2014 LPGA Rookie Stars: A Closer Look
Kim Kaufman
Lydia Ko has probably gotten more press coverage than the average rookie athlete, and while it’s certainly been deserved and the Kiwi phenom has the 2014 Louise Suggs Rookie of the Year award locked up, four more rookies — Mirim Lee, Line Vedel, Kim Kaufman, and Amy Anderson — have had an outstanding first year on the Tour. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed their games and I’m looking forward to watching them rise through the ranks and become dominant players on the field in the next few years. Here’s a big shout out to all four!
Mirim Lee
Mirim Lee
Mirim Lee brought 3 years’ competitive experience and 4 victories on the Korean LPGA and the Ladies Asian Golf Tour to her LPGA rookie year, experience that’s served her very well. With four top-10 2014 finishes that include wins at the Meijer LPGA Classic and the Reignwood Classic, this 24-year old South Korean has claimed her space on the Tour.
That she notched the Meijer victory in a playoff against Inbee Park, a feat that eluded veteran player Brittany Lincicome at the Wegman’s LPGA Championship, makes her win even more impressive.
Line Vedel
Line Vedel
Like Mirim Lee, Line Vedel played her way onto the LPGA Tour. The 25-year old Dane, who turned pro in 2011, played for three years on the Ladies European Tour (2011-2013), where she collected four top-10s that included a victory at the 2012 Allianz Ladies Slovak Open.
Vedel qualified for the LPGA Tour at the 2012 final qualifying tournament and with three top-10 finishes she’s had a very successful rookie year. Notably, Vedel’s ranked the best putter on the Tour and when she dials in her accuracy she’s looking at a bright future on the big stage.
As I’ve watched Line Vedel play this year I’ve most enjoyed her broad smile and the sheer pleasure she exudes as she makes her way from tee to green.
More from Golf Lifestyle
- Kyle Berkshire On Long Hair, Super-Vision, Hang Time, Shaft Flex
- Kyle Berkshire: What Was on His Mind before Winning The World Long Drive
- Reflections on a Pilgrimage to the Home of Golf
- Constellation Furyk & Friends Event Growing in Fun and Fundraising
- Christian Cavaliere’s Career in Golf is Just Starting
Kim Kaufman
Kim Kaufman’s a home-grown rookie who played her collegiate golf at Texas Tech and notched her first pro win in 2013 during her rookie year on the Symetra Tour at the Island Resort Championship.
I watched Kaufman’s game come alive at the North Texas LPGA Shootout in May, where she finished T4th. She finished inside the top-10 two more times, at the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open and the Yokohama Tire LPGA Classic. There’s more to come for this six-foot Texan!
Amy Anderson
I didn’t know the snow melted long enough for golf to be played in North Dakota but Amy Anderson found enough of a golf season in the northern plains to develop a standout game. This North Dakota native, another home-grown rookie, played her collegiate golf at North Dakota State and was on the 2012 Curtis Cup.
Anderson’s a scrappy golfer who plays a fearless and very systematic, very controlled game. Her only top-10, which I’m convinced is the first of many yet to be played and collected, came at the LOTTE LPGA Championship.
CME Group Tour Championship
Anderson and Vedel have finished their 2014 season, but Lydia Ko and Kim Kaufman are both in the CME Group Tour Championship final field.
Ko, as we know, will battle it out with Stacy Lewis and Inbee Park. The trio is paired for the first round on Thursday and will be the final group to tee off.
Kaufman, paired with Tiffany Joh and Sarah Jane Smith for the first round, will tee off in the middle of the field, at 10:01am.
Follow me on Twitter @bethbethel and I’ll notify you when I publish news and commentary on the exciting end of the LPGA’s 2014 season.