Michelle Wie would be my pick to win the SBS Open at Turtle Bay — if I were betting with my heart like the homer that I am.

But money on the line means betting — for amusement only, of course — with my head, so I'm going with South Korea's Jiyai Shin to win the LPGA's season-opener starting today at the Palmer Course.

It could be the start of a seasonlong duel between Wie and Shin, who are two of the most unlikely rookies you'll ever find among the 21 first-timers, making it one of the best rookie classes the LPGA has seen in years.

Wie has already played in 47 LPGA events, the first dating back to the 2002 LPGA Takefuji Classic, when as a 12-year-old, she set a record as the youngest qualifier. But this is her first start as an LPGA member.

Shin became the first non-LPGA member to win three events, winning the Ricoh Women's British Open, the Mizuno Classic and walking off with a $1 million paycheck at the ADT Championship last year.

Add highly regarded Stacy Lewis and Vicky Hurst to the impressive list of first-timers, it should be quite a battle for rookie-of-the-year honors. And, again, you'd have to go with your head and not your heart and bet on Shin against the field for that honor as well.

Especially, since Shin, who turns 21 in April, says that winning the rookie-of-the-year award is her primary goal for 2009.

"I look forward to this year because I'm rookie again," said Shin, who admits she doesn't really feel like one. "Everybody saying (to me), you not rookie." One of the players telling her that was Yani Tseng, last year's LPGA rookie of the year.

Wie, too, said, "it's a strange feeling" to be considered a rookie. "I feel like a rookie because I went to my first player meeting on Monday."

Feelings aside, Shin holds an edge over the rest of the newcomers and she's well aware of it.

"We have good rookie class. Michelle is a very good player. Little bit different style. Michelle style is long distance. My style is more course management," said Shin, who thinks the strongest part of her game is mental. "And driver. I can hit straight."

The key, though, she says, is "last year I won three times."

It turned out to be quite a 2008 for Shin, who finished seventh in the SBS Open last year, playing on a sponsor's exemption from the Seoul Broadcasting System. She left here with the idea of going to Q-School to finally play on the American tour after dominating the Korean LPGA, where she has won 16 times in the last two years.

Suddenly, she got the attention of the rest of the world by winning a major, the Women's British Open, then the Mizuno Classic and the ADT Championship. She's now No. 5 in the World Rolex Rankings.

"I surprised. I still can't believe. Three times win, amazing and exciting," Shin said about her year in which she earned $1,682,976, which would have put her fifth on the 2008 LPGA money list had she been a member of the tour. And she did it in only 10 events. She has yet to miss a cut in 18 LPGA events.

Shin said she was a little nervous and felt some pressure the night before winning the Women's British Open in Berkshire, England. "I traveled by myself over there. When I get chance for the win, more pressure. Went to sleep, woke up, felt comfortable, confident — and won."

It was a different story at the season-ending ADT Championship at West Palm Beach, Fla., where she felt comfortable all week, according to Shin. "My goal was to just play until Sunday. Got to Sunday, felt comfortable and won again."

She's not overly disappointed there will be no ADT Championship to defend this year. "It feels more special because I'm the last winner."

The million bucks helped, too. She'll use some of her winnings to buy a home in either Orlando, Fla., or Los Angeles perhaps next year, she said.

In the meantime, Shin has a new major sponsor, Mirae Asset, a mutual funds company in Seoul, and is represented by SEMA Sports Marketing, whose clients include Se Ri Pak and Na Yeon Choi, who are also among the 138 players chasing the $180,000 top prize here.

A larger than usual number of Korean media are here to watch 34 players from South Korea in the field, but keeping closer tabs on Shin's debut as a "rookie."

"I very enjoy being an LPGA member now. But many Korean people focus on me, so I guess big pressure now," said Shin, who plans on playing around 25 tournaments this year. "No problem, playing that many."

Whatever number, it's a good bet to pick Shin this or any other week.