But one thing you should know about Se Ri is that she rarely makes it easy on herself. Almost inevitably, as soon as it looks like she has a tournament in the bag, something happens to make the outcome much more doubtful. And indeed, this is what happened with Se Ri when she bogeyed the par 4 14th while Han birdied it. But it was 16 that really cost her. Hee-Won had slipped back with yet another costly bogey on 15, so Se Ri had a two shot lead. One of her shots here clipped a tree, and then she hit an approach fat into a greenside bunker. By the time she was done, she had amazingly double bogeyed the hole, dropping into a tie with Hee-Won at 12 under with two holes to go. Hee-Won had done little to deserve it, but she knew she had a chance suddenly to take this tournament, and the intensity rose.

As had happened in 2001, the 17th hole was key. Se Ri had a chance to go for the green in two, and without hesitation, she did so. She left her shot just short, then chipped close for the birdie. Han, who did not have the length to pull that off, played the shot in three holes, and wound up with par. Se Ri had somehow carved out a birdie just when she needed it most. It was something fans of Se Ri in Toledo had seen time and again, and they cheered long and loud for her as she tried to bring it home.

Se Ri acknowledges her many Toledo fans
Reuters/Tim Aubry

No, Se Ri did not get caught in a rain shower!
She's drying herself off after having jumped in the
pool to celebrate her fourth Farr victory!
Reuters/Jim Lankey

But the par 5 18th proved to be a comedy of errors for both players. Han put her second shot into the trees, got her third shot within pitching distance, then chunked that shot. Se Ri hit two perfect shots, leaving herself an easy 95 yard third, then hit that shot fat. The way Pak played the hole, Han could have gotten into a playoff with her had she been able to birdie. Alas, she was left with a long chip for par, and she very nearly holed it, tapping in a bogey. Se Ri, meanwhile, put her birdie chip within three feet of the hole. It wasn't the most elegant of finishes, but it was certainly a sweet one. Se Ri tapped in the par, and had her fourth Farr victory in six years.

Shortly thereafter, she repeated a tradition she had started in 2001. That year, she had been amazed how hot it was, and told several officials she wanted to jump in the country club's pool if she won. She did win, and she kept her word, jumping into the pool fully clothed. This year she repeated the jump, perhaps starting a new tradition among champions in the process.

Although if she keeps playing here like she has in the past, there may not be too many other players who will get to take that jump. Se Ri's win made her just the eighth player in LPGA history to win the same event four or more times. This win also moved her above the million dollar mark in season earnings for the third consecutive year, and gave her five seasons where she has won at least three times. It also moved her to 7th on the all time money winners list. And most importantly, it gave her yet another point towards the Hall of Fame. She now has 25, and needs just two more to qualify (of course, she also needs to play in the league ten years, so she won't be eligible for induction, no matter when she gets in, until the end of the 2007 season). She could still do it this season with a couple more wins, or if she wins the Vare Trophy or Player of the Year.

Se Ri and Jamie Farr have done this before...
Reuters/Tim Aubry

Meanwhile, all seems right with the world, now that Se Ri Pak Avenue is once again on the maps of the Toledo area!