There’s an influx of Asians on the LPGA. And they’re really good. In fact, they win a lot. But many fans find it difficult to keep track of who is who because, you know, all Asians look alike and their names sound the same. So, let’s get to know them better.

• Born in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan, she’s 23 years old.
• She started playing golf at age 9.
• She turned professional in 2005, and in 2007 she became the youngest player in the history of the JLPGA to finish first on the money list.
• After winning the LPGA Mizuno Classic in November 2007, she became the first Japanese player to win an LPGA event in nine years and secured her LPGA tour card.
• This season she’s placed T6 at the Honda PTT LPGA Thailand and T15 at the HSBC Women’s Champions.
• She has a very bright website.
• Her name means “Peach” in Japanese.
• If she wasn’t playing golf, she would be a fashion designer, and sponsored by Pearly Gates, she dresses very stylishly (even when she’s playing ping pong!).
• If she could be anyone for a day, she would be Victoria Beckham so she could be married to David Beckham.
• She enjoys music, shopping, karaoke, pool, collecting earrings, soccer and swimming.
• Her favorite colors are navy blue, pink and white.
• She keeps a blog, but unfortunately for us English-speaking people, it’s in Japanese (but I’m told she speaks so-so English).
• She appears to have a very comfortable bed, too.

Asian-ness Scale (1-10, 1: Michelle Wie, totally Americanized; 5: Se Ri Pak, somewhat assimilated; 10: Eun-Hee Ji, 한국말): Momoko = 5

There’s an influx of Asians on the LPGA. And they’re really good. In fact, they win a lot. But many fans find it difficult to keep track of who is who because, you know, all Asians look alike and their names sound the same. So, let’s get to know them better.

Today, we have a special treat for “Know Your Asians.” Thanks to Ali Naqvi of Pure Golf Training and Bann Lynch Golf, we have a video interview with Hee Young (yes, she speaks pretty good English), where she chats about her training secrets, why Korea produces so many good golfers (spoiler: they practice a lot and they’re flexible!), the defunct “English-only” rule, and how she relaxes off the course. But first, here’s some background info on her:

• Born in South Korea, she’s 22 years old.
• After winning the Hite Cup on the KLPGA, she turned professional in 2004.
• In 2005 she won three KLPGA tournaments and was named KLPGA Rookie of the Year.
• She placed third at LPGA Q-school in 2007 to earn her 2008 tour card.
• In 2009 she had six top-10 finishes, including runner-up twice.
• She enjoys shopping and fishing.
• She listens to pop music; her favorite is Korean pop.

Now watch her talk:

For more info, check out Pure Golf Training’s Korean Golf Secrets.

Asian-ness Scale (1-10, 1: Michelle Wie, totally Americanized; 5: Se Ri Pak, somewhat assimilated; 10: Eun-Hee Ji, 한국말): Hee Young = 5

[Photo by Chumsak Kanoknan/Getty Images AsiaPac]

Apparently not all automakers are struggling with their finances — at least the international ones. Kia Motors, the Korean car company, has signed a pair of new sponsorship agreements in women’s professional golf.

On Wednesday the LPGA announced Kia as the title sponsor for its first event in the States. The Kia Classic Presented by J Golf will take place March 22-28 in San Diego, California, at the La Costa Resort and Spa Golf Course.

Another win for Commissioner Mike Whan and the LPGA. Now this deal is just another example of what some have preached — if a company wants to expand its marketing portfolio in the golf sector, but doesn’t feel like spending the $6 million to $8 million to sponsor a PGA Tour event, it should look to the LPGA for a less expensive investment.

In January, SportsBusiness Journal’s Jon Show reported that the men’s tour had been in talks with Hyundai, Kia’s parent company, to become the next title sponsor of the tournament stop in San Diego (now the Farmers Insurance Open), but apparently negotiations fell through.

Perhaps more companies will follow suit and turn to the LPGA for sponsorship opportunities.

Meanwhile, Kia signed Michelle Wie as its brand spokesperson. Jon Show has some details:

The company’s logo will appear on her golf bag, replacing the spot previously occupied by Sony, which opted not to renew its three-year-old deal at the end of last year. This is the first new endorsement deal that Wie has signed since turning professional, when she signed with Nike, Sony and Omega watches near the end of ‘05.

