Hee Wonderful

On Sunday, Hee-Won Han was paired with Christina Kim and Angela Stanford. In the group behind them was Grace, along with Janice Moodie and Annika Sorenstam. And the group behind them contained the two leaders, Kane and Kung. I followed both Grace's and Han's group for a few holes, but the far larger galleries following Grace and Annika turned me off after awhile, and I then started exclusively following Hee-Won. Turns out that wasn't a bad choice!

The weather, thankfully, was nicer, with only a few light rainstorms and warmer temperatures. Best of all, not nearly so much wind.

Hee-Won got out to a great start. After a par on 1, she hit her tee shot on the par 3 2nd to within about 6 feet of the hole, albeit in the fringe. She kicked that birdie in to move to 5 under. On the next hole, her approach left her about 15 feet, maybe 20, from the hole. But she hit a slow, beautifully tracking putt that took forever to finally inch its way into the hole. But drop it did, and just like that, she was at 6 under, only a shot out of the lead. Christina, meanwhile, had to settle for a clutch par save from the bunker, but an exciting one. On this same hole, Grace hit her approach from the rough, a low runner that ran to within ten feet of the hole. Quite impressive from where she was. She seemed to outdrive Annika most of the day, at least when she was in the fairway.

The weather was much nicer on Sunday, but
this pic is from Saturday!

Grace during the pro-am
SeoulSisters.com Exclusive Photo

Han was on a roll. On the next hole, she put her shot in the rough near the hole, but hit a downhill chip that perfectly took the break to the hole and just missed going in. She also hit a close iron on the par 5 5th, but this time she missed the putt. Christina made a sand save for par here after hitting her second shot into the trees and third shot into the bunker.

On the 6th hole, both ladies were even closer to the hole with their irons. But again, Han missed her putt and Christina made hers. I was beginning to worry, knowing that these three holes were very birdieable. It was quite possible that Annika could get a lead she wouldn't relinquish on them. But as it turned out, she did not birdie 5, though she did get one on 6. That put her at 7 under. Grace birdied 5 to herself move to 5 under; she outdrove Annika there, and very nearly put it on the green in two (she landed in the bunker and got up and down for her birdie).

The par 5 7th is one of those holes you expect to birdie. I felt like Han needed one here to keep pace. She hit a good drive and put her approach within a long chip from the hole. Christina hit her drive farther, but left herself with a downhill lie for her second. Her dad spent a bit of time telling her exactly how to set up for the shot, but it ended up being a low runner that only went 150 yards. Christina was not amused.

Hee-Won chipped to within 5 feet, then dunked the birdie to at last move to 7 under, now two shots out of the lead. But Christina pitched over the green, and her return pitch from the heavy rough went well past the hole. Bogey.

Hee-Won missed the green on 8 and 9, but made par on both. It was at this point that I realized that Annika had in fact bogied the par 5 7th. Amazing, considering I had seen where she had driven it, and she couldn't have been more than 175 yards from the hole. The putter let her down, and she four putted from the fringe after two good shots.

Hole nine also had a nasty pin placement on sort of a dome. Hee-Won chipped close enough to handle it nicely, but it bit Christina for another bogey. It also got Candie Kung about twenty minutes later, dropping her back to 9 under and leaving her within striking distance.

Han had some chances to make ground up, but couldn't capitalize. Particularly painful was 10, where she put her approach to within 5 feet but couldn't make birdie. Christina, apparently deciding she was not going to win without being aggressive, took a rip at the green in two after a long drive that put her some 50 yards ahead of Han. She almost made it, too, ending up just below the greenside bunker. Her pitch left her three feet from the hole, but she missed that birdie, too! Talk about frustrating!

But Christina didn't give up. On 11, she again ripped a driver from the tee, leaving herself about 65 yards to the hole. This one she put within 12 feet, then dropped a dying putt into the hole. As it fell, her knees buckled in mock surprise, as though she were swooning with joy. Very funny.

