|
She gained a non-exempt card on the LPGA tour
by finishing tied for 18th at the 2006 LPGA Qualifying School.
She narrowly missed earning an exempt card by two strokes.
She turned pro immediately thereafter.
Min got her LPGA career out to a great start.
In her very first LPGA event, the Corona Morelia, she put
herself into contention and wound up finishing 5th. She nearly
managed a second top ten at her third event, the Sybase Classic,
finishing 11th.
But the unquestioned highlight of the year
for her came at the year's second Major, the LPGA Championship.
After a blistering third round 65, she found herself in contention
for the title. She played brilliantly on the final day, notching
four straight birdies at one point, but it wasn't enough.
She still finished third, though, and established herself
as one of the top rookies on tour as a result. In the only
other Major she played in 2007, the British Open, she finished
11th.
She would go on to finish third in the Rookie
of the Year race, behind only In-Kyung Kim and the eventual
winner, Angela Park. That she did this as a non-exempt rookie
is further testament to her skill. She also finished in the
top 40 on the money list, earning an exempt card for the next
two years.
Weirdly, Na On had a much weaker year in 2008
as an exempt player than she had had in 2007 as a non-exempt
player. She didn't secure even one top ten and made only half
her 2008 money. Still, she made enough to maintain exempt
status on tour for 2009.
In 2009, Min only played until May, then took
the rest of the season off. Presumably, she was suffering
from injuries. In 2010, she played all year, but had a mediocre
season. She finished 55th on the money list to easily retain
full status on tour, but her best result all year was a tie
for 8th at the State Farm Classic. Interestingly, she did
have her best yearly scoring average in 2010.
Min really struggled in 2011. She made only
5 of 13 cuts, with her best finish being a tie for 31st. She
wound up 99th on the money list, which enabled her to maintain
category 11 status for 2012. But it had been her weakest full
season since joining the tour.
Min made only $15,000 in 2012, good for 136th
on the money list. She only made two cuts, with a 26th at
the RR Donnelley her best. She thus fell to category 20 status,
one of the lowest you can have and still be a player on tour.
Min has not played on the LPGA since and has retired, although
she still has category 20 status and could presumably play
again if she wanted to.
|