In between midterms and working out, Michelle tweeted, “I’m so excited and honored to be a partner with Kia Motors!” She also posted a picture of her new Kia car (photo above). But the bad news is that she still has to work on her speaking skills. ESPN’s Jason Sobel playfully tweeted, “When reached for comment about her new deal with Kia, Michelle Wie said, ‘It’s like, OMG! I’m just so, like, wow, you know? I mean, like…’”

Um, like, totally, he was just joking, though. But hey, let’s go easy on her. She’s only 20.

When Jiyai Shin missed her chip on the 54th hole by mere inches, a beleaguered Lorena Ochoa, who was watching on the sidelines, smiled, hugged people and let out a sigh of relief. She’d just won Player of the Year by a single point over Shin, after an intense rain-delayed battle at the LPGA Tour Championship.

After bogeying the 17th, Ochoa sank a tricky 16-footer for birdie on the 18th that put her alone in second place.  Shin, who also bogeyed the 17th, needed a birdie on the final hole to become the first Korean player to win the POY award. Not to be.

After “struggling” in 2009 with only three victories, Ochoa, the world’s number-one player, was wistful. “Everything came down to the last hole and I am just really proud of the way I finished. I can be happy. I’m going to go home and rest and enjoy that top position.” Her upcoming marriage to AeroMexico CEO Andre Conesa next month has people wondering how focused she’ll be on golf, considering she’ll spend most of her time counting piles and piles of pesos.

Overshadowed by the Ochoa-Shin duel was Anna Nordqvist’s fantastic showing. The Swede played spectacularly on Monday, as she fearlessly tackled pins and carded eight birdies on her way to a two-stroke victory over Ochoa. Earlier this season, she won her first LPGA tournament and a major, the McDonald’s LPGA Championship.

Most of the headlines about the LPGA this year have been about the troubles in the boardroom, but with Michelle Wie (finally) winning her first professional event the week prior; the thrilling race for POY; and a great victory by Nordqvist — it’s brimming with promise for 2010.

Mike Whan assumes the commissionership in January with the challenge of making the LPGA relevant — a task that seemed impossible just a few short weeks ago. As long as the play on the course continues to be this compelling (when they actually, you know, have tournaments), he’ll at least have something to work with. It can only get better.

[Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images]

Just four days after the most important victory in the LPGA’s recent history, Michelle Wie withdrew from the LPGA Tour Championship, the final tournament of the season. Following her opening round of even-par 72, she stopped in the fitness trailer to treat the sore left ankle, an injury that’s plagued her since the Solheim Cup. The diagnosis? She needed an MRI. O-Wie!

Bad news. Even worse timing. Especially given all the hype about her first win coming just in time for the struggling LPGA and its less-than-satisfactory 2010 schedule. Let’s take a look at the bevy of articles on the topic:

• Given the economic climate and the number of tournaments lost this year, [2010] could be the most important season in the history of the tour. And it could just be that Michele Wie is riding to the rescue at just the right time. — Ron Sirak, Golf Digest
• We’ve been waiting all year. She had a good season, and then in one fell swoop, at one event with an amazing leaderboard, she beat all the best. It will help us in a big way. — David Higdon, LPGA chief of communications, via Bloomberg
• The pressure on Wie to build on her breakthrough victory will be palpable this week. So many folks want her to succeed because she can be a Tigress Woods for the tour, relatively speaking. The tour desperately needs the jolt only she can give it because of the nature of her following. She reaches people beyond the sport in a way other players can’t. Wie’s success can benefit every LPGA pro out there by elevating the tour’s profile. — Randall Mell, Golf Channel
• Michelle Wie’s breakthrough victory on the LPGA Tour has given the U.S. women’s circuit a timely boost after a season of economic struggle…In the 20-year-old Wie, however, the circuit has one of the biggest drawcards in the game, a gifted and long-hitting player who is beloved by television and sponsors alike. — Mark Lamport-Stokes, Reuters
  
• The LPGA is having trouble signing domestic sponsors, yet Wie is internationally known, a marketable commodity. Americans had gone six months without winning an LPGA event, and Wie attracts fans like Phil Mickelson…Her win in Mexico might be the best thing that’s happened to golf since Eldrick T. Woods mumbled hello, world. — Steve Elling, CBS Sports

Without Michelle in the field, it seems the buzz was all for naught. Her win last week was undoubtedly a tremendous boost for the Tour (and of course, for her). But another win or top finish would have provided more much-needed momentum and perhaps swayed sponsors still on the fence to hand over the big bucks.

