Korea: something is happening south of the 38th parallel. It's become a breeding ground for a hot new export: lady glofers

Golf Digest, April, 2004 by Tom Callahan

Upstairs, in the offices, Grace is pictured with Jack Nicklaus, with Michael Jordan, with Bill Clinton. Bookshelves and desk tops are awash in Grace Park gewgaws and Grace Park gimcracks, with Grace Park coffee mugs and Grace Park dolls. "And here she is," says Soo Nam Park, holding up the photograph of a pink child in a traditional Korean costume, "at the age of 3."

In a private dining room, where beef is being barbecued on a centerpiece grill, Park takes a leaf of lettuce and folds it around a pyramid of meat, garlic clove, kimchi and some type of spicy red paste, and passes it across the table. "My hands are clean," he says.

Like Se Ri, was little Grace made to sleep in cemeteries?

"I read that about Se Ri," Park says, and laughs. "You know, I saw her the first time when she was still quite little. She was practicing on the putting green. I saw her father that day, too. I was dropping my son off at the course in the morning. Something about her drew my attention. Late that afternoon, when I picked up my son after his round, there was that same little girl still hitting that same exact putt. I told her father, who was standing by the green, 'She is going to be a champion someday.'

"When Grace was in the fourth grade, 9 years old, we went on a winter vacation in Hawaii and I played golf with her for the first time. She was long! Before that she hit balls all the time at a chicken cage you could see from the window of my office here. It's not there anymore. Grace and Se Ri, though, are totally different people."

Among the Korean pros, Grace seems the most cheerful. "And kind," he says. "She's great. She always says, 'Thanks, Mom, Dad.'"

Some years ago, at a dinner somewhat reminiscent of this one, in Berlin, Steffi Graf said in front of her famously domineering father, Peter, "You can push a good player to become better, but it's not possible to push a great player to do anything. When I'm on the tennis court, I don't play for my father. I'm responsible for myself." Steffi was just 17 then and had yet to win either Wimbledon or the U.S. Open.

"I know Peter Graf," says Grace's dad, who seems to know everybody. As the CEO of an international food business, "Sweet Home," he travels the world. "Fathers all over the world aren't the same," he says. "Korean fathers aren't the same. I can only speak for me, please. But I would say that Korean parents are alike in one way: They do want the absolute best for their children. If it's golf, if it's music, whatever it is, they want their children to be No. 1. Only the top. Don't you like the seaweed soup?"

Sure, though it tastes like the Atlantic Ocean.

"Do you enjoy oysters?"

Of course.

"Bean pudding?"

Who doesn't?

"Because she can speak English so well, Grace has made many friends," her father says gratefully. "I taught her, 'Say thank you.' I taught her, 'Say good shot.' She has learned most herself. I'm proud of her. I'm proud of us both. Here, eat these last two pieces please. My hands are clean."

Today, 674,154 high school seniors and graduates will take the College Scholastic Ability Test in an all-day session at 876 test centers around the country. To help the students reach their test centers, traffic will be eased by allowing most government and private-sector employees to report to work at 10 a.m., one hour later than usual.