Se Ri Pak became the first woman to make the cut against the men in 58 years, firing a two-day total of 2-over-par 146 on the Korean golf tour's $ 250,000 SBS Super Tournament recently. "Yesterday and today has been the most burdening time of my professional career, psychologically and mentally," said the four-time LPGA major champion. "I cannot put into words how happy I am to have made the cut."
Four female golfers have taken on the men this year before Pak, but none had reached this far. LPGA No. 1 Annika Sorenstam became the first woman in 58 years to play on the PGA Tour but missed the cut at Colonial with rounds of 71-74. Connecticut club pro Suzy Whaley, 13-year-old amateur Michelle Wie and veteran Laura Davies also challenged the men but all failed to go into the weekend rounds.
Babe Zaharias played in PGA tournaments in Los Angeles, Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona, in 1945 and made the 36-hole cut for all three of them.
The 26-year-old Pak, who also has 17 other LPGA wins, shot rounds of 72 and 74 to join the weekend rounds of the Korean PGA event at the par-72 6,448-meter Lake Side Country Club in Yongin, south of Seoul. Emboldened by the success, Pak says she wanted to try her challenge against the men in the big league — the PGA Tour.
"If they invite me, I would go right now," Pak said with a big smile. "This game has been a precious experience, so I think I could play more comfortably on a PGA Tour."
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