Having ranked the LPGA rookie classes of 2006 and 2007, I now turn to the last class in the Young Guns generation, the Super Sophs. How do their brief careers on the LPGA stack up?
Simply the Best
1. Ya Ni Tseng. It's simply amazing that she closed out the season with 8-straight top 25s and 5-straight top 10s yet lost ground to her top pursuer in her class! The difference was on the greens.
2. Na Yeon Choi. Last time, I wrote, "She still has not missed an LPGA cut in her career and she's been improving in her key performance stats. But she still lost ground to Tseng in 2 key categories--wins and winnings. If she's going to join the Million Dollar Club for the 2nd time in as many seasons, it's time for her to reverse that last trend." Since then, she's won twice and is riding a 7-event top-20 run into 2010. Not half bad!
The Contenders
3. Hee Young Park. Just as I predicted, she broke the $1M barrier in career winnings in 2009. If she shows as much improvement in 2010 as she did this season, look for her to break the $2M barrier next one.
4. Momoko Ueda. Last time, I wrote, "I can't imagine anyone on tour who's been working harder on her game than Momo-chan, but accidents and health issues have prevented her from building on her wins on the JLPGA last season and just a few weeks ago. I can't wait to see her start playing to her potential in the States." Well, she only played 3 times on the LPGA since then, but finished T2, T11, and T9. Combined with her #7 ranking on the JLPGA this season, where she got her 8th career win, she was outdone by only Ji-Yai Shin, Ai Miyazato, and Anna Nordqvist among the LPGA's dual members in the Young Guns and New Blood generations.
5. Amy Yang. Well, she didn't have the breakout sophomore campaign that I expected, but she put up some very impressive numbers in 2009, and not just on the LPGA. Even without any more wins on the LET this season to follow up on her pair last one, she still finished #30 on their money list in only 4 starts. Like Ueda, if she keeps making steady improvements next season, 2010 could be a very big year for her.
Quantum Leap Candidates
6. Shanshan Feng. She had a terrible 2009 by the standards she set in the 2nd half of 2008, but as she finished in the top 80 on the money list, she'll give herself every opportunity to return to that form in 2010.
7. Sandra Gal. Made a large number of birdies in 2009 despite hitting very few greens by the standards of the LPGA's elite. If she can improve her driving accuracy and her iron play, she'll be one of them in 2010.
8. Eunjung Yi. Hound Dog is right to call her win at the Farr a fluke, but even though she missed 3 cuts in her next 4 starts, she's riding a 7-event made-cut streak into 2010. Let's see what kind of season she has.
9. Louise Friberg. Gotta give her credit--as bad as she played on the LPGA in 2009, she never pulled the plug and retreated to the LET. Her rookie win puts her at #96 on the LPGA priority status list, so she'll get as many chances to play her way out of this slump as she wants. I hope she realizes that most everyone goes through valleys like these and is heartened by the fact that Ai Miyazato, Brittany Lang, and Inbee Park have fought their way through theirs.
On the Bottom, Looking Up
10. Anna Grzebien. Call it the Stephanie Wei effect: although she didn't have as dramatic a turnaround as her buddy and Junior Mint Paige Mackenzie did at the end of 2009, she did elevate her game a notch after being featured on Steph's blog. Let's see if she can keep improving in 2010.
11. Taylor Leon. She did much more than start "making cuts to build some momentum for Q-School," as I counseled in early September; she finished 6th in NW Arkansas and T20 in Houston to move to #83 on the 2009 money list and #107 on the 2010 priority status list--and avoid Q-School entirely. If she can improve her ballstriking just a bit, she'll be giving herself more birdie chances next season. If not, she'll likely be passed by many in her class who are right on her tail.
12. Jimin Jeong. Thanks to a top 10 and a top 20, she made the jump from the Futures Tour mid-season, but played badly the rest of the way in 2009. At #137 on the priority status list in 2010, she'll be playing a full schedule, so we'll get a better sense of what she's capable of.
13. Sarah Kemp. Another player who jumped ship from the Futures Tour after getting a pair of mid-season top 20s on the LPGA, she, too, had her problems the rest of the way. But at #131 on the priority status list in 2010, well, you know the deal. She's already won twice on the ALPG this month, by the way, and leads their current money list.
