Magazine 2003 Safeway Ping

Volume 1, Number 2 March 26, 2003

Pages 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, Results

Starting the final round in the penultimate group, playing with Karrie Webb, Grace was in a position to establish just how far her game had come in the year since her last Ping appearance. She did not disappoint. She got out to a slow start, while Se Ri Pak was on fire, and after eight holes, was five shots behind her fellow Seoul Sister. But then Grace turned it up a notch, and what followed was a barrage of birdies that vaulted her up the leaderboard and had her challenging Se Ri for the trophy. Specifically, she birdied 9, the par 5 tenth, and the par 3 11th to move to 19 under and a tie for second. On the final par 5, 13, she hit a wonderful approach shot that curved to with 20 feet of the hole. An eagle would put her into a tie for the lead, but though she hit a superlative putt that tracked wonderfully to the hole, it was just a little too hard, and she had to settle for the birdie.

But another birdie on 15 finally grabbed her a share of the lead. This was a great putt. She had put her approach shot over a ridge and off the green, but was still able to putt from where the ball was. The ball rolled lazily over the hump and tracked into the center of the cup like it was on a mission. If there had been any doubt before, it was certainly erased then. Grace wanted the trophy, and Se Ri had better not make any mistakes if she wanted to stop her.

Grace drives it during round 3
AP Photo/Paul Connors

'... And all that jazz...'
Courtesy LPGA website

Se Ri instantly grabbed the lead back with her own birdie on 16, but on 17 she got herself into trouble with a shot into the water. Grace watched as Se Ri took a drop and got her third onto the green, a long way from the hole. Then Grace hit her own perfect drive. Grace had the momentum, while Se Ri was in big trouble. But as Grace waited in the fairway, Se Ri stroked the putt of the year, a 45 foot par save that allowed her to maintain her one shot lead. Se Ri followed that up with a fantastic birdie on 18, while Grace was not able to cozy in her putt on 17. So it looked to be all over for Grace. Even a perfect drive on 18 was little comfort, for only a holed approach could get her into a playoff with Pak.

She admits that that was what she was trying to do, and her 9 iron looked incredibly good from the air. It landed six feet short of the flag, took a bounce to one foot... then snapped back to three feet. Unbelievably, Grace had almost managed the impossible! She later joked with a reporter, who asked her how she could have left her eagle try short: 'Yeah, I don't know what my caddie was thinking, giving me that club!'

In the interview later, Grace admitted to being 'a bit bummed' about falling short. She felt that the birdies she needed were out there and she couldn't quite get them. ' I don't give myself much credit' she said, 'I know I'm one of the top (players), but I can't say I'm in the elite group yet.' Perhaps after a fourth place in Tucson, and a second place in Phoenix, she may start to change her mind. But at least now, she can go out and celebrate with her friends, whom she doubtless once again 'recognizes'. That's the best thing about playing in your hometown: the trip back from the tournament is a breeze!