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Annika's majors plan derailed
29/03/2004 11:04 - (SA)
Palm Springs - Annika Sorenstam's goal of winning all four majors in one year came under assault at the Kraft Nabisco Championship from a Korean youth movement.
The Asian youngsters dominated the $1.6 million event and it is believed that for the first time in a LPGA major championship, the final group featured three South Koreans.
"We have a lot of great rookies and other players on our tour are really good too," said Nabisco champion Grace Park. "They are so talented that they're getting our tour to be more exciting."
The 25-year-old Park played in the final group with runner-up Aree Song and Lee Jung-Yeon who placed eighth.
They are just part of a new wave of South Korean stars who are pushing their way into women's golf.
There were five South Koreans in the top 15, including 17-year-old Aree Song who was born in Thailand but is in the process of becoming a South Korean citizen.
Kim Mi-Hyun (seventh), Lee Jung-Yeon (tied eighth), Han Hee-Won (tied thirteenth) also had spectacular results at the Kraft Nabisco.
Sorenstam struggled throughout the tournament and had to settle for a three-under 285 and a share of thirteenth place.
There are a record 21 South Koreans on the LPGA Tour and that list doesn't include 14-year-old Korean-American Michelle Wie who finished fourth, just four shots behind Park.
Asked to explain the South Korean women's success over their male compatriots, Park said, "I've said this all along, women are just better.
"For the women Koreans, you know, we are just good. What can I say. We are all hard working players and we have that craving that everybody wants to succeed."
Park not only leads the South Koreans on the course but also in the boardroom. She was recently named a non-voting member of the LPGA's executive committee.
- AFP
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