Fairways and Greens

Post season awards for Se Ri?
It's been another strong season for Se Ri Pak, no doubt; her recent second place finish at the Longs Drugs Challenge gives her an amazing 16 top tens, and nine in a row up to the current time. But it's still a little frustrating for Pak fans, because once again Annika is leading the money list, and seems poised to win the Player of the Year and the Vare Trophy.

Hold on a minute, not so fast! It seems that there are two requirements necessary for winning the Vare. One is to have the lowest scoring average, and in that area Annika is without doubt far ahead (again). But the other requirement is that a golfer play 70 tournament rounds during the season. Annika, who took more time off than usual owing to Colonial, will not be able to meet that requirement, even if she plays in all the remaining events this year. Thus, she is ineligible to win the Vare in 2003! Se Ri, whose average stands as of now at 70.01 strokes, currently sits in third on the Vare trophy standings. But Annika is ineligible, and #2 Rosie Jones, who is at 69.96, also might not get enough rounds in to qualify. She would need to play in virtually every remaining event, and has already said she does not want to play in the Asian events coming up. That means that Se Ri, who has met the 70 round requirement already, is actually in the lead right now for the honor! And in second place at 70.15 is Grace Park! Stay tuned to this developing story!

Could Se Ri be ready to add some post season
hardware to her list of accomplishments?

Longs Drugs Challenge update
We'll be featuring a little more about this tournament, just concluded, in the next issue. It was a good week for the Sisters, with four players finishing in the top ten, and three finishing tied for second. All of them had their chances to walk away with the win. Se Ri Pak was in it right until the end. She made a great run of three straight birdies to close to within 2, but was not able to make a birdie (despite narrowly missing) on the last two holes. This was key, as the tournament leader Pat Hurst threw up a double bogey on the last hole, meaning winner Helen Alfredsson only beat Se Ri and company by one shot. Grace was actually tied for the lead until an unfortunate late bogey knocked her back. The biggest surprise was Jung Yeon Lee, who had before this not managed a single top ten all year. Playing in the final group, she hung in there, but also was not able to make that one more birdie she needed. Still, the second place was her best ever finish and may be the breakthrough she's been waiting for. She also led the field in driving distance for the week.

With this second place finish, Se Ri has moved over $7 million in career earnings. She is still in 7th on the list, about $60,000 behind Rosie Jones (there's that name again!).

Se Ri during round 2 of the Longs
AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli

Money List
Se Ri continued her hot streak with a 6th and 2nd place finish to make it 16 top tens on the year (her record, which came last year, is 17). Grace also had two top tens (a 9th and a 2nd), and now has 14 top tens, her personal best for a season. Hee-Won, however, had a poor couple of weeks for her, and is still looking to break the million dollar mark for the year. The big mover is Jung Yeon Lee, who, thanks to a second place at the Longs, leapfrogs over Christina Kim into 50th place from her previous position of 61st. This is important, as top 50 position earns you special privileges on the LPGA.