Se Ri Pak looks to create LPGA history
BY Bruce Young | LPGA Tour | 2008 Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic | Preview | 09 Jul 2008
Korean golfer Se Ri Pak attempts to become the first player in the history of the LPGA Tour to win the same event on six occasions when she lines up at this week’s Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic Presented by Kroger.
The event is being played at its long time home of the Highland Meadows Golf Club in Sylvania in Ohio. The host venue is an original Harold Weber design, remodelled in 1974 by well known American modern day course architect, Arthur Hills.
Pak won the event for the fifth time last year when she defeated Morgan Pressel by three. Although Pak’s form has not been anything special in 2008 there have been two recent top tens including a 10th at the Kraft Nabisco. This field is well below the strength of that event and if she was to make it six Jamie Farr victories it would be no great surprise.
Lorena Ochoa and Annika Sorenstam are sitting this one out and no doubt reserving their energies for the big tournaments coming up over the next few weeks but Paul Creamer and Karrie Webb provide a strong representation from the game’s leading players.
Mi Hyun Kim won this event in 2006 and despite a missed cut at last week’s event in Arkansas she has done enough in 2008 to suggest she could win again.
Recent Wegman’s winner, Eun Hee Ji, is yet another Korean who could do well but she is not alone in that regard with nearly 30 Koreans in the field.
The Australian challenge is headed by Karrie Webb although Katherine Hull indicated she is approaching her best form with a last round of 66 and an 11th place finish last week.
Rachel Hetherington has often played well here, winning in 2002 and being regularly in contention. There have been signs of better play from her of late although she has been unable to finish events off well.
Wendy Doolan, Michelle Ellis, Sarah Jane Kenyon, Sarah Kemp, Sarah Oh and Anna Rawson complete the Australian line-up.
For Queenslander, Kenyon, the chance to play this event must have provided her with a dilemma. Kenyon currently sits in 5th place on the Duramed Futures Tour and with only the top five players from that Tour gaining access to the 2009 LPGA Tour, she might have considered playing this week’s event on the lesser tour to consolidate her position there. Kenyon is, though, playing as well as she has for some time.
The tournament also serves as final qualifying for the Women’s British Open and that may have been part of Kenyon’s motivation. After the first 36 holes this week the top five LPGA Tour players not already qualified for the British Open will earn starts at Sunningdale on July 31st.