14. Anna Rawson. In 18 LPGA starts, she finished #95 on the 2009 money list, which puts her at #129 on the 2010 priority status list, so she can keep trying to outdo fellow Aussie Kemp as many times as she wants to on the LPGA next season.
15. Anja Monke. Even though she stopped playing on the LPGA after the Canadian Women's Open, she hung on to #123 on the 2009 money list, which gives her the chance to get into some 2010 events from her position at #161 on the priority status list. However, as she finished 36th on the LET money list in only 8 starts, she may decide to make the LPGA her "other" tour next season.
16. Ashleigh Simon. She outdid Monke by a few spots on the LPGA's 2009 money list (#118) and 2010 priority list (#156), so it'll be interested to see how she puts together her schedule next season (I'm not sure what kind of status finishing #116 on the LET's money list in 3 events this season gives her for next one).
17. Liz Janangelo. She ended up #18 on the 2009 Futures Tour money list, but got her LPGA card back, anyway, with a T16 at LPGA Q-School.
18. Leah Wigger. Finished T9 at LPGA Q-School, moving her up to #122 on the 2010 priority status list. Let's see if she can avoid Q-School by the time next December rolls around.
19. Nicole Hage. Another surprise at LPGA Q-School, she also finished T9.
On the Outside, Looking In
20. Carolina Llano. Fell off the cliff in 2009. Can she climb back up it in 2010 (presumably on the Futures Tour)?
21. Sofie Andersson. At #20 on the Futures Tour money list, she played well above my expectations. But a MC at LPGA Q-School ended her quest to regain her LPGA card. It's back to the FT in 2010 for her.
22. Hannah Jun. The medalist at the FT's Q-School in 2008 finished at #28 on their money list in 2009. After missing the cut in LPGA Q-School, she'll have a chance to improve on her FT record in 2010.
23. Emma Cabrera-Bello. At #25 on the LET's money list, she's had an up-and-down 2009. But a T44 at the LPGA's Q-School ended it on a down note. Let's see how she bounces back on the LET in 2010.
24. Onnarin Sattayabanphot. Didn't play well at all during the last stage of JLPGA's Q-School, but she'll have partial status there in 2010.
Question Marks
25. Sarah Oh. She won on the ALPG last season, but hasn't yet played there this season, as far as I can tell.
26. Hwanhee Lee. #71 on the 2009 FT money list; did not enter FT Q-School. Associated with Play Golf Designs in some capacity.
27. Violeta Retamoza. #94 on the '09 FT money list; did not enter FT Q-School.
28. Chris Brady. #124 on the FT money list; did not enter FT Q-School. Associated with Play Golf Designs in some capacity.
Missing in Action
29. Amie Cochran.
30. Sukjin Lee Wuesthoff.
For your reference--and mine--here are the stats on which I'm basing the final 2009 ranking.
2009 LPGA Money List (rank), stroke average (rank), birdies per round average (rank [in total birdies]), greens in regulation rate (rank): I focus on four key indicators of how well someone is playing this season--how much money they've made, how they've scored, how many birdies they've averaged per round, and how many greens they've hit in regulation on average per round, plus how they rank in each category (except for birdies, which LPGA.com ranks by total and not by average). I figure I can figure out how well they're hitting their irons and putting by comparing the last three figures, so I don't include putts per green in regulation here. Some of the figures Hound Dog thinks are the most important I'm looking at in the career stats (below), where I think they belong. These stats are all about the present and future and are worth comparing to Hound Dog's final 2009 total driving and total putting stats.
