Se-Ri Ready to Retake the Title

``Watch her break through the total prize money of $1 million this season.``

Pak Se-Ri (Samsung Electronics) challenges to earn the total prize money of $1 million in a single season, participating in the 2001 McDonald`s LPGA Championship at 8: 30 pm on 21st(Korea Time), which is the third major championship in this season at the DuPon Country Club in Wilmington, Delaware.

Pak, two titles winner, has earned $796,505 thus far. The first-place money of the McDonald Championship is $225,000 (total pulse of $1.5 million).

If Pak succeeds to recapture the title, she can be a millionaire player at a stroke. Pak will play in the first and second rounds, heading with Rachel Teske (Australia) who won the title of the Evian Masters in France last week, which are likely to be a key to win the title.

But because a lot of great players participate in this championship to capture the victory trophy, a fierce competition is expected.

First of all, Juli Inkster (US), who captured back-to-back titles in 1999-2000, is aiming to become the first LPGA player since Patty Berg who won the Titleholders Championships (then-major tournament) titles for three years, to win three consecutive modern-day major championship titles, as well as to win the same event in three consecutive years.

And Annika Sorenstam (Sweden) and Kerrie Webb (Australia), who has formed a troika with Pak Seri in the U.S. LPGA, certainly need the title of this tournament in order to achieve the career grand slam. And Laura Davies (England) has a chance to become a LPGA Hall of Famer with a victory in this tournament.

Meanwhile, many Korean women golfers will participate in this tournament in order to earn their first title in this season, such as Kim Mi-Hyun (KTF), Grace Park, Pearl Shin, Han Hee-Won (Fila Korea), Jang Jung (Zinus), Park Hee-Jung, and Ha Nan-Kyung.

Ahn Young-Sik ysahn@donga.com