Se Ri Pak's Tour Diary

As originally written by Se Ri Pak for Joong Ang Ilbo. Translation by LoveGiants

Diary Entry #29: To Adapt myself to tour life...

When I participate in tournaments traveling all over the US, I am often invited by Korean residents for dinner. At the Du Maurier and at the British Women's Open, I was invited by some Korean residents and was treated kindly.

When away from one's homeland, one is likely to miss his country. So, if he meets his countrymen, he feels better. It's no exception for me; I like meeting Koreans, so I usually accept their invitations.

Now, I enjoy Korean dishes, but when I started my new life in the US, I never ate Korean food. I had to be determined not to eat Korean dishes everyday. I declared to my team, "I am a professional golfer who has to travel all the time. If I cling to Korean dishes, I'll have difficulty in adjusting my physical condition. I do not eat Korean dishes not because I hate them, but because I want to overcome my clinging to them."

Mother brought lots of Korean food whenever she came to the US. It was torture. When I did not eat it at all, and had meals only in an American style, she looked very disappointed. But all the Korean members of my team would eat it, so her labor did not come to nothing.

I have a shameful memory about Korean food. When I was in the 2nd school year of high school, I took part in the US Women's Amateur Championship in Hot Springs, Virginia. I was dying to eat Korean dishes, and one of the guides felt sorry for me, so he (or she?) boiled rice in the hotel room, and unfortunately, they found out and we were driven out of the hotel. My face still becomes flushed with the memory.

In fact, I have a good appetite. I want to eat duck three meals a day, but I restrain myself. David Leadbetter ordered me to improve my physical constitution. "You have a muscular body, so if you eat meat too much, you cannot stay in your best condition." Needless to say, that when one's body becomes dull, his swing also becomes dull.

My physical training coach began to keep close watch on what I ate. No fries. No hamburgers. No yolk. No foods containing sugar. Digestive foods and plenty of vegetables. Pure fruit juice for drinks. The most torturous thing was that even a glass of water was not permitted after six p.m. So I had to finish my dinner before six.

Of course, I could not keep all the rules everyday, but I knew clearly that I had no time to miss Kimchi and Kochujang (red pepper paste, one of the most popular spices in Korea). I knew that I had to change my appetite and get accustomed to the strict menu, just like I had had to get accustomed to speaking English.

Now, I eat with others and I am often invited by Korean residents, so I no longer avoid eating Korean dishes. Because now I do not cling to Korean dishes any more thanks to my previous efforts.

Diary Entry #30: Friendship with my idol, Lopez

Another tournament was over. I returned home to Orlando, and my father and sisters, who had flown to Britain to cheer for me, returned to Korea.

I'll meet them soon, but to say goodbye to my parents always makes me sad. I'm anxious to go back to Korea with them, but I try to calm myself.

Now, I'm waiting for the next tournament. Because my new friends are waiting for me there. Laura Davies, Betsy King, Annika Sorenstam, Karrie Webb... They were only the objects of envy for me not long ago, but now, I have a nodding acquaintance with them.

Among all the players, I am closest with Nancy Lopez and Hiromi Kobayashi, transcending age and nationality. We sometimes have to compete for victories, but Lopez, older than I by 20 years, treats me like her daughter.

Lopez has been my idol since I started golf. 20 years ago, she won nine tournaments, including a record-setting five in a row. Most of all, her warm heart concerning fellow players and fans charmed me. And her stable play, though she has another important role as a wife and mother, looks even solemn.

When I underwent severe training, father always told me to be a player like Lopez. When I met Lopez for the first time, she did not look unfamiliar to me, and I wasn't sure why. Lopez said that I looked like she had 20 years before.

I met Lopez for the first time at the LPGA Championship. I played the 1st and 2nd rounds with her and she gave me a lot of advice about tour life. When I won the tournament, she hugged me with joy, as if she had won the tournament herself. In an interview, she also said that I was an excellent player, which made me feel shy.

I also think of Lopez as my second mother. In the Big Apple Classic, when she made a 4 putt on the 18th hole,
I was sore hearted for her. In that tournament, I finished 45th and Lopez was also far from the leaders, so we embraced and encouraged each other in the locker room. Lopez invited me to visit her house in Albany, Georgia, whenever I wanted to.

Kobayashi, who is older than I by 14 years, treats me like her sister. I came to know her at the beginning of this year while participating in a tournament. She talked to me first and we became friends. After that, we would talk a lot during tournaments.

Lopez and Kobayashi are now as valuable as my victories to me. In the LPGA, some players are still playing top level golf in their thirties or forties like Lopez and Kobayashi. I want to be such a player.