Meena Lee, a former Rookie of the Year and MVP on the women’s professional tour in South Korea, made her presence known in the LPGA when she won the BMO Financial Group Canadian Women’s Open on July 17, in Nova Scotia. Lee also birdied her way into history by being the fourth straight first-time winner on the Tour this year, tying a LPGA record.

A rookie on the Tour, the 23-year-old Lee had not set her expectations too high. “I didn’t think about winning at the start, so I felt very free,” she told an Associated Press (AP) reporter.

But that changed by the time she finished her final round at a 9-under 279. With Lee in the lead, she could not bear to watch the final group on the 18th hole — which included Janice Moodie, who was one shot behind — so she waited behind the skyboxes and asked her caddie to see how it all played out.

“I was getting nervous and very intense,” said Lee.

Her caddie re-emerged with a big grin and a thumbs-up sign, since Moodie double-bogeyed.

With the win, Lee earned $195,000, jumping from 13th to seventh on the money list with $643,933 for 2005.

A native of Jeonju, Lee began playing golf at the age of 14, and she credits her father for being the most influential in her career, which includes placing second at the LPGA Corning Classic and the HSBC Women’s World Match Play Championship earlier this season.

But now with her first LPGA tournament victory under her belt, her expectations are a little different. “I look toward the future,” said Lee.