Se-ri Pak, a 20-year-old LPGA rookie, from South Korea won her first of her five majors in 1998. Pak was three strokes ahead of her runners-ip Donna Andrews and Lisa Hackney. Prior to joining the LPGA tour full-time she won six tournaments on the LPGA of Korea Tour. She was the youngest-ever winner of the U.S. Women’s Open and shot a then-LPGA record 61 during the second round of the Jamie Farr Kroger Classic. She won three more majors and became the youngest living entrant in the World Golf Hall of Fame at age 29. In 2003, she competed in the men’s professional SBS Super Tournament on the Korean Tour and finished in tenth place. Her spectacular successes helped to popularize theme of golf among women in South Korea and inspired young LPGA players like Na Yeon Choi and Inbee Park. She retied from professional golf in 2016.
