Se Ri Pak's Tour Diary

As originally written by Se Ri Pak for Joong Ang Ilbo. Translation by LoveGiants

Diary Entry #25: Leadbetter said, 'Tied 6th is a satisfying result'

The British Women's Open was the second tournament I played which was held out of my normal fields of activity, the US and Korea. The first was the Australian Ladies' Masters. I took part in that tournament after one month of lessons from David Leadbetter.

I was correcting my swing and was not prepared completely. Leadbetter told me not to worry about getting a good result, but to try my new swing and to feel comfortable.

The most exciting thing before the Australian Masters was to meet my father again, three months after leaving Korea. I wanted to show him my new swing. Father was impatient to see my swing, so he pressed me to
swing, and I did, right in the hotel lobby. I made a motion to swing with empty hands, because the golf clubs
had not arrived yet due to a mistake by the airline. People around us kept glancing at us.

Father looked over my swing thoroughly and said nothing for a while. Finally he said, "Accept what Leadbetter says without reservation."

At the Australian Masters, all the players I was envious of, like Annika Sorenstam, Laura Davies, and Karrie Webb, were going to participate. I recorded a tie for 6th, a 7 under par 281, during my 4 rounds. After the tournament, the press in Korea wrote articles cheering me, but at the same time, were also worried that I made the most birdies and the most bogeys. I was pointed out to be short of stability.

But I was not interested in the result. The players invited from Korea (Jae-Suk Won, Hyun-Sun Park, Il-Mi Chung) wanted to spend time with me, but I flew to Orlando as soon as the tournament was over. I was captured by the thought that I should correct my swing completely as soon as possible. Leadbetter praised me, "You're a wonderful player to get such a good result while correcting your swing."

I'm far less focused here in Britain than in the US. To be frank, I want to create a sensation here. In the British Open, I can play in better condition. I'll play with a native caddie and Leadbetter has worked with me. Here, the wind is unkind to players. On some holes, I have to use 3-wood, leaving 9-iron's distance. But I've grown up in a windstorm. I practiced when it rained cats and dogs, the lightning flashed and the thunder filled the air. I'll show my skills in this tournament.

Diary Entry #26: Struggling with Loneliness

When I won the LPGA Championship, the fans in Korea were
surprised to see me do an interview in English, because they did not expect that I could speak English. In the US, the press pointed out that I needed to practice English more, but some Korean residents said that to speak English to that extent
16 months after arriving in the US was good.

But I still do not feel comfortable making myself understood in English. I'll practice English more and more. I want to use refined terminology in interviews. I also want to be the best at giving interviews among the golfers.

When I came to the US, the bitterest thing to torture me was the loneliness. In the daytime, I had no time to feel lonely. But at night, when my daily routine was over, I couldn't sleep because of my yearning for my home and my family. So I devoted myself to training with that much more intensity. When I got exhausted, I could fall asleep easily. The only way to overcome loneliness was to practice severely.

The telephone lessened my loneliness. I talked over the phone with my family almost every day. One day, I talked with my mother and sisters in turn for over 1 hour. In addition to talking over the phone, practicing putting and
studying English were good ways to forget loneliness. I rolled balls on the carpet every night. The sound balls made colliding with each other sounded like beautiful music which consoled my heart.

Studying English was the most important thing in my private life. Leadbetter said that to master English was most urgent. If I lacked confidence in English, I would feel timid, however well I played. And I would have less chance to make friends with other players.

There was an event which motivated me to feel the importance of knowing English. It happened during the Australian Masters. I played a round with Laura Davies. I was acquainted with her because she had participated in tournaments held in Korea several times. But she did not talk to me. I was shy and not confident of my English, so I did not mind.

But, in the 2nd round, I talked to her haltingly: "Your shot is even greater than it was yesterday." She looked surprised, and apologized, "I thought you could not speak English at all, so I did not talk to you on purpose."

English is essential for Asian players to play golf better. Soon after I arrived in Orlando, I hired a tutor for English lessons. I've taken English lessons three times a week, two hours each time. During daytime, conversation with the coaching staff of the Leadbetter Academy also helped me to learn English.

When I could not stay at home because of tournaments, I studied by myself. I wrote down words and idioms in a notebook and memorized them.

Once I set a goal, I do not look at something else. So I devoted myself in studying English. Now I've gotten a nickname, "the studying machine."

At night, I relax, repeating the dialog of cartoons I am watching in a loud voice. As I like cartoons, studying English with them is not boring at all.