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EmailNORTH PLAINS, Ore. – M.J. Hur played her first tournament on American soil at the 2006 U.S. Women’s Amateur at Pumpkin Ridge. She was hooked. The Korean teen immediately set her sights on the LPGA.
Three years later, she returned to North Plains as a rookie on the LPGA and won the Safeway Classic on Pumpkin’s second track, Ghost Creek.
Hur’s name is a memorable one, so when I spotted her on the range at the David Leadbetter Academy in South Korea in the spring of 2007, she was easy to place. Her English skills, however, were quite limited then and I spent most of my time chatting with Jennifer Song, who was on the practice tee beside Hur and spoke near-perfect English.
Fast-forward two years: Hur came into the media room after her playoff victory Sunday afternoon without the aid of an interpreter. She charmed the media with her bright smile and whole-hearted effort at speaking English.
Well done.
