As action started, the course proved to be surprisingly forgiving. Se Ri Pak had predicted before action started that 12 or 13 under would win in the end, but after the first round, one player had shot an 8 under par 64. Se Ri was not in her top form, but rescued a so so start with a strong finish to card a 5 under par 67, tying Annika Sorenstam for second place. Mi Hyun Kim, continuing her form from the previous week (where she finished 8th), also notched a 67, and did it without a single bogey on her card. Just a few shots back of that was rookie Shi Hyun Ahn, coming up with a respectable 69.

But other top players struggled, notably Grace Park, who has to get over her habit of shooting poor first rounds. She did the same thing the previous week, and this time she came up with an even par round that left her well back of the leader. Tied with her was the notorious Michelle Wie, who seemingly could not tie her shoes this week without attracting a camera crew. Hee-Won Han shot a 71, but in the second round collapsed to a 78 and would go on to miss the cut by a country mile.

The second round turned into a real roller coaster ride for the World's #2 player. Se Ri started the day in a crummy way with two straight bogeys, then rebounded with three straight birdies. The back and forth continued, as first her driver, than her irons, then her putting would fail her. Still, she turned in a respectable 68, and at the end of the day sat in 3rd place. Perhaps her shining moment came on the par 5 13th hole, a 552 yard monster that most players could only dream of reaching. Se Ri had 255 yards to the front, and cranked a 3 wood that bounced 30 yards in front of the green and rolled up onto it, giving her an eagle putt. Only Michelle Wie had managed to make the green during that day's coverage. Se Ri missed the eagle putt, however.

Se Ri looked striking in this orange outfit
during round 1
AP Photo/Matt York

Grace dug herself out of a first round hole
with a second round 65
Reuters/Jeff Topping

Grace Park pulled one of her typical rescue rounds on Friday, coming from nowhere to post a 7 under 65 that vaulted her into the top ten. Grace came into this week with 11 straight top tens on her card, and doubtless wanted to keep that streak alive.

And then there was Shi Hyun, who shot a 67 to move herself onto the leaderboard. She did it thanks to a five birdie, no bogey performance. Indeed, the only player misfiring this day was Mi Hyun Kim, who stumbled with a 2 over par 74 that knocked her off the leaderboard. Kimmie would never recover, eventually shooting a mind numbing 82 in the final round to finish 62nd.

Saturday was moving day, and Se Ri was sitting pretty. Usually her strongest day, this week it was just not to be for the superstar. Playing in the final group with Annika Sorenstam and Cristie Kerr, Se Ri's driving was pretty unpredictable; most of the TV coverage found her hitting approaches from the rough. And her putting was not the best, either, even when she gave herself good chances. What was frustrating was that Annika was not playing all that well, either, and Se Ri was only one shot back of her much of the day. The turning point for Se Ri's chances came on the 17th and 18th holes. Se Ri missed a great chance for birdie, while Sorenstam and Kerr made theirs. Then on 18, Se Ri had extreme trouble on this par 5 and wound up with a bogey, while Annika got birdie. In just two holes, Annika gained three shots on Se Ri. By the end of the day, Se Ri was at 11 under, tied for 4th with Grace among others.

The one Korean player who rose to the challenge on Saturday was Shi Hyun Ahn, and she did so magnificently, recording a seven birdie-one bogey 66 that proved to be the best score of the day. So Shi Hyun was now in second, two shots out of the lead, and in the final group with Annika. In only her fourth LPGA event. Astounding.

The weather the final day was brutal. Hot, ferocious winds whipped over the course, and the scores ballooned. Se Ri should have been thrilled, since this weather is her forte: at the Pinx Cup last year, the winds were brutal AND it was 35 degrees, and she still shot a 70. But Se Ri's accuracy issues continued to plague her, and she soon fell to 4 over par, including bogeys on both front nine par 5s. She recovered nicely on the back, going 2 under, but it was too little too late.

Grace Park fared better, carding an even par 72 that allowed her to move into a tie for third. For the second straight week, she beat Se Ri Pak, and also extended her top ten streak to 12 tournaments. How many more can she manage? Well, last year she missed the cut at the Nabisco, the tournament next on the schedule. I'm thinking she just might do a little better this time out!

Shi Hyun, meanwhile, had her chance in the sun (and the wind), but could not rise to the occasion. It was tough enough being paired with Annika Sorenstam for the first time in a final group on Sunday, but to play her with a two shot deficit in those conditions was too much to ask. After going 2 over on the front, she notched three straight bogeys from holes 11 - 13 before making her lone birdie on 14. Her final score, a 5 over par 77, knocked her back into a tie with Se Ri for fifth. As disappointed as she doubtless was, she still could hold her head up high. Three top fives in four LPGA events played. None of the present day LPGA superstars could boast such an amazing beginning to her career. Shi Hyun is definitely 'Ahn fire', and automatically becomes the one to watch for Rookie of the Year in 2004.

Shi Hyun moved herself into second place
after a great third round
Reuters/Jeff Topping