Safeway International Starts Tonight

Will the Korean waves in the LPGA continue?

The 2004 Safeway International (total prize $1.2 million) will start at 11:15 p.m. on March 18 (Korea time) and last for four days, in which Pak Se-ri (CJ) will seek to win her second consecutive championship.

This competition in which “The Throne” Annika Sorenstam (Sweden), who didn’t play in the opener, and “Genius Girl” Michelle Wie (14-year-old, Wie Seong-mi) will also participate is generating incredible interest.

The tournament sponsor stated, “Over 300 reporters asked for ID cards, and it is expected that 75,000 people in the gallery, which is more than 30 percent more than that in the previous tournaments, will make this event crowded.”

Michelle Wie had numerous people in the gallery following her at the pro-am on March 17 as well as in a “secret practice round” on March 15. Wie said, “I made a correction on my swing to increase my accuracy while maintaining my distance.” She hit a 270-yard tee-shot with a 3-wood on the first hole (par 4, 391 yards) and closed into the pin with a wedge, making birdie.

In the meantime, the host arranged Pak Se-ri and Park Ji-eun (Nike Golf) in the same group in the first and second rounds, both who are the “best players with audience appeal” who finished first and second place separated by one stroke last year. It is another issue if they can break the jinx of performing poorly together in the first and second rounds when they were at same group.

This competition will be held at Superstition Mountain GC in Arizona where an LPGA competition has previously never opened.

Young-Sik Ahn ysahn@donga.com