Defending champion Seo Hee-Kyung

(JEJU, SOUTH KOREA - 3rd November 2009) -- The LET remains in Asia this week for the The Daishin Securities Tomato Tour Korean Ladies Masters at the magnificent Cypress Golf & Resort on Jeju Island.

The LET’s members are thrilled to be returning to Korea to mark the event’s second year on the Ladies European Tour schedule.

The 2008 event teemed with excitement as South Korea’s own Seo Hee Kyung birdied the last four holes to seal the victory.

The year 2008 was significant for Korean women’s golf. Not only did a generation of 20-year-old female golfers, known as the Dragon Ladies, come to prominence as they started winning on the world stage; but the Ladies European Tour made an historic first visit to South Korea.

For the first time, golfers from the LET and the Korean Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) came together for a high level competition featuring some of the best international players from across the globe.

The exclusive Saint Four Golf & Resort set the scene for the inaugural Korean Ladies Masters on the volcanic Jeju Island, a popular tourist venue due to its temperate climate, natural scenery, and beaches.

Leaving the cold European winter behind, the European Tour members arrived on “Honeymooners’ Island” prepared for an exciting battle against their Asian counterparts.

High profile LET players such as Anna Rawson, Gwladys Nocera and Veronica Zorzi came face to face with their South Korean equals.

The question was who could handle the 6303 yard course better and be crowned the first Korean Ladies Masters champion? Nocera and Seo were almost equal in 2008 victories, with five and four apiece, but it was South Korean Sun-Ju Ahn who took the advantage on the first day of the tournament. The colourfully adorned Ahn posted a seven-under 65 in fine conditions to lead by three shots over compatriot Chae-A Oh and Frenchwoman Nocera.

Ahn maintained her advantage with a second round of 70 and held a one stroke lead over Hee-Kyung Seo going into the final round. Seo had added a 67 to her opening 69, moving up from equal fourth to outright second.

South Korea’s greatest female golfer, Jiyai Shin, the 2008 Ricoh Women’s British Open champion, is known as the “final round queen” due to her ability to close the deal on a Sunday and in a fitting tribute to her good friend Shin, Seo gave Ahn a ferocious closing day battle.

The cool, calm, poster girl of Korean women’s golf carded seven birdies and one bogey en route to a 66 on a glorious final day. She sealed the victory with birdies on each of the closing four holes.

Ahn could only manage a 69 and was left in tears as Seo gleefully accepted the striking red jacket, trophy and winner’s cheque for $60,000. She said afterwards, through an interpreter: “From the very beginning of the event, I thought I could win. I achieved quite good scores (in round two), which improved my confidence.”

The 22-year-old from Seoul added that her game had improved significantly since working on her short game with Shin for many hours over the summer months.

Success entitled Seo to a three year exemption on the Ladies European Tour, which she gladly accepted and has since played in some of the tour’s premier events such as the Australian ANZ Ladies Masters and the Evian Masters in France, where she finished in equal 20th and 30th place respectively.

She has already won another four events this year on the KLPGA and experts predict that she will follow Shin in becoming one of the world’s best players.

With an even better field expected at the second edition of the event at Cypress Golf & Resort, fans can look forward to another exciting spectacle, featuring elite names such as Becky Brewerton from Wales, Norwegian Marianne Skarpnord, Gwladys Nocera from France, Minea Blomqvist from Finland and Iben Tinning from Denmark. At last year’s event, we saw the strength and depth of South Korean talent. This year, fans will be exposed to a new class of international players in the women’s professional game.