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Thursday, February 8, 2001
Park’s secret: KEAUHOU, Hawaii -- What's the secret to all of the success of the Korean players on the LPGA Tour?
kim chee
The Korean hopes her
early success continuesBy Bill Kwon
Star-Bulletin"It's a secret. Kim chee," whispered Grace Park, one of 10 South Korean natives on the LPGA Tour this year.
Actually, it's confidence, said Park, who hopes to make the LPGA Takefuji Classic that began today at the Kona Country Club more than a repeat of last year's playoff showdown between Karrie Webb and Annika Sorenstam.
"When you win, it helps for everything. When you win, your confidence level goes up," said Park, who's coming off a victory in The Office Depot two weeks ago at Doral where she beat Webb by one stroke.
Confidence is what Webb possesses, according to Park, who played junior golf in Hawaii in 1991-93 before moving to Phoenix as a teen-ager and winning All-American honors at Arizona State.
Park admits she's not yet in the same league with Webb --the two-time LPGA player of the year and defending champion this week -- and Sorenstam -- whose five LPGA Tour victories last year was overshadowed only by Webb's seven wins.
"She (Webb) hits it better, closer and putts better. She won everything," Park said.
"I don't feel like I'm there yet. I don't feel right about my game yet. But I feel it coming around. It's getting better each week. If I can keep this momentum going, hopefully soon I'll get there."
A rib stress fracture in August forced Park to miss five events last year, depriving her of becoming the third straight Korean to win rookie of the year honors. The other two were Se Ri Pak and Mi Hyun Kim.
Yes, she was disappointed, Park said, "Because I was starting to play pretty well at the end of July." But no, because the layoff enabled her to get physically stronger and to become more aware of her body and what it needs.
Despite earning $427,055 to finish 19th on the money list, Park said she struggled with her ball-striking last year. That had been her strong point throughout a remarkable amateur career in which she won 55 tournaments, including the 1998 U.S. Amateur.
Her ball striking's almost there, she said. But because of that difficulty, her short game and putting improved.
Winning so early in the year has taken some pressure off.
"I know I can win and I'm capable of playing well under difficult conditions --meaning I wasn't hitting it well and wasn't feeling good about my game but I still pulled it out."
The 5-foot-7 Park is aiming for higher goals the rest of the year.
"My goal in every tournament is to win, whether it's achievable or not. That's in my mind; that's what I'm going to work towards."
Though fully Americanized, Park still loves her kim chee.
When: Today through Saturday.