Goodbye, Se Ri
At the start of 2016, Se Ri Pak announced that this season would be her last. Wednesday, Pak said during her pre-tournament press conference at the U.S. Women’s Open conducted by the USGA that this week would be her last competitive tournament here in the States.
“I think this is, for me, the last tournament in U.S., I think. So now after this I have to prepare for the Olympic team. And after Olympic, I think I'm pretty much done,” Pak told the media, referring to her responsibilities as coach of the Olympic team representing the Republic of Korea. “So after I retire, I'm going back to Korea, that's full-time, and trying to into golf business, which is an academy I'm trying to build. It's a lot of young kids, young players, many Asian and Korean players trying to play the U.S. or trying to play golf, I'm trying to help them to be as -- mentoring, actually, I can help as much as I could. That's my biggest goal when I get back to Korea.”
Pak captured the 1998 U.S. Women’s Open at Blackwolf Run, winning in a playoff to become the first player from Korea to win on the LPGA Tour. Her victory inspired a generation of Korean players to take up the game. She is in the field this week thaks to a special invitation from the USGA. She will be paired with fellow countrywomen and U.S. Women’s Open champions So Yeon Ryu and Na Yeon Choi during the first two rounds. The trio goes off the 10th tee at 8:11 a.m. Thursday morning.
Click here to watch Pak's pre-tournament press conference.
A Decade In The Making For Thompson
At just 21-years of age Lexi Thompson has accomplished what many professionals might not accomplish in a lifetime - play in the U.S. Women’s Open 10 times. At the age of 12, Thompson made her first start at Pine Needles Lodge and Golf Club and it was there she knew she had found her future career.
“Yeah, so many memories from that first U.S. Women's Open, actually. It didn't ring a bell to me that this is my 10th one. It's always nice to remember,” Thompson told the media. “Pine Needles, just being with people that I've always watched on TV, and being in awe of them, and signing all of the autographs, taking people with everybody. I missed the cut by a ton, but I stayed there and said I'm going to sign every autograph for every person here. But that year was the day I realized that I wanted to play out on this Tour.”
Thompson is in search of her third worldwide win of the season and second career major title this week, having won the 2014 ANA Inspiration for her first major. But Thompson has had mixed success in this event, just twice finishing in the top-10.
“Well, it's the No. 1 major that I always look forward to every year. Being an American, it's our own championship. But the USGA does such a great job with the layout and the hospitality for us. And the people that we bring along with us. We always have amazing venues, and we always look forward to the week.”
Thompson is grouped with Lydia Ko and Brooke Henderson on Thursday and Friday.
Click here to watch Thompson's pre-tournament press conference.
Henderson + West Coast = Victory
If the past is any indication of the future, Brooke Henderson is certainly one to keep an eye on this week at CordeValle. The Canadian captured her third victory on Tour at last week’s Cambia Portland Classic where she successfully defended her title in Oregon, picking up her second victory in June after also winning her first major title at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship outside Seattle. With this week’s U.S. Women’s Open also being staged on the West Coast, it would be hard not to put Henderson on the short list of contenders.
“Yeah, I just love it here. I love tree-lined courses, and both Portland and Sahalee were very much like that, where you need to hit it very accurate off the tee. And I just like the view of them,” Henderson said about the two venues on which she won.” Somebody asked me the other day what I thought about this course, because he mentioned like the Pacific Northwest. And I said it's very much like a tree-lined golf course without the trees. So I'm hoping that I'll be able to continue my streak and go for four out here in the Northwest.”
The world No.2 makes her fourth start in the U.S. Women’s Open this week. Her best finish came in 2015 at Lancaster Country Club where she finished in a share of fifth. Henderson tees off the 10th tee Thursday afternoon at 2:03 p.m. alongside world No.1 Lydia Ko and No.4 Lexi Thompson.
Click here to watch Henderson's pre-tournament press conference.
Wie Focused On Confidence Building at CordeValle
2014 was quite a year for Michelle Wie.
That season, Wie won twice - picking up victories in her home state of Hawaii and in North Carolina where she captured the U.S. Women’s Open at Pinehurst No.2. She also took home the inaugural Rolex Annika Major award at season’s end. It was the best season to date for the 2009 rookie. Now two years later, that victory at Pinehurst remains her last. Wie has struggled with injuries and illness, which hampered much of her 2015 season and forced her to withdraw from multiple events.
“I'm very grateful for my win at the U.S. Open. It was really a dream come true for me,” Wie told the media. “To win another U.S. Open would mean absolutely the world to me. I definitely still feel that I can build momentum on 2014. I don't think two years is too long of a period. I think that everything comes in waves.”
This week at CordeValle, the world No.102 is looking to make her eighth cut of the year, a stat that has taken its toll on Wie in 2016.
“Confidence definitely takes a hit when you don't play as well as you know you can. And you're just going out there and it's a grind, honestly it is. It's a very hard game sometimes. And it's a brutal game. But at the same time, it's still fun. I enjoy the challenge, that's what brings me back to the game every single time, no matter how hard you're struggling. That's the fun part about it, is that the game is so hard. You want to do anything you can to shave off a stroke, and get your game back,” Wie told the media. “I think over the last couple of practice rounds I've had this week, that's going to be my main focus entering on Thursday, slowly building up my confidence and going out there and just try to kick some butt.”
Tuesday, Wie said she began to feel pain free for the first time just last Saturday. She is grouped with Angela Stanford and Sandra Gal on Thursday and Friday. The trio goes off at 2:03 p.m. off the 10th tee on Thursday.
VIDEOS
In Gee Chun Receives Gold Putters From PING for 2015 Victories
Ariya Jutanugarn Pre-Tournament Press Conference
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