Webb Maybe Surpassed by Park Se-ri as `Youngest Grand Slammer`

Pak, Se-ri (CJ) is going for the youngest Grand Slammer in the history of the U.S. LPGA Tour. The stage for that will be the first major of the season, The Nabisco Championship (1.6 million dollars in total prize money), which will open at the Dinah Shore Course of the Rancho Mirage Mission Hill Country Club in California at midnight on the 27th (Korean local time).

If she (25 years and 6 months old) wins this championship, she will put her name `Se Ri Park` as the youngest LPGA Grand Slammer replacing the existing record (26 years and 6 months old) set by Webb.

According to the grouping announced on the 26th, Pak, Se-ri`s rounding partner for the 1st and 2nd round happened to be Webb. The championship host did not lose the biggest card of `match-up between Pak and Webb.`

There is no need for explanation based on the heated competition between the `keeper` and the `challenger.`

On top of that, the `Best` Annika Sorenstam (Sweden) is going for the three consecutive wins of the championship. It is a chance for her, who lost the Safeway Ping Tournament to Pak, Se-ri last week, to recover.

Meanwhile, in the `Nabisco Championship winner prediction fan club poll` held by the LPGA through its official homepage, Pak is an absolute leader with 45% as of 26th. Sorenstam is at second place (21%). The enthusiastic participation of the Korean golf fans might affect the result, but it is still a positive sign for Pak.

The key is whether Pak gets away with the Mission Hills CC jinx or not. The Nabisco Championship has been held at the same course since its first championship in 1972, but tie for 9th place last year was the best record for Pak.

She was surpassed last year at the 5th hole (par 3) by losing as many as 4 strokes in four days with a bogie, bogie, par, and double bogie. Sorenstam, on the other hand, showed off particularly in this championship by entering the top 10 six times in 8 outings including the recent 2 consecutive wins.

Meanwhile, total of 12 Korean players (including Korean emigrants) are participating this major event, which low rankers of the season, even with full seeds, cannot participate.

The `hopeful` Michelle Wie (13), who are specially invited as an amateur, will match-up with the `Super Rookie` Kim, Cho-rong (19), and Song (A-ri and Na-ri) twins, who gained 10th place in this championship three years ago, are participating on this event for four straight years. Goh, Woo-soon (39) got her right to participate as the Winner of the Japanese LPGA Tour Championship.

And in the mean time, the up-rising Park, Ji-Eun (Nike Golf), Kim, Mi-Hyun (KTF), and Park, Hui-jung (CJ) are also bracing themselves to take out their tags of `the winner without a major title.`

Young-Sik Ahn ysahn@donga.com