Pak passes Daniel at LPGA Championship

WILMINGTON, Del., June 9 (UPI) -- Se Ri Pak of South Korea took advantage of Beth Daniel's struggles Sunday, winning her fourth career major title with a final-round, 1-under-par 70 at the LPGA Championship.

A Hall of Famer seeking her first win in seven years, Daniel began the day with a four-stroke lead over Pak but had a double-bogey, four bogeys and no birdies en route to a 77.

"What a lousy day," said Daniel, who has not won since the 1995 Welch's Championship.

Pak had four birdies and two bogeys Sunday around the Dupont Country Club, finishing the 72-hole event at 5-under 279, an impressive score considering the speed of the greens and length of the rough.

"Well, it feels great, really awesome," she said. "I didn't miss many putts, didn't miss many fairways or greens. That's why I think I got a pretty good score in this week."

Daniel finished alone in second at 282 with Swedish star Annika Sorenstam third at 284 following a brilliant 65. She began the day in a tie for 18th, 10 strokes back.

"It makes me smile again," said Sorenstam, the reigning Player of the Year who won the first major of the season, the Nabisco Championship.

The 24-year-old Pak became the youngest player to win four majors. She also claimed the U.S. Women's Open in 1998 and last year's Women's British Open.

"If I knew that, it may be a little bit of pressure," Pak said. "But thank God I didn't know that."

Pak won her first major crown --- which was also the first title of her career -- here in 1999, when she was Rookie of the Year on the LPGA Tour. She also tied for third here in 2000.

"I like the setup," she said of Dupont. "I don't why. I think I've got much better focus, maybe, and probably my mental (approach) was stronger."

She was strong enough Sunday to overtake Daniel, the 45-year-old who opened with four pars before a double bogey at the 167-yard, par-3 fifth hole. She hit a 5-iron into a bunker, blasted out to 12 feet and three-putted.

"The pin was on a very slopey area of the green," she said. "Ball went about 12 feet past the hole. Hit a good first putt, just missed it. Ran it by about three feet and then didn't hit a good next putt."

Pak bogeyed the hole but was only a stroke back after Daniel's double-bogey. She took the lead for good at the par-4 10th, where she birdied and Daniel bogeyed.

"She did everything she needed to do to win this golf tournament and she won it," said Daniel, who won this event in 1990 for her only major victory among 32 titles. "She hit fairways, she hit greens, she made putts, and I did none of it."