Burned out, injured and all but forgotten for two years, Se Ri Pak returned to the spotlight in stunning fashion when she hit a utility club 8cm from the cup to give her a play-off victory over Karrie Webb in the LPGA Championship on Sunday.
Pak atoned for a three-putt bogey on the 18th hole in regulation, which kept her from winning in regulation, delivering a spectacular finish to a women’s major that was up for grabs over the final two hours at Bulle Rock.
It all must have looked familiar to Webb, who was trying to capture the second leg of the grand slam.
Just two months ago, Webb holed a pitching wedge from 116 yards on the 18th hole at the Kraft Nabisco Championship for an eagle that got her into a play-off, and her victory was a sign that the Hall of Famer’s game had returned.
Same for Pak.
Her last victory was two years ago at the Michelob Ultra Open, which gave her enough points for the World Golf Hall of Fame. Then, the 28-year-old South Korean and her electric smile all but vanished from the United States LPGA Tour, and she sat out the last three months of the 2005 season to get healthy and get happy.
She was plenty happy standing in the 18th fairway in the play-off.
The ball rolled true to the hole and looked like it might go in.
Pak raised both arms in victory, and then delivered a massive uppercut to signal her return.
Webb, who missed birdie putts of four and 10 feet on the last two holes in regulation, hit her approach in the play-off to about 20 feet, but the putt to force another hole veered well to the left. — Sapa-AP