Magazine 2003 CJ 9 Bridges Classic

Volume 1, Number 17 November 5, 2003

2003 CJ 9 Bridges Classic: Hometown Heroine

Pages 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, Results

Ahn announced herself as a contender right from the get-go with an impressive opening round 65, tying Se Ri's course and tournament record of 2002. Se Ri, meanwhile, had a pretty lackluster round by and large. She pretty much traded birdies and bogeys most of the round, and by the 16th hole was still at even par. This has been one of Se Ri's biggest problems all year: that she seems to always shoot about a 71 or 70 or so in the first round, which usually drops her well down the leaderboard. Then she has to spend the rest of the week trying to make up for that. The previous two LPGA events had been an aberration for her, in that she had the lead after the second round both times (and at the Samsung, she also had the lead after the first round). Even at the men's event, she opened with a 72-74, before picking up the pace on the weekend with a 69-71.

But on the first day, it was not until the 17th hole that she started to pick it up. She managed a birdie on that par 3 hole, then followed it with an eagle on the par 5 18th to move to 3 under, four shots behind the leader. In just two holes, she had salvaged an otherwise mediocre round and put herself back in contention. Her 69 was good enough for 6th place for the moment.

Se Ri during round 1

Se Ri managed another solid round on Saturday
to move into second place
AP Photo/Yun Jai-hyong

The conditions were seemingly a little harder on Saturday, if the scores can be believed. Se Ri did not have the greatest start to her round, notching 7 straight pars before she made a lone birdie on the front nine. Up ahead of her, Shi Hyun Ahn held her own. In fact, for a little while, it looked as though Ahn would run away with the proceedings, but she seemed to make a bogey every time that looked possible. On the back, Se Ri had two more birdies and a lone bogey, getting into the house with a respectable 70. But Ahn, despite a late double bogey, still made a 71, and thus Se Ri only gained one shot on the leader. Despite this, her 5 under par score was good enough for a tie for second, three shots behind Ahn. Which meant that Se Ri would be playing in the final group on Sunday with the precocious 19 year old.

This should have been the scenario Se Ri was dreaming of. Sure, she had to make up 3 shots, but there was only one player ahead of her, and that was a completely untested rookie who had never won any professional event, let alone one with so much on the line. It was possible Se Ri could catch her in two good holes if the breaks went her way. And indeed, Se Ri got out to a great start, with two straight birdies, while Ahn made one at the first hole but not the second. Still, they both made bogeys soon after that, and after nine holes had elapsed, Se Ri had made no progress; she was still 3 shots back.

But a three shot lead with nine holes to go is nothing. Se Ri has made that kind of deficit up many times in the past. One had to think that the closer Ahn got to the gold, the more likely she would crumble. And indeed, as well as Ahn played, there were cracks in the armor. Ahn gave Se Ri a brief glimmer of hope when she missed a short par putt on 13 to drop to a two shot advantage. The next hole, the 335 yard par 4 14th, was right up Se Ri's alley, and she laid up to a good position. But Ahn hit driver, and though her drive was right and should have been in the rough, somehow it bounded forward like it was possessed, ending up only a few yards short of the green! Despite a terrible chip, Ahn went on to birdie the hole, while Se Ri, who played it in picture perfect style, could only manage par. One opportunity lost.

Se Ri had another opportunity on the par 3 17th. Ahn again played a ragged hole and missed a short par save on 16. Thus, Se Ri had honors, and only a two shot deficit with the par 5 18th coming up. Se Ri had already eagled that hole once this week; so two shots could definitely be made up. But Se Ri needed to put the pressure on. A great tee shot by Se Ri on 17 might have been the hammer to the solar plexus for Ahn. But Se Ri hit a very bad tee shot, Ahn a great one, and both walked off with par.

Se Ri's putter was not kind on Sunday

Shi Hyun Ahn had the last laugh

The final indignity came when the rookie hit a gorgeous second shot on 18 and made eagle, while Se Ri barely missed her eagle attempt and settled for birdie, only her first birdie of the back nine. For whatever reason, Se Ri was once again not able to bring her A game to the course during the final nine of a round, and thus she again had to settle for second. That's not to say that Ahn still would not have won; she seemed to have destiny on her side, especially on the 14th hole. But a long time pro like Se Ri needs to put as much pressure on an unproven rookie as she can. Se Ri never did that, and Ahn never had to stand over a putt and think that she had to make that shot to stay in the tournament.

Still, sooner or later you have to think the breaks will go Se Ri's way. She is playing far far too well to settle for second too many more times. Hopefully her 19th top ten of 2003 will also be her fourth win.