2007 McDonald's LPGA Championship:
Passing the Torch

The McDonald's LPGA Championship, the second Major of the LPGA season, has been good to the Korean golfers on tour, particularly one certain golfer. At this very event in 1998, that golfer, Se Ri Pak, became the first Korean golfer of either gender to win a Major when she won in wire to wire fashion as a 20 year old Rookie. She became the youngest to win four Majors when she collected her second win at this event in 2002, this time in come from behind fashion. Four years after that, she won the event for the third time, capping a remarkable comeback from the depths of defeat to the heights of her sport. In all three instances, she was a gigantic influence on her country people, and a heartwarming success story to people all over the world (to read an appreciation of Se Ri Pak and her career, see the article following this one!).

In 2007, this event once again held special meaning to Se Ri Pak, and to fans of hers and Korean women's golfers. For this was to be the tenth event of her tenth season on tour, meaning that, at the end of the first round, she would officially qualify at last for the LPGA Hall of Fame (as well as the World Golf Hall of Fame). In fact, Se Ri had earned enough points to enter the Hall back in May, 2004, but had to wait all these years to enter because the Hall requires ten years of membership on the LPGA tour. Whether Se Ri had intended or not, it was nonetheless a poignant occurrence that this particular tournament, the one that had started her on her Hall of Fame career, and the one that had marked her return to form, would also be the one to see her into the Hall.

To add even more portent to the week, she was also the defending champion, having won the event in spectacular fashion in 2006 to complete her comeback from a slump so severe, many thought she would never be a top golfer again. In 2006, she had entered the final round a few shots behind the leaders. But she played brilliantly on the final day, making several great irons, grinding out a few amazing par saves, and dunking at least one 50 foot birdie putt. As she reached the 18th hole, she had a one shot lead over the field. All she needed was a par and the trophy would probably be hers. She reached the green in regulation, but agonizingly three-putted to fall into a tie for the lead with Karrie Webb, who had won the first Major of the year. They would go on to a sudden death playoff. Everyone who is a fan of the Korean golfers knows what happened next. After a middling drive, she hit what was perhaps the best shot of her entire career, a phenomenal rescue club from 201 yards to two inches for a tap in birdie and the victory. In the history of Major competition, you'd be hard pressed to find too many shots that were as clutch as that one. Se Ri jumped up and down for joy in the fairway, and later teared up when she remembered all the struggles she had gone through. It was an unforgettable triumph.

While many eyes were on Se Ri, it was pretty clear that she would have a hard time defending her title with all the distractions she would face. It would be a very busy and emotional week for the Korean star, still young at just 29 years of age despite all her accomplishments. Her American fans who gather on this very website had honored her all season by sending a bouquet of flowers to each event leading up to the 10th event of the year. At the LPGA, they each sent a bouquet to her, inundating her with flowers, gifts and well wishes, to let her know that she had been important not just to Koreans but to American fans as well. She was reportedly very touched by the gesture (see the photo above to see Se Ri with some of those flowers and gifts!)..

Her first round was nothing to write home about, although she later confessed that she was almost having an out of body experience on the course, so nervous was she about the impending official qualification. She wound up shooting a one over par 73, and after tapping in, went to the press tent for the festivities. There, she was confronted by a group of Korean golfers, who sprayed her with silly string as she entered. Those golfers were there for one reason: to honor the woman who, for many of them, had been the biggest inspiration that had sparked their careers. Also present were fellow Hall of Famers Beth Daniel and Betsy King. The LPGA's commissioner, Carolyn Bivens, gave a speech to congratulate Se Ri, then Se Ri was presented with a cake. Jee Young Lee quickly smeared Se Ri's face in the icing as she helplessly tried to get away. But the smile on her face betrayed her emotions: she could not have been happier. The golfer who had, by her own admission, hated the game just a year and a half earlier, who was completely burned out and unable to put a drive in the fairway, had rediscovered her passion for golf. On the day where she had achieved her greatest goal, she was surrounded by players who had once been hero worshippers, but had now become friend. Se Ri Pak will officially be inducted into the Hall of Fame in a ceremony at the World Golf Hall of Fame in Florida in November of this year.

Se Ri was not able to put up much of a serious defense of her title, although she did easily make the cut and went on to finish tied for 33rd. So it would be up to her acolytes to carry the torch for Korean golf this week. And several of them did just that, doing her proud by playing brilliant golf and taking a spirited run at capturing the title. In round one, the player who did the best job of that was Angela Park. The 18 year old rookie had played well all year, capturing an impressive lead in the Rookie of the Year race. In the event the week before the LPGA Championship, the Ginn Tribute, Park had led after the first round, only to stumble and wind up 6th. This week, she continued her momentum by again playing extremely well in the first round. She shot a 5 under par 67 to take a share of the lead after round one for the second straight week. Her round was almost textbook: six birdies and a single bogey. Once again, she was in the hunt.

Another, more surprising name also was tied at the top after round one. This was Birdie Kim (pictured with Angela Park), one of Se Ri Pak's best pals on tour. Kim had made a name for herself when, in 2005, she came from seemingly nowhere to win the biggest event in women's golf, the US Women's Open. Since that time, however, Kim had struggled, managing only one top ten finish, earlier this season at the Ginn Open. Kim had been playing much better in 2007 than she had in 2006, however, and it looked like she might soon return to the form that enabled her to win tournaments. On day one at the LPGA Championship, she was definitely in the zone. Like Park, with whom she was paired for the first two days, she made six birdies, including three in a row from holes 16-18, and one bogey. She finished her day with a spectacular approach on the ninth hole to a foot for an easy birdie. It would be an amazing story indeed if Birdie were to make her second career win a Major. The third golfer tied for the lead was Kim Saiki, a journeyman whose presence on the top of the leaderboard was almost as surprising as Birdie Kim's.

Unfortunately for Korean golf fans, the rest of the top ten was Korean golfer free. There were several other notable names up there in perfect position, however, chief among them Karrie Webb, who shot a 4 under par 68 on day one, and Morgan Pressel, who had won the first Major of the year, the Kraft Nabisco. The next best ranked Koreans were Mi Hyun Kim and Meena Lee, who both shot 2 under par 70s on day one and sat in a tie for 13th with, amazingly, Annika Sorenstam. Sorenstam was playing just her second tournament since returning from back surgery, so for her to be in contention already was just a little scary. A bunch of other Koreans sat at 1 under, including Jee Young Lee, Sarah Lee, Shi Hyun Ahn (who had nearly won this event in 2006 until a terrible approach on the final hole killed her chances), Joo Mi Kim, 2006 Rookie of the Year Seon Hwa Lee, and non-exempt rookie Na On Min.