Pak Se-ri facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Pak Se-ri
Pak at the 2009 LPGA Championship
Personal information
Born	(1977-09-28) 28 September 1977 (age 47) Yusong, Taejon, South Korea
Height	5 ft 6 in (1.68 m)
Nationality	South Korea
Residence	Orlando, Florida, U.S.
Career
Turned professional	1996
Former tour(s)	LPGA of Korea Tour (joined 1996) LPGA Tour (joined 1998)
Professional wins	39
Number of wins by tour
LPGA Tour	25
LPGA of Korea Tour	14
Best results in LPGA Major Championships (Wins: 5)
Kraft Nabisco C'ship	T4: 2014
LPGA Championship	Won: 1998, 2002, 2006
U.S. Women's Open	Won: 1998
du Maurier Classic	T7: 2000
Women's British Open	Won: 2001
The Evian Championship	T4: 2013
Achievements and awards
World Golf Hall of Fame	2007
LPGA Rookie of the Year	1998
GWAA Female Player of the Year	1998
LPGA Vare Trophy	2003
LPGA Heather Farr Award	2006
Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year	1998
Bob Jones Award	2020

Pak Se-ri (born 28 September 1977) is a former professional golfer from South Korea. She played on the LPGA Tour from 1998 to 2016. Pak is famous for being one of the best golfers of her time. She was added to the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2007.

A Golf Star's Journey

Pak Se-ri was born in Taejon, South Korea. She went to elementary and high school there. Even as a student, she was the best amateur golfer at her high school. Later, she moved to Seoul to train more.

Becoming a Professional Golfer

Pak became a professional golfer in 1996. She was 20 years old when she moved to the United States. In 1996 and 1997, she won six tournaments on the LPGA of Korea Tour.

In 1998, Pak joined the LPGA Tour full-time. This was her first year on the tour, and she won two major championships. These were the McDonald's LPGA Championship and the U.S. Women's Open. At just 20 years old, she became the youngest person to ever win the U.S. Women's Open. This tournament was very long, lasting 92 holes, because she had to play a 20-hole playoff to win. Soon after, she set an LPGA record by shooting a score of 61 in one round. She also won the Rookie of the Year award for her amazing first season.

More Wins and Hall of Fame

After 1998, Pak won 21 more events on the LPGA Tour. This included three more major championships. In June 2007, when she was 29, she earned a spot in the World Golf Hall of Fame. She became the youngest living person to join the Hall of Fame.

Pak even played in a professional men's golf event in 2003. She finished 10th in the tournament. This made her the first woman since 1945 to make the "cut" in a professional men's tournament. Making the cut means she played well enough to continue in the later rounds.

In 2005, Pak faced some challenges and missed the cut in a major tournament for the first time. She later found out she had a finger injury. But in 2006, she got back to her best form. She won the McDonald's LPGA Championship for the third time. This was her fifth major title overall. In 2007, she won the Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic for the fifth time. This made her one of only four players in LPGA history to win the same tournament five or more times.

Pak's Impact on Golf

Many people believe Pak Se-ri changed the sport of golf. When she joined the LPGA in 1998, she was the only South Korean player. Ten years later, there were 45 South Koreans on the tour. The LPGA even earned a lot of money from selling TV rights in South Korea.

Her big win at the 1998 U.S. Women's Open inspired many South Korean women to start playing golf. She is seen as a leader in golf in her home country. She also inspired new generations of LPGA players like Na Yeon Choi and Inbee Park. There is even a statue of her outside a stadium in Gongju, South Korea. The statue shows her famous shot from a water hazard during the 1998 U.S. Women's Open. This shot helped her win the tournament. Her shot was even featured in the first episode of a South Korean TV drama called Birdie Buddy.

Pak announced her retirement on March 17, 2016. She officially retired on October 13, 2016.

Major Championship Wins

Pak Se-ri won five major championships during her career. These are the biggest and most important tournaments in golf.

Year	Championship	Winning score	To par	Margin of victory	Runner(s)-up
1998	McDonald's LPGA Championship	65-68-72-68=273	−11	3 strokes	Donna Andrews, Lisa Hackney
1998	U.S. Women's Open	69-70-75-76=290	+6	Playoff 1	Jenny Chuasiriporn (a)
2001	Weetabix Women's British Open	71-70-70-66=277	−11	2 strokes	Mi Hyun Kim
2002	McDonald's LPGA Championship	71-70-68-70=279	−5	3 strokes	Beth Daniel
2006	McDonald's LPGA Championship	71-69-71-69=280	−8	Playoff 2	Karrie Webb

¹ Defeated Chuasiriporn on the second hole of a sudden-death playoff, after an 18-hole playoff round
² Defeated Webb on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff

Major Championship Highlights

Pak Se-ri played in 71 major championships during her career. She won 5 of them and finished second twice. She also placed in the top 10 in 22 major tournaments. She made the cut in 57 of the 71 majors she played. Her longest streak of making the cut was 29 tournaments in a row.

Career Summary

Pak Se-ri had a very successful career on the LPGA Tour. She won 25 LPGA Tour events and 14 LPGA of Korea Tour events, for a total of 39 professional wins. She was known for her strong performance in playoffs, winning all six of her LPGA Tour playoffs. She earned a lot of money during her career, consistently ranking among the top earners for many years.

Team Appearances

Pak Se-ri also represented South Korea in team golf events.

Amateur Teams

• Espirito Santo Trophy (representing South Korea): 1994

Professional Teams

• Lexus Cup (representing Asia team): 2006 (winners), 2007 (winners), 2008

Television Appearances

Park pictured 2018

Pak Se-ri has also appeared on various television and web shows.

Television Shows

Web Shows

Awards and Recognition

Pak Se-ri has received several awards for her achievements.

See also

In Spanish: Pak Se-ri para niños

• List of female golfers
• List of golfers with most LPGA Tour wins
• List of golfers with most LPGA major championship wins