2003 Year in Review

May

Se Ri wins yet again, this time in Korea! Grace gets her first win of the year as well. Life was good!

Se Ri makes the Mainstream
The big news this month was the announcement that Upper Deck, who makes Golf trading cards, was for the first time going to feature LPGA players on their cards. Yes, it was thanks to Annika Sorenstam and her impending debut on the PGA tour at Colonial, but Se Ri was also featured in the initial set, and reappeared and reappeared in all the new subsets they introduced throughout the year. I'm not sure how many cards there are of hers, but I'd bet in the dozens. Wow!

Meanwhile, Se Ri appeared in articles in no less than three magazines: a Golf For Women breakdown of her swing, a Golf Digest lesson tee, and most importantly of all, in a Sports Illustrated article about the 101 most important minorities in sports. How about that?!

Two of Se Ri's many golf cards released in 2003
The bottom one even had a piece of one of her
shirts, actually worn in a tournament!

Grace's unforgettable reaction after she
won at Kingsmill

Michelob Light Open: Grace is the Word! (May 1 - 4)
Just one week after Se Ri won her second event of 2003, it was Grace Park's turn to get into the winner's column at this brand new event on the schedule. Grace certainly didn't have an easy time of it, however. She was pretty wayward off the tee, and had a lot of practice getting up and down. Despite that, however, she was tied for the lead after two rounds. Though she had some more trouble on the front nine on Saturday, on the back nine she was on fire, and finished the day all by herself on top of the leaderboard.

Grace had never lost an event when she was in that position in the past. Ever. Not even when she was an unknown junior. But she got off to a horrible start, going +4 after just a few holes, and it looked like that record would end. Not to worry. She bounced back, as she always does, and with some help from Cristie Kerr, who was leading but made several key late mistakes, took over control of the lead again at the 16th hole. It still took a 20 foot bomb for par to win the event outright and avoid a playoff, but she made that clutch shot, and Grace got the fourth win of her career.

Mi Hyun Kim, Hee-Won Han and Se Ri Pak all notched top tens as well this week. Great showing for the Sisters!

Asahi Ryokuken: The Drink was not the only thing turning green... (May 8 - 11)
The next week was one of the few all year where none of the Korean players did especially well. Se Ri Pak rarely does that well when playing 4 or more events in a row, and here, her 4th straight event, she only managed a 14th place finish. Grace Park, still a bit high after her win the previous week, also struggled to a 21st place finish.

Fortunately, at least Hee-Won Han got a top ten, continuing the trend that at least one Korean or Korean American would get a top ten in each event.

Peanut at the Asahi

Return to Korea

Se Ri teaches a Korean movie star how to golf

May 14 - 20
Se Ri Pak returns home to Korea every year in the Spring, usually to play in the Korean Open. This year, that event was postponed until September, so instead she played in a KLPGA event, the X-Canvas.

Her sponsors make sure she has plenty to do other than just play and practice. On May 14th, only a few hours after she arrived in Korea, she appeared at a publicity event, where first she gave a little lecture about golf, and then taught the Korean movie heartthrob Dong-Kun Jang a little about how to swing a golf club. Tons of pictures were taken, and there is even a video clip available (check this issue's Fairways and Greens section if you want to see it). The event was sponsored by LG, a co-sponsor of the X-Canvas event, and Jang was there because he is a spokesperson for the company.

After that, there was the little matter of playing the tournament. Se Ri got off to a good start, but in the second round, her 7 under par 65 vaulted her into the lead. When she leads a tournament she rarely loses, and indeed, despite a brief challenge from a young competitor, she had little trouble collecting this trophy as well. Her third win already in 2003!

Finally, on the night of the 20th, she appeared at a large gala for her fan club. When the other ladies appear at a fan club fete, it is an intimate affair, but when Se Ri does it, it turns into a spectacle. Pop stars, designer Andre Kim, and several others joined Se Ri on stage (yes, there was a stage). Se Ri even did a little singing! As well as the fun stuff, Se Ri also took time to meet with some afflicted children. As Se Ri mentions in this week's diary, she always tries to make time for young fans, and she did a great job with them here. Check the Fairways and Greens section this week for a video clip of this event as well!

So nice! Se Ri wins a KLPGA event