Han Hee-won had a quick explanation for the strong South Korean presence in the Sybase Classic.
"My cousins live near here, in Queens, and they will watch this weekend," the defending champion said. "In the New York area there are many Koreans."
PHOTO: AP
Seventeen of the 21 South Koreans eligible to compete on the women's tour this year were set to begin play Thursday at Wykagyl Country Club.
It hasn't always been that way on tour.
In 1997, there were five Koreans. If you include the Futures Tour, there are 40 competing this year on the US-based tours.
"I give a lot of credit to Se Ri Pak, because when she first joined she was really the first player that came from Korea to this sport and she had a huge impact in women's golf not only in the States, but also in Korea, more in Korea," Grace Park said Wednesday. "People wanted to come to the big tour where the big players are and try to compete."
Pak did so well she has qualified for the LPGA Hall of Fame. She won the Michelob Ultra Open two weeks ago for her 22nd career victory and it gave her enough points to get in, although she needs 10 years on tour to meet the final requirement and that comes in 2007.
"That was my biggest goal when I came to the United States," she said Wednesday. "Dreams can come true quicker. There was so much pressure this year with one point to go. It wasn't easy early this season but that was as happy a tournament as I've ever had."
Pak and Park played in an event in South Korea last week.
"You just deal with it," Park said of the intercontinental trip. "You don't think about where you are -- what country, what time zone -- you just try to get used to that time zone. You go to bed when it's time to. You wake up when the sun comes up, just stay up and keep doing what we do."
The Korean players are known for the time they spend practicing.
"We grew up that way," Pak said. "The culture says that's the way you play golf. Here, you can practice all the time because of the courses available. It's not that way in Korea."
The last two winners of the Sybase tournament were Koreans: Gloria Park in 2002 in a one-hole playoff with Han, and Han last year.
Grace Park is second on the money list and three other Koreans are in the top 10. Pak is fourth, Kim Mi-hyum sixth and Jung Yeon Lee eighth. Park has won US$538,725, second by US$8,000 to Annika Sorenstam.
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