Hole 12 was a great chance for Hee-Won. And she played the hole perfectly, pitching to three feet and draining the bird to move to 8 under. Finally I saw a birdie by one of the Sisters on that freaking hole!

And just minutes later, I watched as Grace Park put her third to within a foot for her own birdie to move to 7 under herself. Annika was still at 6 under. Could it be even she made mistakes now and then?

Hee-Won was still only a shot out of the lead, but time was running out. On 13, she hit a great iron, but missed the birdie while both her partners made longer ones. OK, a par is not so bad. But then came 14.

Let me tell you about 14. There are awesome, towering pine trees on the right of this dogleg right hole. Hit a shot in there, and par becomes highly questionable. You almost never have a play for the green from there.

Well, Hee-Won hit her drive right. And to make matters worse, her second shot was a poor chip that did not get out of the rough. After that, she looked over to her hubby, who was following along, with a look of despair. She knew what was at stake. She could not leave this hole with worse than a bogey. It was the turning point of her entire week.

Hee-Won on Sunday

Grace sported this striped shirt look on
Sunday, although from time to time she put on a
red sweater to keep warm.
(Click to enlarge)

Grace with the 'headband' she wore on the
weekend; actually, it was a newfangled
ear warmer
(click to enlarge)

Christina Kim during the pro-am
SeoulSisters.com Exclusive Photo

She finagled her third shot, a low runner, to in front of the green, and chipped nicely to within a few feet. Taking a deep breath, she stroked the putt and buried it. Bogey, but that was much better than what could have been. She was still alive.

Meanwhile, Christina Kim pretty much needed a birdie to stay in it. Her second shot landed in the fringe, not far from the hole, and she chipped a bit past the hole on her birdie attempt. No problem, right? Well, big problem. Because she missed her par putt... and then missed her bogey as well! And that was it for Christina, although she still had a few more rabbits in her beret.

Hee-Won Han, at this point, could have been content with her situation, but she was not. Her brain was racing, knowing she needed birdies. She probably realized she needed to get to 9 under to have any chance at the trophy. So on 15, she hit a great drive, then followed that with a nice iron to 10 feet. But that meant nothing if she could not drop the ball in the hole. She lined it up and did just that, moving back to within one of the lead. A few minutes later, both Grace and Annika missed even shorter putts at the same green. But Grace was at 8 under now, and thus was in the same place as Hee-Won. She needed one more birdie, and had three more chances.

Hee-Won hit a good iron on 16, just missed the green, then almost put the putt in. Par. Grace likewise could not make birdie, but Annika did, and she moved to 7 under. Meanwhile, Kane and Kung continued to stall at 9 under.

On 17, there was a long wait. The pin position was deadly, in the upper right corner, almost impossible to reach without a good drive. Several groups backed up waiting there, and Grace and gang joked and laughed together. Annika offered everyone a snack while they waited. You'd never suspect it was the end of a tightly contested tournament by the way they were acting!

Finally, Hee-Won drove, and hit a great one. Perfect position for her approach. She then hit one of the best irons I have ever seen in person, a masterful shot that perfectly negotiated the trees and the bunker and landed on the top tier of the green, settling but four feet from the flag. Game freaking on! The roar was enormous; it just didn't come through on TV for some reason. Christina hit some trees, but eventually left herself a 15 foot par putt, which she made, producing a patented Christina fist pump and smile.

But now it was Hee-Won's turn. She stroked the putt, and it looked perfect. It fell into the cup... well, most of the way. Then it lipped right back out. I swear to you all, that ball was 3/4 of the way in. What an agonizingly close shot. The Second Place Curse was still working its evil mojo on the Korean ladies, I felt at that moment.

A few moments later, Grace hit her approach in, but missed the green, and was not able to get up and down. Maybe she shouldn't have had any of Annika's snacks? In any event, that pretty much spelled finis for Grace, although she would birdie the 18th hole to capture solo third, another great tournament for La Belle Grace. And when Annika left her birdie try on 17 a couple rolls short, she, too, was knocked out of it. Now, only Hee-Won, Janice, Kane and Kung remained.

Hee-Won on Saturday