Se Ri, Co-leaer in the Korea Women`s Open

`Pak Se Ri decisively attempted to get on the green in two on a par-five hole, with a strong iron shot, aiming right to the hole-cup.`

Pak Se Ri (Samsung Electronics) has not been able to win in Korea until last year since she played at the U. S. LPGA in 1998.

Se Ri played very aggressively from the first round at the 15th Astra Cup Sportstoday Korea Women`s Open (total prizemoney 0.2 billion won) held in Lakeside Country Club (par 72, 6339 yards), Yong-in, Kyonggi-do. From the beginning of the first round, she showed a strong will to win the title in order to appease domestic fans` enthusiastic encouragement.

In a tense atmosphere surrounded by the gallery, Pak Se Ri hit the tee shot right on the middle of fairway in the first hole (par five). In a situation where Jeong Il-Mi (Hansol CSN) and Park So-Young (Hite) had already made three-on play safely, Se Ri selected 3- wood.

Pak`s strong second shot fell into the right-side bunker of the green. But Pak safely escaped from the bunker and got the ball 1 m 20 off from the hole, which then drew the gallery`s rousing cheers.

The bunker seems not to be a huddle for Se Ri. She exhibits mental maturity as well as outstanding performances.

As soon as she finished the putting, a cellular phone rang from somewhere.

Most players would have displayed ill feelings toward the distraction with a frowned face, but Se Ri did not even look. After a short break, she successfully executed a birdie.

After the birdie in the first hole, Pak has consistently attempted to make birdies in every hole.

In the third hole (par three), Pak teed off aggressively toward the hole rather than the middle of the green which is more safe. Tee shot was short and fell into the bunker. But Pak safely recovered from her first pinch with a fantastic bunker shot.

It was on the eighth hole (par 5) that Pak recorded her first bogey. The second shot could not reach to the green, and the approach shot passed by the hole and rolled down to the edge of the green. She recorded the first bogey by making a three putt from the 6m distance on a very difficult lie.

But Pak immediately recovered her pace by earning two consecutive birdies in the ninth and tenth holes. And she finished the first round as a co-leader (three under par, 69) with Yeon Yong-nam and Lorie Kane (Canada).

Ahn Young-Sik ysahn@donga.com