Columbus, Ohio – Sterling Sports Management ("Sterling") announced that they have signed an exclusive representation agreement with the reigning LPGA Rookie of the Year, Seon Hwa Lee.
After capturing the money title on the Duramed Futures Tour in 2005 and earning for her LPGA Tour card, Seon Hwa Lee started her LPGA career by finishing 2nd in 3 of her first 6 LPGA events. She followed that by winning her first LPGA title at the ShopRite LPGA Classic in June, 2006 and finishing the season ranked #12 on the Money List. While LPGA fans may have been surprised, those who knew Seon Hwa were not. After all, she holds the record, in her native Korea, as the youngest golfer to turn professional at the age of 14 and the youngest player to win a professional tournament at age 15. In a rookie class that was seen as the strongest ever in LPGA history, Seon Hwa Lee won the rookie race – ahead of early season favorites, Morgan Pressel, Ai Miyazato and Brittany Lang.
In explaining her selection of agencies, Seon Hwa stated, "Sterling represents some of the top golfers on the LPGA tour including some of the tour’s best Asian players, and that experience was important to me and my family."
Jeff Chilcoat, the President of Sterling Sports Management, stated, "We are delighted to have the opportunity to manage the career of one of the LPGA’s young guns – a player who we believe will become a fixture at the top end of the LPGA Money List. We feel especially fortunate that over the past 12 months, 3 of the world’s top 15 players – Jeong Jang, Brittany Lincicome and Seon Hwa Lee – have entrusted Sterling Sports Management to manage their careers. Earning the confidence of Seon Hwa and her family further validates Sterling’s unique status as a market leader in the area of LPGA player representation."
J.S. Kang, Sterling’s Vice President, added, "Seon Hwa exemplifies the spirit of global competition and excellence. She refuses to be limited by barriers like age and language – barriers that many would consider insurmountable. That spirit was in evidence at every tournament throughout the year. But, it was also evidenced by her Rookie of the Year acceptance speech, which was delivered in near flawless English to an audience of her peers who were moved to tears. Seon Hwa’s dedication to bettering herself both on and off the course is truly inspiring. She is the new breed of international player and we are looking forward to helping to make Seon Hwa Lee a global brand."
About Sterling Sports Management
Sterling Sports Management is a leading full-service sports management company based in Columbus, Ohio that represents professional golfers including many of the LPGA Tour’s biggest stars. Sterling’s golf clients come from 7 countries and 4 continents and have won more than 50 professional golf tournaments. Sterling Sports represents its athlete clients in contract negotiations, endorsement agreements, media arrangements, marketing, celebrity appearances, public relations, and tax planning. Sterling also represents corporations through its Sports Marketing Consultancy practice which assists corporations get the most out of their investment in sports marketing, and facilitates the opening of overseas markets for both its athlete and corporate clients.
Contact:
J.S. Kang
Vice-President
Sterling Sports Management
404.518.2002
jkang@sterlingsm.com