SEOUL– Entering this week’s LPGA tournament on home soil, South Korean rookie Choi Hye-jin finds herself in second place in the Rookie of the Year points standings.

Choi has collected 1,182 points so far, while world No. 2 from Thailand, Atthaya Thitikul, leads the way with 1,425 points.

Each tour victory is worth 150 points and there will be three tournaments remaining after this week’s BMW Ladies Championship in Wonju, about 85 kilometers east of Seoul. The gap for Choi is certainly not insurmountable, but Choi said Tuesday she is more intent on reaching the winner’s circle than grabbing the top rookie prize.
“At first, I wanted to win the Rookie of the Year. But now, I just want to hold my own against Thitikul and other great rookies,” Choi sat at Oak Valley Country Club. “I’ve seen other rookies win this year already, and so I’d like to join them.”

Choi has had nine top-10s in 24 starts this season, including one runner-up finish and a pair of third-place showings. Thitikul has two victories.

“I am looking forward to playing in this event for the first time as an LPGA member,” said Choi, a three-time Korea LPGA Player of the Year who made the leap to the U.S. circuit last winter. “Now that I am a rookie again on a different tour, I’ve been able to see things from a different perspective. I’ve continued to make improvements by experiencing so many different things in LPGA.”

The BMW Ladies Championship will have a US$2 million purse, with $300,000 going to the winner.

Ko Jin-young, world No. 1 from South Korea, is the defending champion. She has been paired with Thitikul and world No. 3 Minjee Lee in the first round.

Choi will play with Celine Boutier of France and Sophia Schubert of the United States. The 72-hole tournament has no cut.

Source: Yonhap News Agency