Now we must anxiously wait for next February when the LPGA kicks off its 2010 season in Singapore to see the Wonder Girl vie for another victory. Oh, let’s hope Michelle’s ankle recovers quicker than her wrist, too.

[Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images]

There’s an influx of Asians on the LPGA. And they’re really good. In fact, they win a lot. But many fans find it difficult to keep track of who is who because, you know, all Asians look alike and their names sound the same. So, let’s get to know them better.

• Born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, Michelle is 20 years old.
• Her given name is Sung-Mi, which means “Holy Beauty” in Korean.
• She started playing golf when she was 4. At age 5 she hit it 100
  yards. At 13, she drove it 300 yards.
• When she was 10, she professed, “My favorite golfer is Tiger Woods. I think I can beat him in the near future. Like when I’m 15.”
• At 16, she was named one of Time magazine’s “The Time 100, The People Who Shape Our World.”
• She speaks “Konglish.” That’s what she calls the mix of Korean and English she learned from her parents.
• She got her nickname “The Big Wiesy” when she played with Tom Lehman at the 2002 Pro-Junior the week of the PGA Tour’s Sony Open — her swing reminded him of Ernie Els’, aka “The Big Easy.”
• “Youngest player” achievements include: Won 2003 US Women’s Public Links Championship; made the cut at an LPGA major championship (13); played in a PGA Tour event (14); played in Curtis Cup (14)
• In 2004 she was given a sponsor’s exemption to play at the Sony Open and despite missing the cut by one measly stroke, her second-round score of 68 was the lowest ever by a woman in a PGA Tour event.
• She turned professional in 2005 after her 16th birthday and immediately signed contracts with Nike and Sony that were reportedly worth more than $10 million.
• That same year she played a round with President Bill Clinton, who said this: “She’s a brilliant athlete, and a beautiful young woman. She’s a nice person. She’s a great golfer, and she puts her talents to good use, something not always done by teenagers with her gifts. Plus, pretty soon she could be winning tournaments against men.”
• “88 Gate”: Citing a wrist injury, she withdrew from the ‘07 Ginn Tribute, where she was 14-over through 16 holes and sparked controversy because of the “Rule of 88” that states a nonmember who shoots 88 is banned from playing in LPGA events for the remainder of the calendar season.
• After injuring her wrist in early 2007, she continued to compete (rather poorly) despite the pain and didn’t discover until months later that she had three broken bones in her hand.
• Her parents have been hugely criticized for the mismanagement of their daughter and inappropriate behavior on the golf course.
• She’s a junior communications major at Stanford University. GPA? 3.4.
• She enjoys painting, drawing, etc., and DIY fashion and showcases her creative work on her blog, Black Flamingo.

Asian-ness Scale (1-10, 1: Michelle Wie, totally Americanized; 5: Se Ri Pak, somewhat assimilated; 10: Eun-Hee Ji, 한국말): Michelle = 1

[**To learn more about Michelle, check out Eric Adelson’s book THE SURE THING: The Making and Unmaking of Golf Phenom Michelle Wie — actually, the Armchair Golfer is having a free drawing for an autographed copy. Go HERE for a chance to win.]

There are 24 tournaments, only 13 will be played on American soil. The Tour kicks off its season on February 18th with a two-week swing in Asia, a stop in Thailand followed by one in Singapore. The earliest event in the US doesn’t take place until March 25 in California.

The ladies will have plenty of time to fine tune their games and pick up other hobbies (crocheting) or perhaps even side jobs (cart girl) in the 17 off-weeks between the first and last tournaments.

This season the Tour had 27 events, 7 less than in 2008. While the schedule looks bleak, there’s still time to toss in a few more with the economy supposedly improving. Another Michelle Wie win wouldn’t hurt either.

And while it sucks that the ladies are playing fewer tournaments and more overseas, they’re tough — it’s not a permanent situation and things should bounce back in the next few years.

