2003 Year in Review

August

Weetabix Women's British Open: The Bunker of Death (July 31 - August 3)
Se Ri had played three miserable Majors in 2003; OK, two miserable ones and one decent but not great one. She needed something to lift her spirits, but this was a course (Royal Lytham's and St. Anne's) that she had played before. In fact, back in 1998, she had such a terrible time playing there that she vowed never to play in Britain again.

After two days, Se Ri had managed to get out to a good start: a pair of 69s left her at 6 under par, only two shots out of the lead. Right behind her, though, were players like Annika Sorenstam, defending champion Karrie Webb, and Grace Park. On the third day, Se Ri seized the lead with brilliant play, but then began to struggle. She made a strategy error off the tee on the par 5 15th and only made par, but she birdied 16, then bogied 17. On 18, she hit her drive into the Bunker of Death, a nasty pot bunker which pretty much insured bogey. She got one, and finished at 9 under, one shot out of the lead.

On Sunday, she was paired with Annika Sorenstam, and despite the fact that she struggled to hit fairways and greens, she matched Annika shot for shot. Tied for the lead on the last hole, though, Se Ri uncharacteristically laid up right into the Bunker of Death again. Another bogey, this time costing her the Major. This really was The One That Got Away. Meanwhile, Grace finished in third, and Young Kim grabbed another top ten in a Major (this time 9th place).

Se Ri cools down the ball after another
blistering drive

Hee-Won celebrates her win

Wendy's Championship for Children: Hee-Won Becomes an Official Seoul Sister! (August 8 - 10)
Hee-Won Han was already on the fast track to superstardom, having won her first event less than a month before in New York, then following that up with a second place finish at the Evian. But her play at the Wendy's cemented her status as a big time talent, and caused this site to officially name her part of the Sisterhood.

Hee-Won started the fun with a 68, which was good, but the leader, Candie Kung, another player who had been having a breakout season, shot a 64. But a second round 65 left her tied for the top spot with Kung at 11 under going into the final round.

In that round Kung stumbled, while Han continued to play magnificently. But it was Wendy Ward, a former champion, who proved the biggest challenge. Still, Han was at 7 under on the day until she made a mistake on the 17th hole, where she three putted to drop into a tie for the lead. Eventually, Ward and Han had a playoff; and after Ward made a miraculous birdie from off the green to match Hee-Won on the second playoff hole, Hee-Won dunked a 25 foot birdie on the third playoff hole, the same 17th hole that had moments earlier given her trouble, to close the door and collect the trophy.

Jamie Farr Kroger Classic: Farr and Away the Best (August 14 - 17)
Se Ri Pak absolutely loves playing this tournament. She won it by nine shots in 1998. She won again in 1999 in a playoff. In 2000, she missed a playoff by one shot. In 2001 she again won. And last year, she finished 7th, by far her worst result.

Se Ri played well the first two rounds, putting herself into contention. What many did not realize was that she was hurting: she had severe stomach pains, and contemplated dropping out of the event.

Good thing she didn't. Round 3 was one of those rounds where everything was going her way. Her front nine was a 29, and she added three more birdies on holes 10 - 12. Se Ri was now 8 under par after 12 holes, and this is a par 71 course. She had a chance to do the unthinkable: become the second women's golfer to shoot in the 50s.

Alas, the rains came and canceled the round, and when Se Ri resumed on Sunday, the magic was gone. Indeed, she struggled most of Sunday, while red-hot Hee-Won Han moved herself into contention. But on the last hole, Se Ri managed to pull out the win, Hee-Won finishing second.

Se Ri took another victory dive in the pool after winning
the Farr for the fourth time

The Cheating Scandal
Meanwhile, there was a growing controversy on the LPGA tour. Several Korean players had been accused of cheating. The charges included accusations that fathers of several players were giving signals to caddies about what clubs to use, standing in spots around the green to give their daughters targets to aim at and, in one case, even moving a ball that had come to rest under a tree. The LPGA responded by calling a meeting that ALL Korean players were required to attend. The implication of this was that somehow all Korean players were to blame for the actions of a few (and never was it said that it was the players at fault; every account I read blamed this problem on fathers overstepping their bounds, not on their golfer daughters). Imagine if all American players were held accountable for the actions of a few solely because they were the same nationality?

The meeting was supposedly a very one sided affair, with the LPGA telling the players what was expected of them, and the players not having much of a chance to respond. Several players, such as Soo Yun Kang and Jeong Jang, expressed extreme frustration about it afterwards. In the end, no one was sanctioned; there simply was not enough evidence. But the LPGA to this day has never issued an apology or explanation, although the rumor (unconfirmed) is that no player who has won on tour was among the accused. One can only hope we've seen the end of this kind of racial profiling.

Meanwhile...

The Futures Tour season ended, and two Korean players earned 2004 exempt cards. Soo Young Moon finished second on the tour, and Ju Kim fourth. For Kim it was especially sweet. In 2001 she had also finished fourth, $210 behind Jung Yeon Lee. In those days, however, only three players got exempt cards, so she would have to wait two years to get onto the LPGA tour.

Meanwhile, the US Women's Amateur occurred, and it was another festival for Korean and Korean American players. Two Korean players made it to the final four. In-Bee Park, who had finished second in the Girl's Championship just a few months earlier, lost to NCAA champ Virada Nirapathpongporn, while California's Jane Park beat Paula Creamer thanks to some of the best putting I have ever seen. Park gave Nirapathpongporn a good run in the finals, but in the end could not beat the feisty Thai.

Ju Kim and Soo Young Moon with
their tour cards

A scene from Grace's Pantene ad