1. Na Yeon Choi, $1.34M (#6), 70.51 (#7), 3.77 (#2), 71.4% (#14)
2. Ya Ni Tseng, $1.29M (#7), 70.44 (#5), 3.85 (#1), 71.7% (#11)
3. Hee Young Park, $666.3K (#20), 71.94 (#35), 3.39 (#16), 66.8% (#59)
4. Momoko Ueda, $416.3K (#33), 71.68 (#28), 3.15 (#58), 66.3% (#68)
5. Eunjung Yi, $314.6K (#43), 72.66 (#73), 2.98 (#55), 67.6% (#52)
6. Amy Yang, $302.8K (#45), 71.68 (#29), 3.37 (#21), 69.4% (#31)
7. Sandra Gal, $298.8K (#46), 72.12 (#41), 3.52 (#27), 65.3% (#82)
8. Anna Grzebien $166.9K (#64), 72.47 (#58), 3.08 (#56), 65.5% (#67)
9. Shanshan Feng, $123.7K (#75), 72.60 (#69), 2.98 (#61), 68.3% (#43)
10. Taylor Leon, $114.0K (#83), 72.78 (#81), 3.00 (#109), 63.1% (#100)
11. Anna Rawson, $86.1K (#95), 73.00 (#94), 2.67 (#102), 66.7% (#61)
12. Sarah Kemp, $85.5K (#96), 72.25 (#46), 3.29 (#75), 63.2% (#98)
13. Jimin Jeong, $81.6K (#99), 72.88 (#86), 3.08 (#84), 62.0% (#111)
14. Ashleigh Simon, $39.8K (#118), 73.18 (#101), 2.91 (#104), 61.4% (#120)
15. Anja Monke, $36.3K (#123), 73.10 (#97), 2.40 (#127), 68.3% (#45)
16. Louise Friberg, $34.1K (#126), 74.63 (#139), 2.40 (#114), 59.6% (#135)
17. Leah Wigger, $24.4K (#130), 74.05 (#128), 2.30 (#128), 63.3% (#97)
18. Carolina Llano, $23.3K (#132), 74.39 (#135), 2.24 (#128), 57.3% (#143)
Career LPGA Money List (rank), # of LPGA events entered/majors/wins/top 3s/top 10s/top 20s/withdrawals/disqualifications/missed cuts/finished events (rate): About the only thing these stats are useful for is comparing people who entered the LPGA in the same year (although if you count generations by 3 years, it can be interesting). Between inflation, changing purses, and length/timing of careers, it's very hard to compare and contrast winnings across generations of LPGA greats. Fortunately the Super Sophs haven't been at this all too long, so the career money list is a decent stat for comparing them, even if it's a bit unfair to people who have not been exempt both years. What would really be great is if we had a world money list in inflation-adjusted dollars, with inflation- and exchange-adjusted other cash denominations added in (or just totalled up separately to avoid comparing dollars and yen), which included all each golfer earned as a professional on any tour. But even the guys don't have that, so that'll have to remain a dream for now--although Thomas Atkins has posted an inflation-adjusted LPGA Career Top 50 as of the end of the 2008 season and a Top 50 ranking over at Hound Dog's place (and recently updated it to a Greatest 100 LPGA Players ranking). In any case, I include these other ways of seeing how the Super Sophs finished relative to their competition in the tournaments they entered because they reveal a lot about how well someone is able to compete at every level, from just making cuts to grinding out top 20s and top 10s to contending for wins. So here's how they stand midway through the 2009 season. Many thanks to the LPGA for updating their 2009 Performance Chart after every event! [Note: *=non-member win.]
1. Ya Ni Tseng, $3.05M (#58), 54/1/2/12/24/38/0/0/2/52 (.963)
2. Na Yeon Choi, $2.44M (#79), 53/0/2/8/20/35/0/0/0/53 (1.000)
3. Hee Young Park, $1.14M (#160), 53/0/0/2/10/17/0/0/12/41 (.774)
4. Momoko Ueda, $829.7K (#211), 37/0/1*/1/5/12/0/0/6/31 (.838)
5. Shanshan Feng, $596.5K (#247), 48/0/0/1/5/7/1/0/20/27 (.563)
6. Sandra Gal, $479.9K (#277), 45/0/0/0/2/12/2/0/9/34 (.756)
7. Louise Friberg, $429.1K (#286), 45/0/1/1/3/4/0/0/26/19 (.422)
8. Eunjung Yi, $409.8K (#290), 35/0/1/1/1/2/1/0/12/22 (.629)
9. Amy Yang, $363.6K (#301), 30/0/0/1/3/8/0/0/6/24 (.800)
10. Anna Grzebien, $206.0K (#387), 35/0/0/0/0/5/0/0/16/19 (.543)
11. Taylor Leon, $199.6K (#389), 32/0/0/0/3/6/0/0/18/14 (.438)
