Korean born Gloria Park, who has made Australia her home in recent years, captured her second win on the USLPGA Tour following a playoff with compatriot Hee-Won Han, to continue the winning ways of Koreans on tour this year.
Park joins Se Ri Pak and Mi Hyn Kim as Korean winners this season but there are several others also doing well. Hee-Won Han, was second earlier in the season at the Longs Drugs Challenge, Grace Park has had nine top tens in sixteen starts and even rookie Ara Koh was twelfth this week and they are just a few of the Koreans making their mark.
Gloria Park is in her third season on tour after qualifying at her second attempt in 1999. She was born in Seoul but spent some time in Sydney where she was three time Australian Junior Champion and the Australian Stroke Play Champion in 1997. She is still only 22 so a bright future awaits her. She is coached by Queenslander Ian Triggs whose stable also includes Rachel Teske and John Senden.
Hee-Won Han was rookie of the year last year and she has continued to develop as a player in her second season. She looks destined for big things.
Perhaps the most satisfying aspect of Park's win was the fact that she held off Annika Sorenstam who, I would imagine, most felt was the likely winner going into the final round. Sorenstam was tied with Park leading into round four and I am sure that her win is just that much sweeter knowing she has held off the world's number one. It won't do her confidence any harm either.
Karrie Webb produced a last nine of 32 to grab fourth just a shot behind Sorenstam, Rachel Teske was fifteenth, Mardi Lunn 31st, Wendy Doolan 40th and Fiona Pike 62nd.
Noboru Sugai has played just three events on the European Seniors Tour, they being the three British Senior Opens in 2000, 2001 and this year. That he was able to win with such limited experience in the trying conditions at Royal County Down and on such a quality course suggests, that now that he will get more starts in Europe, he will be a force to be reckoned with. The win also earns him starts at next year's British Open and the US Seniors Open in 2003.
Sugai was quite a prolific winner in Japan through the eighties. His last win was in 1990 when he won twice at the Golf Digest and Chunichi Crowns events. In the past few years he has played on a limited basis on the Japan Tour and very few Senior Tour events. That he is able to win such a significant event against such a good field on that basis is quite amazing.
Sugai had opened up a six shot lead heading into round four thanks largely to a marvellous 72 on Saturday in the most difficult of conditions. He struggled in the last round but so did those nearest to him although John Irwin, the Canadian, managed to close the gap to just two at the finish.
Christy O'Connor Jnr was alone in third a shot ahead of Scotland's John Chillas. Two other Japanese tied for fifth namely Seiji Ebihara and Katzunari Takahashi along with New Zealander Barry Vivian.
Pre tournament favourite Tom Watson struggled after a reasonable start to eventually finish 14th after a last round 79.
Ross Metherell was the leading Australian in 21st place, Mike Ferguson 24th, Noel Ratcliffe 25th, Ian Stanley the defending champion, 31st, Brian Jones 35th, Geoff Parslow 42nd, Bryan Smyth 44th and Bob Shearer 49th.
New Zealander Bob Charles, last year's runner up, who finished 12th in the tournament was the leading Super Senior (for those over 60) ahead of Neil Coles.
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