Wind by Korean Women Stronger Than Wind from Sea

It is said that in the links course, you should pull down your number of pars if the weather is good. Otherwise you will lose.”

During a game lasting for four days, “coastal climate” imposes severe hardships for one or two days.

In this respect, Pak Se-ri (Tailor Made) and Kim Mi-hyun made it up to the half.

It was the first round of the 2002 Women’s British Open Championship (Total Awards, $150 million) that was held in Scotland and closed on August 9th.

The expected strong winds did not blow and the weather was fine. In addition, the host of the game arranged the hole-cups in the middle of the green areas to players’ advantage.

Pak Se-ri, who is aiming at her second championship in a row, was co-ranked at 3rd with excellent handling of iron shots and performance (Buddy-6, bogie-1, 5 under par and 67 shots). In an interview right after the round, she expressed confidence, “In 1998, I frankly did not know how to handle the links course. Several years have passed, and I have enhanced my skills and now know how to handle various types of courses.”

Kim Mi-hyun, who plans to win three consecutive games including this one and grab the championship of a major game for the first time, got off to a smooth start ranking the 7th (4 under par and 68 shots), wielding her favorite wood-shots.

But Sorenstam (Sweden), who was in the same group as Pak, did not perform well (1 over par and 73).

In the meanwhile, the rising star Kandy Koong (21, Taiwan) recorded 7 buddies without any bogie and surprisingly ranked 1st. But it is Karry Webb (Australia) who should be carefully watched. She ranked 2nd with 6 under par and 66.

If she successfully maintains her putting skills shown in the first round, she will threaten Pak’s second winning of the championship and Kim’s march for a record winning of three straight games. In the meanwhile, the rest of the Korean female players did not stand up in the first round.

Park Ji-eun (Ewah Women’s Univ.) blew up 5 shots with triple boggie in the first hole and double bogie in the first two holes. Finally, she was jointly ranked at 65th with 1 over par and 73. The 65th rank is the cutoff line for the advance to the second round of this game.

Park Hee-jung (CJ39 Shopping), who spent her youth in Australia and is good at links courses, is about be cut off since she ranked 86th with a record of one double bogie, 3 bogies, 3 buddies, 2 over par and 74 shots.

Young-Sik Ahn ysahn@donga.com