Ji-Hee Lee Breaks 100-Million-Yen Barrier

Ji-Hee Lee couldn't quite get her second win in a row on the JLPGA, but her T2 finish at the Sankyo Ladies Open today was more than good enough to vault her over the 100-million-yen barrier in season winnings.  She now has a huge lead on Akiko Fukushima, Miho Koga, Mi-Jeong Jeon, and Sakura Yokomine, all of whom have a good chance of crossing that mark before the end of the season.  Well behind the JLPGA's Big 5 but making a big move this week with her closing 68 and -8 overall score is young gun Maiko Wakabayashi, who joins Erina Hara, Bo-Bae Song, and Chie Arimura in the 22-and-under winners' circle on tour.  Wakabayashi has now won roughly the same amount in 2008 as LPGA Q-School-bound Shiho Oyama and Miki Saiki (who haven't won this season), which suggests that the top 20 or more on the JLPGA could be competitive on the LPGA.  When there could be as many as 12-15 million-dollar winners on the LPGA this season, it stands to reason that more JLPGA stars will cross the ocean in the coming years.