Will Ahn`s Stand Alone Succeed?

Could Ahn Shi-Hyun(20• Kolon Elord) succeed in being independent?

Ahn Shi-Hyun got out of the shadows of her coach Jung Hae-Shim (46) who was her " Tutor " and stands alone in the LPGA Take Fuji Classic opening in Las Vegas starting from the 16th.

Coach Jung guided Ahn Shi-Hyun starting from 1997 when she was a 8th grade middle schooler as Jung is her master. But the relationship between the two doesn`t turn to be smooth. The rumors swirled around that the two had a big quarrel prior of the Office Depot championship and even had rumors of declaring separation as coach Jung entered the country before 4 days of the opening.

As to the matter, coach Jung explained the story as he commented " In the states, she was taking too many phone calls to her friends and as I had scrutinized her to have worried that her focus might sway away and she argued that I was too intervened in her private business. I usually train my students hard-core but I guess she was quite frustrated."

Coach Jung explained his sudden entrance to the country and said " It was for relocating my golf academy i run in Yeong Jong Island to Dae-Boo Island" and added " but isn`t it time for Ahn Shi-Hyun to stand up by herself?" which implied the relationship between the two wasn`t like the old times.

Ahn Shi-Hyun who received limelight as she notched in tied top 5th place in the two consecutive opens, Welch`s/Fry`s Championship and Safeway International, upon the opening of the season, got cut-off in the Nabisco Championships and placed tied 49th place in the Office Depot championship as she struggled. This will be the 2nd time after Office Depot, which she stands alone with the empty spot of coach Jung who guided her like her shadows for 7 years. Ahn Shi-Hyun has been implementing hard training a bit earlier as she arrived in Las Vegas in the 7th.

Ahn`s manager in the US agency Kim Gwang-Shik commented " She has been in all sweats for the match as she took the fitness training well with the practice rounds and swing training under the guidance of her father."

The most numbers of Korean players in the LPGA history participate in this competition with 22 golfers. The world`s prominent Anneka Sorenstam(Sweden), Kerry Web(Australia) and Laura Davis( United Kingdom) will be skipping the championship as it will be the golden opportunity for a Korean player to seize the winning trophy.

Sang-Soo Kim ssoo@donga.com