In related news, it was also announced that Wegmans will serve as the presenting sponsor for the 2010 LPGA Championship, the second major of the season, which will be played at the site of the Wegmans LPGA event in Pittsford, NY, from June 21-24.

Here’s the schedule [via GolfWeek, missing the Korea tournament TBD]:

After Michelle Wie’s big first win yesterday, the LPGA announced another victory today. Following a three-year hiatus, the ShopRite LPGA Classic is back on the Tour’s 2010 schedule. The event will be held June 14-20 at the Seaview Resort in Galloway Township near Atlantic City, NJ (casinos!).

Until three years ago, it had been a regular tour stop for 21 years. But, as you may remember, former Commissioner Carolyn Bivens, whose demise was partly blamed on her uncompromising negotiation tactics with sponsors, failed to set a suitable date with the tournament organizers. With Bivens out of the picture, it appears they agreed to return to the drawing table with acting commissioner Marty Evans and worked out an agreement. So, another blemish from Bivens’ reign has been cured. Hooray.

Now we wait ‘til Wednesday when Evans and newly-anointed Commissioner Mike Whan reveal the LPGA’s complete 2010 schedule at the Tour Championship in Houston. From what’s been reported out of the Tour’s headquarters, it’s supposed to be a more “robust” calendar than expected. Fingers crossed.

After Michelle Wie tapped in a birdie on the 72nd hole at the Lorena Ochoa Invitational, she let out a big sigh of relief. Competing for the first time as a 20-something-year-old, she won her first professional tournament. It was the moment many in the golfing world have been waiting for most of this decade.

With a final-round leaderboard that included some of the LPGA’s biggest names, Michelle achieved what she hadn’t been able to do in the past — she closed a tournament. Playing alongside standout Cristie Kerr on Sunday, she played the final six holes bogey-free. She finished the day with a 3-under 69 and a four-day total 13-under to beat Paula Creamer by two strokes.

Hampered by injuries, controversy and botched opportunities, her career has been fraught with disappointment brought on by the enormous expectations. This year she’s finally living up to them.  She started the year by placing second at the SBS Open at Turtle Bay. She also earned 7 other top-ten finishes. And with her stellar performance at the Solheim Cup in August, Juli Inkster prophetically declared, “I would bet you a large amount of money that Michelle will win before the year is out.” Just five tournaments later, it happened.

Considered The Player Who Will Single-Handedly Save the LPGA Tour, the timing of her victory couldn’t have been better — the Tour announces its 2010 schedule next week in Houston and they’re probably still searching for some of those big-money sponsors to fill in a few holes. A dominant Michelle Wie will definitely help the cause.

[Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images]

There’s an influx of Asians on the LPGA. And they’re really good. In fact, they win a lot. But many fans find it difficult to keep track of who is who because, you know, all Asians look alike and their names sound the same. So, let’s get to know them better.

• Born and raised in South Korea, she’s 21 years old
• She made her dazzling debut in the American junior golf ranks in 2005 when she won the US Junior Girls’ Amateur Championship and later that summer she achieved medalist honors in the stroke play portion of the US Women’s Amateur Championship
• She tied for first at LPGA Q-school in 2006 and turned pro immediately after
• During her rookie year in 2007, she made some noise with four top-10 finishes almost winning at the Wegmans, but lost in a tough playoff against top-ranked player Lorena Ochoa
• She clinched her first victory on the LPGA at the 2008 Longs Drugs Challenge
• In 2009 she beat co-Asian Se Ri Pak by one stroke to secure her second victory at the State Farm Classic
• She surpassed $2 million in career earnings after her T10 finish at the 2009 Wegmans
• She’s currently ranked 6th on the money list this season
• Nicknames: Inky, I.K.
• Her favorite dessert is strawberry cheesecake, but she maintains a healthy diet of cereal and fruit to prepare for tournaments
• She plays the guitar to relax and her favorite karaoke song is Katy Perry’s “Hot N Cold”
• She speaks fluent English (!) and other players enjoy her company and say she’s charming with a great sense of humor

Asian-ness Scale (1-10, 1: Michelle Wie, totally Americanized [born in US, duh!]; 5: Se Ri Pak, somewhat assimilated; 10: Eun-Hee Ji, 한국말): In-Kyung = 4

[Photo by Hunter Martin/Getty Images]