Pak Se-ri Receives “Vare Trophy” for the Lowest Scoring Average of the Season

Pak Se-ri (26, CJ) has a goal to beat Annika Sorenstam (33, Sweden). After achieving this, she wants to be known as “The world’s greatest woman golfer” before her retirement.

Pak is seven years younger than Sorenstam, but she joined LPCA four years later than Sorenstam did. So it’s quite a strong possibility when you take a look at the two accomplishments of Pak this season.

First of all, Pak Se-ri outplayed Karrie Webb (29, Austrailia) who was one of the “U.S. LPGA Troika” and leaving her as a “one level below-player.” Pak won three times this season and took second place in the money prize list with $1,611,928, easily beating Webb who won only once and took 11th place in the money prize list with $780,239. Now the only remaining contender is Sorenstam.

Secondly, Pak foiled Sorenstam’s bid to win the Vare Trophy for three consecutive years and for the sixth time in her career, which goes to the player with the lowest scoring average. She is the first Korean golf player to clinch the Vare Trophy in the 51-year history of the U.S. LPGA Tour.

The lowest scoring average award is the yardstick to see how the player played for the entire season, and it is the title comparable to the “money prize title.”

Even though Pak Se-ri finished at even-par, 288 strokes, tied for fifth place at the ADT Championship, the final tour of the season, she hit an average of 70.03 strokes to become the heroine of Vare Trophy and beating Park Ji-eun (24, Nike Golf) by 0.08 strokes.

Sorenstam hit a 69.02 average this season, but she was disqualified from winning the Vare Trophy because she only played 60 rounds due to various events and condition controls. The Vare Trophy goes to the player who showed “consistent performance” among those who played a minimum of 70 rounds.

Pak was delighted at the title saying, “My heart is full of accomplishment. I could never have expected this at the start of the season, but I have been aware of the Vare Trophy since last month and I played really hard.”

Pak placed in the “Top 10” 20 times out of 26 events this season to rank first place in this category. Pak took second place in “Player of the year” considerations, second place in percentage of games under par, second place in birdie shots, first place in eagle shots, third place in percentage on green, and fourth place in the percentage of sand saves, and other achievements. The birdie queen is Park Ji-eun (24, Nike Golf).

Meanwhile Meg Mallon (USA) hit a 5-under par, 67 at the final fourth round of the season-ending “All-star tour” ADT Championship to finish with a total 7-under par, 281 strokes, and to clinch her first victory this season at the final tour, beating Sorenstam (282 strokes) by one stroke.

Young-Sik Ahn ysahn@donga.com