Meena Lee
Encyclopedia
Meena Lee is a South Korea
n professional golfer
who plays on the United States-based LPGA Tour.
Lee was born in Jeonju
, South Korea
. She took up golf at the age of fourteen, which is unusually late for a future professional golfer, but just a few years later, in 2000, she became the Korean Amateur Champion. She turned professional in 2002, one year before graduating from Yong-In University
. She won three events on the LPGA of Korea Tour
in her rookie season of 2002 and topped the money list. In 2003 she won one tournament and placed fifth on the money list.
In 2004, Lee played on the second-tier Futures Tour
in the United States, finishing 23rd on the money list, but she was able to win an LPGA Tour card for 2005 by finishing tied for 25th at the LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament. She made a steady start to her rookie season and in July 2005 was a surprise finalist in the inaugural HSBC Women's World Match Play Championship
, which she lost to Colombia's Marisa Baena
by one hole. Two weeks later she won for the first time on the LPGA Tour at the BMO Financial Group Canadian Women's Open
. On 25 February 2006 she won her second LPGA Tour title at the Fields Open in Hawaii
.
1M. Lee beat S. Lee with a birdie putt on the third playoff hole.
DNP = did not play
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" = tied
Yellow background for a top-10 finish.
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
n professional golfer
Professional golfer
In golf the distinction between amateurs and professionals is rigorously maintained. An amateur who breaches the rules of amateur status may lose his or her amateur status. A golfer who has lost his or her amateur status may not play in amateur competitions until amateur status has been reinstated;...
who plays on the United States-based LPGA Tour.
Lee was born in Jeonju
Jeonju
Jeonju is a city in South Korea, and the capital of Jeollabuk-do, or North Jeolla Province. It is an important tourist center famous for Korean food, historic buildings, sports activities and innovative festivals.- History :...
, South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
. She took up golf at the age of fourteen, which is unusually late for a future professional golfer, but just a few years later, in 2000, she became the Korean Amateur Champion. She turned professional in 2002, one year before graduating from Yong-In University
Yong-In University
Yong In University is a private university located in Yongin City, Gyeonggi province, South Korea. It has an enrollment of about 15,000 students. The university offers graduate and undergraduate study in a wide range of fields. The university began its life as a martial arts school, and continues...
. She won three events on the LPGA of Korea Tour
LPGA of Korea Tour
The LPGA of Korea Tour is a South Korean professional golf tour for women. LPGA stands for Ladies Professional Golf Association; it is the independent LPGA of Korea which runs this tour, not the American LPGA...
in her rookie season of 2002 and topped the money list. In 2003 she won one tournament and placed fifth on the money list.
In 2004, Lee played on the second-tier Futures Tour
FUTURES Tour
The LPGA Futures Tour, previously styled in uppercase as FUTURES Tour and known for sponsorship reasons between 2006 and 2010 as the Duramed FUTURES Tour, is the official developmental golf tour of the LPGA Tour...
in the United States, finishing 23rd on the money list, but she was able to win an LPGA Tour card for 2005 by finishing tied for 25th at the LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament. She made a steady start to her rookie season and in July 2005 was a surprise finalist in the inaugural HSBC Women's World Match Play Championship
HSBC Women's World Match Play Championship
The HSBC Women's World Match Play Championship was an LPGA Tour golf tournament that was played from 2005 through 2007. It was first played from June 30 to July 3, 2005 at Hamilton Farm Golf Club in Gladstone, New Jersey...
, which she lost to Colombia's Marisa Baena
Marisa Baena
Marisa Isabel Baena is a Colombian golfer who plays on the U.S. based LPGA Tour.Baena was born in Pereira, Colombia. She started playing golf at the age of six...
by one hole. Two weeks later she won for the first time on the LPGA Tour at the BMO Financial Group Canadian Women's Open
Canadian Women's Open
The CN Canadian Women's Open is a women's professional golf tournament managed by the Royal Canadian Golf Association. It has been Canada's national championship tournament since 1973, and is an official event on the LPGA Tour.-History:...
. On 25 February 2006 she won her second LPGA Tour title at the Fields Open in Hawaii
Fields Open in Hawaii
The Fields Open in Hawaii was a golf tournament for professional female golfers, played on the LPGA Tour. It was held from 2006 and 2008 at the Ko Olina Resort in Kapolei, an incorporated community within the city of Honolulu, Hawaii....
.
