Meunier-Lebouc and Ward stumbled early, as did Grace Park. Surprisingly, it was Karrie Webb who then took advantage, climbing to an early lead. But Karrie hit her Waterloo at the turn, when she missed two makeable par saves, one from only a foot. Grace, meanwhile, played herself back up the leaderboard, but by then it had become a two horse race between Se Ri and Annika. Both played consistently considering the Sunday pin placements which made scoring difficult. By the 13th hole, they were tied for the lead at 9 under, thanks to a splendid tee shot on the par 3 12th by Se Ri to about two feet. The crowds were huge, growing by the minute. And they were into it, cheering loudly and lustily at every thrust and parry between the two combatants.

Yet the ladies themselves were clearly having fun. There was a surprising amount of light hearted banter between the two, who were obviously both very comfortable not only with the Major pressure but also the pairing.

Now Se Ri was hitting the stretch of holes that had given her trouble on Saturday. She got through 14 OK, but the par 5 15th was a different story. On Saturday, it had denied her a birdie. But on Sunday, she was in the middle of the fairway with a great chance to reach the green in two. Alas, her approach was wayward, and plunged into the greenside bunker with brute force. Sorenstam, however, did not leave her approach on the green either. She did have an outside chance at chipping in for eagle, but a birdie seemed all but assured.

Se Ri during round 4
AP Photo/Alistair Grant

The situation at the bunker could not have been more grim. The ball was so close to the left side that Se Ri could not stand in the bunker at all. She was forced to hit a ball more than a foot below her feet, while crouching awkwardly from the grass outside the trap. It could scarcely have been a worse lie; to even get it on the green would be a miracle. But with grit and fortitude, Se Ri whacked the ball out, sending a spray of sand into her face. The ball hit the green hard and scooted about 15 feet past the flag. Not an easy birdie putt, but a birdie putt nonetheless. A truly exceptional shot, and the crowd responded with more heartfelt cheers. Sorenstam then took her eagle try. A great attempt, it just missed the hole, and she tapped in for birdie. Now Se Ri looked at the long birdie try, realizing her rival had the one shot lead. But she was not able to put it in, and settled for par yet again. The golf gods did not smile kindly on Se Ri on this hole the last two days.

One shot down to Annika Sorenstam with three holes to play does not sound like the ideal place to be. Se Ri responded with a great drive on 16. The flag was tucked today, and Annika wisely hit her approach to the middle of the green. None of that for Se Ri. She knew she needed a birdie, and went for it. And her shot was nothing short of breathtaking, stopping but a few feet from the flag to the collective 'ooooo' of the crowd. A few moments later, she cashed in that birdie, and the crowd responded with a spine chilling cheer. Consistency vs. heart. The battle was still on.

Hole 17 is a tricky par 4 with an especially hard tee shot. Se Ri and Annika both easily made the fairway, but Se Ri played her approach expecting it to roll, and thus landed it a trifle short of the green. Roll it did, right into another greenside bunker. Annika got her ball close, and a birdie here would have probably spelled finis to the occasion. So once again, Se Ri faced a bunker shot to stay alive. She had to get up and down. Fortunately, this time she had a nice lie and could actually get both feet into the bunker. And once again, a magical shot: Se Ri hit the ball high, landed it right next to the flag... and stuck it. Wow. On these hard hard greens, she stuck it. Again the spectators went crazy. If in my lifetime I hit a bunker shot as perfect as that one, I will be a happy man. Se Ri did it with two holes left in the final round of a Major, with her rival within birdie range. But it still would mean little if Annika made that birdie. But she did not, showing the first crack in the armor, and they walked to the 18th tee all tied at 10 under.

Looming in front of Se Ri was The Bunker of Death. The one that had eaten her ball the previous day. The one place on this hole you must not go. Had she taken driver, she could have blown it over that bunker, but ran the risk of putting herself in real danger elsewhere. So she chose 3 wood for control. She hit a nice shot, but it drifted towards The Bunker. Then it took a strange hop, right towards The Bunker. And that's just where the ball settled down.

Se Ri blows on her ball after making another
smoking shot in Round 4
AP Photo/Alistair Grant

Se Ri Pak in Round 1
LPGA.COM

Se Ri hit it out, but now faced a short shot that she had to get close. Annika was already well within birdie range on the green. If there was any time to pack it in, this would have been it. But Se Ri was as determined as ever. She hit the ball, and urged it to be the shot she was picturing. 'Come on, baby! Be the One!' Once again, a great shot that landed nicely and snapped backwards to the appreciative response of the crowd. So it all came down to one putt. Se Ri had a 12 footer for par. If she made it, she forced Annika to make her birdie. But the magic at long last ran out, and her putt just missed the hole. Annika, as it turned out, missed her birdie, so that putt would have been enough to extend things had it fallen. But that's golf, as Se Ri is known to say.

What had just happened should be reason for anyone to give pause when labeling Annika Sorenstam the undisputed best player in the world. Annika had just played 5 holes of nearly flawless golf; she had not been in trouble once. Se Ri Pak had hit only 2 greens in regulation in that span, and one of those was the awkward bunker shot on the par 5. And yet Se Ri matched Annika hole for hole, in the end missing a playoff by mere inches. On those days when she is hitting the greens and making the putts, just imagine how formidable she could be! Her courage under duress, her unwillingness to give up even when things turn against her, and her unfailing good cheer that she had made the best effort she could, are all shining examples of what a sports person can and should be.

Perhaps in the end there is no reason to wax poetic about Se Ri's defeat. Because in a way it was not a loss. Oh sure, she does not possess the trophy, but the Bunker of Death on the 18th hole of Lytham did not truly beat her. Nor did the winds, or the competition, or even herself. At the end of the day, though she was in second in the tournament, she knew she had done everything she could do to win, and in the process had won the ultimate victory: that of facing her limitations as a human being without fear or trepidation. And when you win that battle, anything is possible.