Who is Amy Yang? (Part 1)
One LPGA star is really making headlines these days due to her amazing performance at the season ending LPGA tour championship. It is none other than Amy Yang, who has taken a two day consecutive lead at the Grand Cypress Golf Club in Orlando, Florida.
After the opening round of the LPGA Tour Championship, Yang was sharing the lead with Seon Hwa Lee but after the second round, she is sole leader and will head into the final round, with a three shot advantage. This is the first time the twenty-one-year old has held the lead, at an LPGA event.
Not having won any tournament yet this Korean professional golfer is really hoping to finish this season with a bang. With not much known about the current star here is some insight on her life.
Born on 28th July 1989, to Joon Mo and Sun Hee Yang, Amy began playing golf when she was only ten-years old. Originally, Yang wanted to be a swimmer and was interested in an assortment of sports. It was the driving range near her community swimming pool that drew Amy towards golf.
Only three years after playing, she became a very skilled golfer. Unlike most hopeful Korean stars, Amy didn’t go to the United States to train. The general perception is that the golf courses and training are more affordable outside Korea. Instead, Amy and her family moved to Australia to sharpen her skills.
Moving when she was fifteen, she became the top amateur player, of her adopted country, only a year later. She finished as runner up, at the Australian Women’s Amateur championship and won the New Zealand Women’s Amateur.
It was her amazing amateur record in 2005 that earned her a sponsor’s exemption for the ANZ Ladies Masters. As part of the Ladies European Tour this event is also considered as a major by Australian Golfers. Posting a 6-under par 66 in the second round came as a surprise to many and Yang became the leader of the tournament.
She held onto her lead in the third round even though amazing players such as the French pro, Ludivine Kreutz, played very well. In the final round, Yang competed against Kreutz and another amateur, Tiffany Joh.
It would be the first time in history that an amateur has won the Australian ladies event. Playing only her second professional event, Yang was on a roll. She even had her high school friends cheering her on, as she was the only sixteen-year old to ever make it this near to victory.
By the end of the tournament, things got really heated up, as the players started firing constant birdies and bogies. By the end, Amy was left in a play-off with professional player, Catherine Cartwright.
However Yang didn’t get intimidated and played two great shots on the first play-off hole. Sinking a 7 meter birdie putt she won the trophy and become the youngest player to ever win on the European Tour. Yang also became the first amateur to win the tour since 1984. In disbelief of how much she had achieved, Yang broke down into tears.
This win earned her an invitation to compete in even more prestigious events. Becoming famous worldwide, Yang competed in the 2006 Evian Ladies Masters and the British Women’s Open. She was the lowest ranked amateur in the 2006 British Open. Due to her amazing performances she earned a three year exemption from the Ladies European Tour.
However, there was a condition, Amy had to turn professional. Yang hadn’t really considered turning professional until the end of 2007, since she was still in high school. After discussions with her school, her family and her coach, a way was discovered that Amy could become a professional and also complete her schooling.
Now a professional player at such a tender age, Yang was feeling on top of the world. Winning a professional tournament had boosted her confidence and now she only needed to utilize it. Yang had full plans of doing that since now she was a part of the Ladies European Tour. Her career as a professional golfer will be discussed in the next part.
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