12. Jimin Jeong, $163.5K (#414), 30/0/0/0/2/3/0/0/12/18 (.600)
13. Sarah Kemp, $158.9K (#419), 36/0/0/0/0/4/0/1/16/19 (.528)
14. Anna Rawson, $148.9K (#426), 31/0/0/0/1/4/0/0/18/13 (.419)
15. Carolina Llano, $111.3K (#460), 40/0/0/0/1/1/0/0/25/15 (.375)
16. Anja Monke, $72.3K (#505), 19/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/9/10 (.526)
17. Ashleigh Simon, $64.2K (#523), 29/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/17/12 (.414)
18. Leah Wigger, $38.5K (#573), 23/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/16/7 (.304)
19. Liz Janangelo, $34.0K (#577), 22/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/13/9 (.409)
20. Hannah Jun, $32.0K (#582), 9/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/4/5 (.556)
21. Amie Cochran, $17.2K (#622), 5/0/0/0/0/1/0/0/4/1 (.200)
22. Onnarin Sattayabanphot, $8.6K (#670), 8/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/6/2 (.250)
23. Nicole Hage, $8.4K (#671), 8/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/6/2 (.250)
24. Chris Brady, $6.1K (#689), 4/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/2/2 (.500)
25. Violeta Retamoza, $2.5K (#721), 19/0/0/0/0/0/1/0/17/1 (.053)
26. Emma Cabrera-Bello, $0K (n.r.), 2/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/2/0 (.000)
27. Sarah Oh, $0K (n.r.), 3/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/3/0 (.000)
28. Hwanhee Lee, $0K (n.r.), 5/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/5/0 (.000)
29. Sofie Andersson, $0K (n.a.), 0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0 (.000)
30. Sukjin Lee Wuesthoff, $0K (n.a.), 0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0 (.000)
Other Career Measures: Rolex Ranking (as of 12/28/09) and rank, Golfweek/Sagarin Performance Index (as of 12/26/09) and rank; International and Non-Member LPGA Wins (as of the end of the 2009 season): This is a way of seeing how those Super Sophs who sometimes or regularly or often compete on other tours stack up over the course of their careers to date (the RR includes results over the past 104 weeks on the LPGA, LET, JLPGA, KLPGA, and Futures Tour; the GSPI includes results over the past 52 weeks on all these tours except the KLPGA).
1. Ya Ni Tseng, 7.13 (#5), 69.52 (#7); 0
2. Na Yeon Choi, 6.01 (#12), 69.34 (#3); 4
3. Momoko Ueda, 3.56 (#27), 70.80 (#24); 8
4. Hee Young Park, 2.99 (#36), 71.56 (#46); 4
5. Amy Yang, 2.17 (#52), 71.24 (#36); 3
6. Eunjung Yi, 2.06 (#55), 72.73 (#110); 0
7. Sandra Gal, 1.58 (#73); 71.75 (#51); 0
8. Shanshan Feng, 1.20 (#93), 72.78 (#112); 0
9. Anna Grzebien, .96 (#112), 72.21 (#72); 0
10. Taylor Leon, .73 (#139), 73.63 (#163); 0
11. Jimin Jeong, .62 (#159), 73.44 (#145); 0
12. Anja Monke, .61 (#161), 73.60 (#160); 2
13. Anna Rawson, .61 (#162), 73.62 (#162); 0
14. Louise Friberg, .59 (#173), 75.30 (#294); 0
15. Sarah Kemp, .59 (#174), 72.97 (#124); 0
16. Ashleigh Simon, .29 (#248), 73.79 (#180); 1
17. Emma Cabrera-Bello, .23 (#284), 74.73 (#248); 0
18. Carolina Llano, .13 (#356), 75.02 (#270); 0
19. Sarah Oh, .12 (#364), 72.15 (n.r. [too few events]); 0
20. Leah Wigger, .12 (#367), 74.99 (#266); 0
21. Liz Janangelo, .05 (#478), 74.18 (#209); 0
22. Nicole Hage, .03 (#558), 76.53 (#382); 0
23. Hannah Jun, .02 (#574), 74.50 (#233); 0
24. Sofie Andersson, .01 (#608), 75.27 (#292); 0
25. Onnarin Sattayabanphot, .01 (#640), 74.86 (#258); 0
26. Amie Cochran, .01 (#662), n.r.; 0
27. Hwanhee Lee, n.r., 76.19 (#363); 0
28. Violeta Retamoza, n.r., 77.18 (#411); 0
29. Chris Brady, n.r., 78.07 (#456); 0
30. Sukjin Lee Wuesthoff, n.r., n.r.; 0
***
Next up: I rank the LPGA's current rookie class!
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