LPGA Tour (2)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory |
Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jul 17, 2005 2005 LPGA Tour The 2005 LPGA Tour was a series of weekly golf tournaments for elite female golfers from around the world which took place from February through December 2005. The tournaments were sanctioned by the United States based Ladies Professional Golf Association... |
BMO Financial Group Canadian Women's Open | 1 stroke |  Katherine HullKatherine Hull Katherine Hull is an Australian professional golfer currently playing on the United States-based LPGA Tour and on the ALPG Tour.-Amateur career:... |
|
| 2 | Feb 25, 2006 2006 LPGA Tour The 2006 LPGA Tour was a series of weekly golf tournaments for elite female golfers from around the world which took place from February through December 2006. The tournaments were sanctioned by the United States based Ladies Professional Golf Association... |
Fields Open in Hawaii Fields Open in Hawaii The Fields Open in Hawaii was a golf tournament for professional female golfers, played on the LPGA Tour. It was held from 2006 and 2008 at the Ko Olina Resort in Kapolei, an incorporated community within the city of Honolulu, Hawaii.... |
Playoff1 |  Seon Hwa LeeSeon Hwa Lee Seon-Hwa Lee is a South Korean professional golfer now playing on the United States LPGA Tour.Born in Cheonan, South Korea, Lee began playing golf at age 4 and turned professional at age 14, the youngest female to ever turn professional in Korea. She recorded three wins on the LPGA of Korea Tour... |
1M. Lee beat S. Lee with a birdie putt on the third playoff hole.
KLPGA Tour (4)
- 2002 (3) SK EnClean Invitational, Hours Mall Invitational, Woori Stock Classic
- 2003 (1) Lakeside Open
Results in LPGA majors
| Tournament | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kraft Nabisco Championship Kraft Nabisco Championship The Kraft Nabisco Championship is one of the four major championships on the LPGA Tour. It was founded in 1972 by Dinah Shore and has been classified as a major since 1983... |
DNP | DNP | T29 | CUT | T61 | CUT | T56 | CUT |
| LPGA Championship LPGA Championship The LPGA Championship, currently known for sponsorship reasons as the Wegmans LPGA Championship, is the second-longest running tournament in the history of the Ladies Professional Golf Association surpassed only by the U.S. Women's Open. It is one of four majors on the LPGA tour... |
DNP | T20 | T14 | T46 | CUT | CUT | T19 | T6 |
| U.S. Women's Open | T61 | DNP | DNP | T46 | 74 | T61 | CUT | T21 |
| Women's British Open Women's British Open The Women's British Open is a leading event in women's professional golf and the only tournament which is classified as a major championship by both the Ladies European Tour and the LPGA Tour. Since 2007, it has been called the Ricoh Women's British Open, for sponsorship reasons... |
DNP | CUT | CUT | T33 | CUT | T42 | T43 | T37 |
DNP = did not play
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" = tied
Yellow background for a top-10 finish.
LPGA Tour career summary
| Year | Tournaments played | Cuts made | Wins | 2nd | 3rd | Top 10s | Best finish | Earnings ($) | Money list rank | Scoring average | Scoring rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 2005 LPGA Tour The 2005 LPGA Tour was a series of weekly golf tournaments for elite female golfers from around the world which took place from February through December 2005. The tournaments were sanctioned by the United States based Ladies Professional Golf Association... |
28 | 19 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 870,182 | 7 | 72.32 | 33 |
| 2006 2006 LPGA Tour The 2006 LPGA Tour was a series of weekly golf tournaments for elite female golfers from around the world which took place from February through December 2006. The tournaments were sanctioned by the United States based Ladies Professional Golf Association... |
28 | 26 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 645,350 | 19 | 72.07 | 38 |
| 2007 2007 LPGA Tour The 2007 LPGA Tour was a series of weekly golf tournaments for elite female golfers from around the world that took place from February through December 2007. The tournaments were sanctioned by the United States based Ladies Professional Golf Association... |
26 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 284,975 | 48 | 72.87 | 45 |
| 2008 2008 LPGA Tour The 2008 LPGA Tour was a series of weekly golf tournaments for elite female golfers from around the world that took place from February through December 2008. The tournaments were sanctioned by the United States based Ladies Professional Golf Association... |
30 | 26 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 553,090 | 32 | 72.13 | 45 |
| 2009 2009 LPGA Tour The 2009 LPGA Tour was a series of weekly golf tournaments for elite female golfers from around the world that took place from February through November 2009. The tournaments were sanctioned by the United States based Ladies Professional Golf Association .... |
25 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 386,335 | 34 | 72.22 | 44 |
| 2010 2010 LPGA Tour The 2010 LPGA Tour was a series of weekly golf tournaments for elite female golfers from around the world that began in Thailand on February 13, 2010 and ended in Florida on December 5, 2010... |
23 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 357,097 | 33 | 71.53 | 21 |
| 2011 2011 LPGA Tour The 2011 LPGA Tour was a series of weekly golf tournaments for elite female golfers from around the world that began in Thailand on February 17, 2011 and had its last official event end on November 20, 2011 in Florida... |
10 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 204,024 | 26 | 72.13 | 28 |
- official as of 24 July 2011