Hee-Won Han

Hee-Won Han's LPGA career has been on an upward curve ever since she first set foot on these shores in 2000. In 2001, she was a nonexempt player, but so talented she managed to Monday qualify for events an astonishing 7 times. Although she did not have a lot of top finishes, she did manage one top ten and a few more top twenties, good enough that year for her to win Rookie of the Year. In 2002, exempt for the first time, she was probably the most improved player on tour. Although a win eluded her, worrying about getting top tens was a thing of the past. She almost stumbled into her first chance to win when, at the Longs Drugs Challenge, Cristie Kerr began making late Sunday mistakes and suddenly Han was tied for the lead with one hole to go. Alas, she hit her drive into a golf cart and never recovered, but the second place finish was the sign of things to come. She went on to finish 14th on the money list with two other second place finishes (including a loss in a playoff).

The next steps in Hee-Won's career will be to consolidate her gains, improve her consistency and, yes, get that maiden victory. How is her start to 2003 helping her in that direction?

In 2002, her season did not really start hopping until her second place finish at the Longs. She had played in nine events up to this time. All the pre-Longs events were so so; in those five events she had a missed cut and four finishes in the 20s or 30s. But from the Longs and on it was a different story: three top tens and a 16th, including a second. It was at the Longs that Hee-Won announced her arrival, and so the question is, in 2003, has she at least maintained the level of play she started showing then, or has she lost ground?

In 2003, she's had a few average tournaments mixed in with a few great ones. She has 4 top tens in eight starts and one other top 20, her first in a Major (at the Nabisco). She hasn't really had a good chance to win an event yet, but that should not take away from the excellent play she has shown, particularly at the Safeway Ping, where she completed a Korean trio at the top by finishing third and shooting a final round 66. The one event she really struggled in this year was the Office Depot, where her best score for the week was 73. But otherwise she has been solid and occasionally spectacular. She was one of four Seoul Sisters in the top ten at the Michelob Open, and the only one in the top ten at the Asahi Ryokuken.

But there is an intangible that I'm detecting that really shows that Hee-Won has made progress. Quite frankly, when you watch her out there this year, she looks completely comfortable. In 2002, even when she was in contention, she always seemed a little bit like she wasn't sure she belonged there. Not so in 2003. There is a confidence there that is palpable now. She looks like a top twenty (and quite frankly, top ten) player. I think great progress is in the cards for this young lady this year and beyond.

Grade:

A