Pak Keeps Rest of Pack at a Distance

LAS VEGAS â€”  Se Ri Pak was still out on the Desert Inn course Friday, busily constructing another round demolishing the place, when Laura Davies turned in a round of 66 and said she was in a hurry to get the heck off the course.

“There’s a wheel spinning somewhere,� Davies said.

Well, yes, they’re all over the place out here, which puts spinning wheels in the same degree of frequency as Pak birdies after her first two rounds of the PageNet Championship.

We’ve got Pak’s number--13 birdies (and one bogey), so add it up and you’ve got what appears to be a semi-comfortable five-shot lead over Davies at the midway point of the LPGA’s $1-million season-ending tournament.

With 36 holes to go, the question may no longer be whether one of the tournament favorites--Karri Webb and Juli Inkster--is destined to win, but whether everybody else is playing for second place.

Pak said there’s still a lot of golf to be played.

“Not done yet anyway,� she said. “Keep working.�

Good idea. Then again, Pak’s back-to-back rounds of 66-66 for 12-under 132 might mean she’s due for a so-so round.

“I think there are probably 29 people who hope she has a so-so round,� Webb said.

Unless something startling happens, hope may be the best chance for everybody else to catch Pak. The 22-year-old Korean began the second round with a one-shot lead and increased it by four shots. Davies was five shots back after the first round and she’s still five shots back, despite her 66 that included four birdies and an eagle.

For that eagle, Davies holed a seven-iron from 164 yards on the 367-yard, par-four 12th. Afterward, she managed to control her enthusiasm.

“That was obviously very nice,� she said.

And what’s obviously very disturbing is the distance Pak has managed to put between herself and everybody else. Four players are six shots back at 138--Webb, Inkster, Lorie Kane and Nancy Scranton. Kelly Robbins is the only other player within eight shots of Pak, at 140.

Pak managed to keep hitting golf balls close to the flagsticks with her precision iron play, which is noteworthy since she started using a new set of irons two days ago. She doesn’t have a contract for irons and intends to try out two additional brands before making a decision.

“I want a good sponsor,� Pak said. “I just waiting.�

Meanwhile, for those waiting for Pak to wilt, they’re still waiting.

Davies is one of them.

“I don’t think you ever give up because just the mere fact that someone is going so low for two days, it is very unusual for them to go really low for four days,� Davies said. “At some stage, she won’t shoot six or seven under.�

Only two more days remain for that day to occur.

Inkster climbed into contention with a 68 that could have been more eventful had she managed something better than par on the last eight holes.

“It’s going to be hard to catch her,� Inkster said of Pak. “She’s lighting it up.�

Webb moved another round closer to clinching the player-of-the-year award and money title over Inkster with a 70, even though she played the last six holes in two over. Webb complained that the greens were inconsistent, that some were soft, others hard.

And getting past Pak, well, Webb said that’s also going to be hard.

“She’s still got a lot of work to do on the golf course, but so do we,� Webb said.

About the only losing Pak has done so far this week is at the slot machines, where she has dropped $60. Pak said she planned to make amends soon, a quick meal and then a return engagement with the slots.

“I want to get my money back,� she said.

The way things are going, don’t bet against her.