A Big Day For Pak

HAVRE DE GRACE, Md. (AP) _ Se Ri Pak doesn't need to wait until a heroic shot in a playoff to celebrate at this LPGA Championship. <br/><br/>The South Korean star hit one of the most stunning shots

Thursday, June 7th 2007, 7:39 am

By: News On 6

HAVRE DE GRACE, Md. (AP) _ Se Ri Pak doesn't need to wait until a heroic shot in a playoff to celebrate at this LPGA Championship.

The South Korean star hit one of the most stunning shots of the season last year at Bulle Rock, a hybrid 4-iron from 201 yards that stopped inches from the cup and gave her a playoff victory over Karrie Webb, and the fifth major of her Hall of Fame career.

Well, she's not in the Hall of Fame quite yet.

That should happen Thursday.

She returns to the course that brought Pak her fondest memory as a pro, and the first round should be memorable, too. All she has to do is finish to have played 10 tournaments this year, giving her 10 full seasons on the LPGA Tour. And that's the final requirement to be eligible for the World Golf Hall of Fame.

``It makes me nervous,'' Pak said. ``It's pretty special. This is the first time I feel nervous about something I'm going through. It's very exciting, but I just feel kind of weird. It's like my dreams coming true.''

Pak will be 30 when she is inducted in November, a young age to leave a legacy.

But she became a star as a rookie, and survived only one year of losing interest from so much work, so much devotion to practice.

The LPGA Championship was her first victory in 1998, and she followed that by capturing the U.S. Women's Open, the biggest event in women's golf. She also set a tour record at the time with a 61 on her way to four victories.

Pak added two more majors over the next four years, at the Women's British Open and another title at the LPGA Championship, but after going through some burnout, she emerged last year with yet another major.

She played only seven seasons before reaching the performance criteria for the LPGA Hall of Fame. A victory at the Michelob Ultra Open in Kingsmill was her 22nd on tour, along with four majors and one Vare Trophy for lowest scoring average.

``There are so many things that have happened the last 10 years, and I still have many years to play,'' Pak said. ``I get in the Hall of Fame and already my friends are saying, 'You're that old?' I was never expecting that, but it's happening, and that makes me proud of myself.''

All she has to do is finish her round for the 10th tournament to be in the books.

Pak wasn't the only one who wanted to finish her round.

Michelle Wie, the 17-year-old from Honolulu suddenly embroiled in criticism for her conduct, only made it through 16 holes last week at the Ginn Tribute in South Carolina when she withdrew with an ailing wrist.

It angered some players, particularly Annika Sorenstam, the tournament host last week, who said it showed lack of class and respect for Wie to pull out with an injury, then go to Bulle Rock and start hitting balls.

Throw in the LPGA Tour's infamous ``Rule 88,'' where a non-tour member is banned for a year if she fails to break 88 (Wie was two bogeys away from that), and the LPGA commissioner speaking to Wie's parents about her behavior in a pro-am, and the second major championship of the year is turning into a soap opera.

``It's been a bit of a circus, I guess you could say. That's for sure,'' Morgan Pressel said.

Pressel is among those who cares only about the golf, and for good reason. She beat Wie to the punch at the Kraft Nabisco Championship by becoming the youngest major champion in LPGA history, at age 18. She played bogey-free over the final 24 holes on a tough golf course, closing with a 69 for an unlikely rally.

She is the only player capable of winning the Grand Slam, not that Pressel is thinking about that quite yet.

``I want to win this tournament either way,'' she said. ``When I won the Kraft Nabisco or not, it doesn't make me want to win this event or any other event any more. But it's there. It's something that possible me this year.''

Strangely enough, the No. 1 player in women's golf is simply trying to win her first major.

Lorena Ochoa set typically lofty goals when she turned pro, which included winning majors and rising to No. 1. She always figured the majors would come first, but they have turned out to be the hardest for her to win.

And the questions are coming every week she plays, and even when she's at home.

When are you going to win a major?

``Am I tired of the question? No, no,'' she said with a laugh. ``My dad is also asking me that. No, it's just a matter of time. I've been good not to really stress too much and put a lot of pressure on me from what the press says, or what the people say outside, the fans or the players. I think I have a good chance this week. I'm going to try really hard. I'm ready. And hopefully, this is it.''

No one ever said winning a major would be easy.

Considering all she has done the last few years, no one guessed it would take Ochoa this long.

``I've played with Lorena the first two rounds of the last two tournaments, and she finished first and second,'' Kraft Nabisco champion Pressel said. ``That's not too shabby. It's impressive to watch her play and watch her hit the ball so well. She grinds it out, and I'm sure she wants to win _ win this week, win a major.''

They used to say that about Wie, too, especially after she nearly won this tournament last year at age 16. Now, the question is whether she can finish her round, or even make the cut.