Special Approval for Membership Application After Salonpas Cup Victory
Expected to Compete Only in JLPGA Tour for the Time Being
15-year-old Lee Hyosong will begin her professional career in Japan.
15-year-old amateur Lee Hyo-seong is posing with the trophy immediately after winning the JLPGA Tour World Ladies Championship Salonpas Cup. [Photo by JLPGA]
The Japan Ladies Professional Golf Association (JLPGA) Tour announced on the 25th that the board approved the membership application submitted by Lee Hyosong, who won the major tournament World Ladies Salonpas Cup last May. Lee Hyosong, a national representative of the Korea Golf Association, will compete as a professional player on the JLPGA Tour. Initially, she planned to delay her professional debut until after turning 18, but she changed her mind.
The Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Tour does not allow membership before the age of 18. The JLPGA Tour also requires players to be over 18, but considering her status as a major tournament winner, they reportedly approved her special membership.
At the World Ladies Salonpas Cup, Lee Hyosong fended off challenges from the JLPGA Tour's top player Miyu Amashita (Japan) and Lee Yewon to set the record as the youngest winner in the history of Japanese major tournaments. On the 17th, she also achieved a joint victory with An Seonghyun at the Junior Open Championship held in Scotland, UK.
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