. She only managed two top tens, although one of them
was in a Major, and the other saw her come close to winning.
She easily maintained playing privileges for 2010, however,
finishing 45th on the money list.
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