2003 Longs Drugs Challenge: Up and Down

Most anyone else would have been out of it at that point; four shots down with five to play. Not Se Ri. On the very next hole, she got that bogey back with a birdie putt to move to 10 under. Grace landed her approach in the fringe, and was farther from the hole than Se Ri, but needed to get a ruling about whether she could lift it from there, so Se Ri went first, though closer. Grace ended up with a tap in par.

Then came the par 5 15th. While Grace made the green in 2, Se Ri had trouble off the tee and had to lay up. No problem. Her third was a laser from 90 yards to 3 feet, provoking more oohs and ahs from the gallery. Another birdie, and soon she was at 11 under, under par for the day for the first time since early. She was now only two shots out of the lead, a lead co-held by Grace after she converted her two putt for birdie on 15.

More was on the line than just low Korean honors, or even than just the trophy. Grace was also Se Ri's nearest competitor for the Vare Trophy. If she were to beat Se Ri's score this week, she could move closer to that prize. But hole 16 was a pivotal one for them. Grace hit her approach short of the green, then chipped well past the hole and was not able to save par, dropping back to 12 under. Meanwhile, Se Ri put her approach to 12 feet and drilled another birdie, prompting a fist pump and another audience roar. Just like that, they were tied at 12 under par. But with Pat Hurst moving to 14 under, and Helen Alfredsson at 13 under, the situation became clear: Se Ri and/or Grace needed at least to get to 13 under to have any chance of winning.

Grace during her practice round
Courtesy: Robert K

Se Ri at the Longs
Courtesy: Robert K

Se Ri hit another top notch iron on 17 over the flag, leaving herself 12 feet or so for another birdie chance. The putt looked good all the way, and Se Ri was in mid-fist pump when it scooted just past the hole and she had to settle for par. Grace also had a birdie chance that came up short. So it all came down to one more hole. They both knew one more birdie was the least they needed; even that might not be enough. Se Ri hit yet another great approach from 135 yards to 15 feet, while Grace overshot the green again and hit only a mediocre chip for her third. She made par and finished at 12 under.

Se Ri had one more chance to make some magic. Again, it was another near perfect putt, and again, she left it right next to the hole. All the way, it looked like it would kick right and fall in, but it just didn't have enough break to do what she wanted. So she, too, finished at 12 under.

It would not be enough. Hurst would go on to double bogey 18, falling to 12 under herself, but Alfredsson hung in there at 13 under for the win. You couldn't help but look back at that criminal 180 degree lipout par save on 13 as the shot that had cost Se Ri her second Longs Drugs title. But she had the consolation of a ninth straight top ten, and a performance that moved her ever closer to her first Vare Trophy. And considering that she played basically one and a half good rounds in four days, and some truly bad ones, that says something about just how good she has gotten.