Korean Ladies Off To Good Start

Han Hee-Won (23, Fila Korea, photo), the candidate for the rookie of the year, is dreaming of her first title of this year, grabbing the outright third place in the first round of the US LPGA Sybase Big Apple Classic (total prize of $950,000).

Han was ranked third recording 4-under-par 67 with 6 birdies and 2 bogeys, 3 strokes behind the leader Nancy Scranton (7-under-par 64) in yesterday`s round at the Sykagyl Country Club (par 71, 6161 yard) in New Rochelle, New York.

Meanwhile, the thirsty-title-seeker, Kim Mi-Hyun (24, KTF) also put her name in the leader-board, sharing the fourth place with 3-under-par 68.

Han Hee-Won, making the runner-up in the rookie ranking point, has shown the beautiful putting with only 24 putts in total, and captured three birdies our of four par-5 holes, harmonizing the long driver shots and the accurate iron shots.

Han, who teed off in the tenth, recorded the bogey in the par-4 12th hole by the second shot which fell to the bunker. But after she dropped 1 meter birdie putt in the fifteenth hole, she finished the first half with two-under par, capturing the two birdies in a row in the 17th (par 4) and 18th (par 5).

Han recovered her second bogey in par-3 2nd hole by making the 1 meter birdie putt in par-5 3rd hole. And she continued the tedious par march to the seventh, but finished the first round with 4-under-par in total, capturing the consecutive birdies in 8th and 9th.

The five-title holder Annika Sorenstam (Sweden) finished tied for 43rd place (1-over-par 72), and Jang Jung (Zinus), Ha Nan-Kyung, and Park Hee-Jung were not up to the mark, tying for 83rd place (4-over-par 75).

ysahn@donga.com