Magazine 2003 Sybase Big Apple Classic

Volume 1, Number 11 August 6, 2003

Sybase Big Apple Classic: Hee-Won Won One

Pages 1, 2, Results

No longer the best Korean player never to have won an event

Hee-Won Han's career arc has been nothing short of spectacular. Three years ago, she struggled to get a nonexempt card on the LPGA tour. She entered the tour in 2001 as an unheralded rookie that few would have suspected would make much noise; after all, it is very tough to be a top rookie when you are not guaranteed to be in most fields. But with grit and tenacity, she qualified on Monday to play in 8 tournaments (out of 11 attempts). She notched a bunch of top twenties and one top ten, and this was good enough to earn her Rookie of the Year honors.

It did not take her long in 2002 to make a quantum leap in quality. At the Longs Drugs Challenge, she played consistently for four rounds, but seemed out of it when Cristie Kerr took over with a big lead. But then Kerr stumbled, and suddenly Hee-Won was tied for the lead. Though she made a mistake on the final hole and lost by one, it showed that there was a player here with enough talent to not just play well but contend. She would go on to finish second twice more in 2002, each time coming tantalizingly close to taking her first trophy.

At no event did she come closer than the Sybase Big Apple Classic. In the final round she was paired with world #1 Annika Sorenstam and fellow Korean player Gloria Park. One would think that Annika would dominate that pairing, but in fact it was the two Koreans who put on a clinic for the network audience. With just a few holes to go, Hee-Won looked like she had it in the bag, but she stumbled coming in, and found herself tied on the 18th green with Gloria. The situation: a six footer for birdie that could win it all for her. Alas, she did not make the putt, and lost twenty minutes later in heartbreaking style.

Hee-Won came so close to winning
the Sybase in 2002

Hee-Won and her caddie plan their next move
Reuters/Mike Segar

In 2003, Hee-Won has again been tough and strong. Although she hadn't had a lot of chances to win events coming into the Sybase, she had 5 top tens, and had for more than two rounds led or co-led the second Major of the year, the LPGA Championship. Even though she faded at the end, she still achieved her best ever Major finish of 11th place there. She had also been involved in a memorable duel with Se Ri Pak and Grace Park at the Safeway Ping Classic in Phoenix earlier in the year. She ended up third there after firing a final round 66. If 2001 was about survival, and 2002 was about growth, 2003 seemed to be about consolidating herself as one of the top players on tour. And in order to do that, she needed to do something else: win.

Her efforts at the Sybase this year should lay to rest any doubts that Hee-Won not only belongs on the LPGA, but that she should strongly be considered part of a Big Four of Korean players. By the third round, she had moved herself into the lead, chased by great veteran Meg Mallon and recent mother Cindy Figg-Currier. Indeed, at one point coming in, she had a four shot lead and looked like she was going to extend that further. But then Mallon caught fire. She birdied the par 5 15th, the 16th, then hit her approach on 17 so close it nearly went in. She went on to birdie the par 5 18th as well, and a stumble from Hee-Won on 16 for a bogey suddenly meant that Mallon had a one shot lead. Fortunately, Han handled the 18th masterfully, with a great approach onto the edge of the green and a sweet up and down from 60 feet for birdie. So they went into Sunday tied at 10 under, well ahead of anyone else in the field. It looked likely to be a match play situation.

Hee-Won had her struggles on Sunday, but not before Mallon did. Meg had so much trouble early that again Han had a big lead and looked ready to waltz to an easy win. But on 8, she notched a double bogey. Mallon did not take advantage of a birdie opportunity there, and thus only gained two strokes.

It was on 13 and 14 where Hee-Won really had some shaky stuff. It really started, though, with easy putts she missed on 11 and 12. Those were for birdie, but it was not a good sign. On 13 she hit her approach over the green into the fringe. From there she hit one of the worst chips I've seen in a while; it almost looked like she skulled it. The only thing that saved her was that the ball hit the flag, which slowed it down enough to stop just off the green on the other side. Had that not happened, it might have been well off the green. She walked very quickly to her ball and hit another chip; it was surprising that she did not take more time to regroup. She then managed to make a not easy bogey save. But it really looked like the nerves were getting to her at last.

On 14, she hit a decent approach, but it still did not stay on the green. Her birdie chip was OK, but she did not make the relatively short par saver. She was letting Mallon back into the tournament again, and with a hole where eagle was a possibility coming up.

Hee-Won tried to focus on Sunday
AP Photo/Frank Franklin II