RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif., March 28, 2004 – The chase is finally over. After a series of near misses, Grace Park has her major title. The 25-year-old Korean rolled in a six-foot birdie on the final hole-an intimidating island green at the end of a long par-5-to escape a courageous bid by 17-year-old rookie Aree Song and win the Kraft Nabisco Championship by a solitary shot at 277 (-11). In doing so, she re-wrote a resume that oozed with potential and gobs of prize money, but one that had showcased only six top-10 finishes in major championships.
“Standing over a six footer on the 18th hole at that time, you don’t think about what tournament it is,” said Park, who received $240,000 for the win and rocketed to the top of the ADT Official Money List. “It’s about making the putt, it’s about winning a tournament, it’s about becoming a champion. And this one just happened to be a major championship and a great one too.”
Park and Song began the day tied for the lead and teeter-tottered back and forth all day, with Song taking an early two-shot lead and then Park ripping it right back with four-straight birdies on holes nine through 12. Park had a two-shot lead by the time the duo reached 18, and it looked as if a routine par would suffice for the win.
Song was having different thoughts. She bombed her tee shot, laced a 210-yard 7-wood and then punched home a closing 30-foot eagle putt to pull level with Park, who was standing over six-foot birdie putt that was getting increasingly longer. Song’s eagle gave her a 70 (-2) for the final round and a 278 (-10) four-day total.
“I had that feeling that she was going to make that putt,” said Park. “And sure enough, right at the heart. And she’s pumping her fist, you know. And I just got ready to putt mine and I did it.”
Make it she did, but not after battling off a strong case of the nerves.
“My knees, my arms, my whole body was shaking,” said Park, who is averaging $123,734 a start this year after three top-three finishes. “I don’t know if anybody else is that way, but I remember every win that I’ve had, seriously, I didn’t know if I could start the club.”
This day has been a long time in the making, as Park has steadily become a serious challenger to Annika Sorenstam as the best female player in the world over the past few years.
“It’s definitely my goal,” Park said. “It’s always been my goal. Ever since I picked up a golf club, I knew that I was going to be a professional golfer. And I’ve been number one at the junior level, I’ve been number one at college, amateur, and my next thing and the best thing will be to become the number-one professional player.”
One of those players sure to challenge her for top billing is the one she nipped by a stroke. Song may be only 17, but her game resembles that of a seasoned professional. She knows when to take chances, when to be conservative and also knows she is getting close to breaking through for her first win.
“I think the more times I put myself in the position to win on Sunday I’m going to get more and more confident and comfortable,” said Song, who was playing in only her fourth event as a professional. “I think I’m getting there. I’m close.”
Six-time major winner Karrie Webb finished in third at 279 (-9) after a birdie of her own on the closing hole, while 14-year-old phenom Michelle Wie finished fourth, a career-best finish. Wie got fans’ hearts racing with a birdie on the first hole that got to her within a stroke of the lead, but pars on 15 of her next 17 holes left her four strokes back at 281 (-7) with a final-round 71. Webb closed with a final-round 69 (-3) to climb into third place.
Collated final totals (USA unless stated, Par 72):
277 Grace Park (Kor) 72 69 67 69
278 Aree Song (Kor) 66 73 69 70
279 Karrie Webb (Aus) 68 71 71 69
281 Michelle Wie 69 72 69 71
282 Cristie Kerr 71 71 71 69, Catriona Matthew (Gbr) 67 75 70 70
284 Christina Kim 72 72 70 70, Lorena Ochoa (Mex) 67 76 74 67, Candie Kung 69 75 71 69, Rosie Jones 67 73 71 73, Jung Yeon Lee (Kor) 69 69 71 75
285 Stacy Prammanasudh 71 71 69 74, Mi Hyun Kim (Kor) 71 70 71 73, Hee-Won Han (Kor) 72 71 71 71, Annika Sorenstam (Swe) 71 76 69 69
286 Young Kim (Kor) 74 72 67 73, Se Ri Pak (Kor) 72 73 72 69, Wendy Doolan (Aus) 70 69 72 75, Carin Koch 70 72 71 73, Karen Stupples 70 76 68 72, Laura Davies (Gbr) 71 77 70 68
287 Michele Redman 73 73 70 71
289 Jeong Jang (Kor) 76 71 70 72
290 Brandie Burton 70 76 71 73, Dottie Pepper 68 70 74 78, Tammie Green 71 78 71 70, Jane Park 71 74 73 72
291 Wendy Ward 72 74 70 75, Danielle Ammaccapane 75 77 73 66, Tina Barrett 75 70 73 73, Donna Andrews 70 74 73 74, Juli Inkster 74 74 73 70
292 Vicki Goetze-Ackerman 73 79 71 69, Kelly Robbins 69 74 78 71
293 Rachel Teske 75 71 71 76, Iben Tinning 70 75 77 71, Dorothy Delasin 76 71 71 75, Lorie Kane 72 74 76 71, Pat Hurst 72 76 69 76
294 Elizabeth Janangelo 71 78 70 75, Kate Golden 73 78 74 69, Beth Daniel 72 74 74 74, Emilee Klein 71 73 76 74, Helen Alfredsson (Swe) 75 72 71 76
295 Beth Bauer 75 74 72 74, Jill McGill 73 73 73 76, Paula Creamer 75 72 75 73
296 Sophie Gustafson (Swe) 71 75 72 78, Meg Mallon 76 75 73 72, Sherri Steinhauer 71 75 72 78, Stephanie Louden 71 78 71 76
297 Michelle Ellis 76 75 72 74, Becky Morgan 76 73 74 74, Laurel Kean 73 78 69 77
298 Charlotta Sorenstam (Swe) 70 79 74 75, Ji-Hee Lee (Kor) 74 75 73 76, Jackie Gallagher-Smith 75 72 76 75
300 Natalie Gulbis 74 75 73 78, Jennifer Rosales 75 74 79 72, Moira Dunn 71 79 75 75, Betsy King 75 74 75 76
301 Miho Koga (Jpn) 76 75 72 78, Heather Bowie 75 75 76 75, Yu Ping Lin (Tai) 74 74 78 75, Soo Yun Kang (Kor) 70 76 79 76, Marisa Baena 73 75 76 77, Heather Daly-Donofrio 71 78 78 74, Janice Moodie (Gbr) 75 77 74 75
302 Hilary Lunke 73 76 75 78
303 Joanne Mills 76 74 72 81, JoAnne Carner 71 80 76 76, Dawn Coe-Jones (Can) 71 81 76 75
304 Shani Waugh 71 77 79 77, Mhairi McKay (Gbr)73 79 77 75
305 Mardi Lunn 74 78 73 80
306 Kelli Kuehne 78 74 80 74
308 Amy Alcott 74 76 79 79
Withdrawn: Nancy Lopez 76 76 78
