YONGIN, South Korea -- Se Ri Pak became the first woman to make the cut playing against men this year, shooting a 2-over-par 74 Friday on the Korean tour and hoping to get a chance to play in a PGA Tour event.
The South Korean star was at 2-over 146 after two rounds of the $250,000 SBS Super Tournament.
‘Yesterday and today has been the most burdening time of my professional career, psychological and mentally,’ she said. ‘I cannot put into words how happy I am to have made the cut.’
Pak is the latest in a series of female golfers to take on the men this season.
Annika Sorenstam became the first woman in 58 years to play on the PGA Tour but missed the cut at the Colonial. Connecticut club pro Suzy Whaley (PGA Tour), 13-year-old amateur Michelle Wie (Nationwide Tour) and Laura Davies (Asian PGA Tour) failed to make the cut at other tournaments.
Jan Stephenson also played with the men in a Champions Tour event that had no cut.
Babe Zaharias played in three PGA tournaments in 1945 and made the 36-hole cut for all three.
Pak, a four-time LPGA Tour major champion, had a 72 in her opening round at the 7,052-yard Lake Side Country Club course.
She said she would be willing to challenge the men on the PGA Tour.
‘If they invite me, I would go right now,’ Pak said, smiling.
Pak was tied for 29th place, six strokes behind leader Cho Hyon-joon. Of the 115 players that started the second round, 63 made the cut by finishing with a two-round total of 6-over 150 or better.
Shin Yong-jin, this year’s money leader on the Korean tour, thought Pak benefited because of the layout of the Lake Side course.
‘I think the course was made to have Se Ri Pak make the cut,’ Shin said. ‘I knew she would make the cut even before coming into the game.’
Pak contends the course played to the men’s strength.
‘Because the fairways are wide and the course is short, I think it’s more advantageous for the men,’ she said.
Most of the par 5s were downhill, half the par 4s shorter than 400 yards and all par 3s under 190 yards. Despite her short drives, Pak could hit the green with middle or short irons on most par 4s.
Shin said it would have been difficult for Pak to make the cut at Woo Jeong Hills, where LPGA veteran Laura Davies missed the cut against the men at the Asian PGA’s Korean Open last month.
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