Fairways and Greens

Jimin Kang wins at Tampa Bay
While Grace Park was busy collecting her first Major, Jimin Kang made it a Korean sweep of the women's golf events this weekend by winning her first Futures Tour event of the season. The win came at Tampa Bay’s Next Generation FUTURES Golf Classic. Just an hour after Kang sunk the winning putt, Grace Park won the Nabisco. Not only are they both Seoul Sisters, but they also both attended Arizona State University. And both of them had to make clutch last green putts to stave off a teenage Korean upstart for the win. How's that for odd?!

Jimin had finished 4th in the previous Futures Tour event, and coming into this week, knew she had to get a win to get herself rolling in the right direction for the year. But it wasn't easy. After shooting 71-67 in the first two rounds, Kang had moved by the 12th hole of the final round to a two shot lead over a field of good players, including Son Hwa Lee, an 18 year old who the previous year had made a lot of noise at the Pinx Cup, and who was coming off a second place finish the previous week. Jimin seemed in control, but bogeys on the 12th and 14 holes brought her back into a tie for the lead.

But Jimin made a clutch birdie on 16, and both Kang and Lee arrived tied at the 18th green. Eventually, Jimin found herself standing over a 15 foot birdie putt with a chance to win the event outright. With all sorts of thoughts and worries rattling around her head, she nonetheless drained the putt with authority, capturing her second Futures Tour win and first of the year.

It is Kang's desire this year to win one of the five exemptions to the LPGA offered on the Futures Tour. She's off to a very good start, and now stands in second behind Lee on the money list for the year!

For more info: http://www.futurestour.com/2004/Oldsmar.html

Jimin Kang won her second Futures
Tour trophy last weekend

Samwon Gardens offers 50% off all meals!
We don't usually offer free plugs for restaurants on SeoulSisters.comn, but when the restaurant in question is owned by the father of a recent Major winner, we make an exception! Grace Park's father owns a chain of Samwon Gardens restaurants in Seoul, and he used to have a tradition of offering free or discounted food the day after his daughter won an event. Now that she has won a Major, what would be his response?

You guessed it, more half price offers at participating restaurants! And because it's a Major, the sale will last two days instead of just one. So if you're in Seoul right now, don't hesitate to take advantage; I hear the food is quite good!