Sports Commentary

EDINA, Minn. - Inbee Park looked so peaceful Sunday afternoon, as if she were playing a casual round with a girlfriend.

She stroked her driver off most tee boxes, and she erred on the side of aggressive whenever she had an option.

But this wasn’t any round.

As the field crumbled around her - third-round leader Stacy Lewis shot a 5-over 78 Sunday - Park defied the trend and fired a 2-under 71 to win the U.S. Women’s Open by a comfortable four-shot margin.

She was doused with beer by two fellow Korean golfers, and she was gracious during the trophy ceremony on the 18th green, where she coolly capped the tournament with a tap-in birdie.

But Park proclaimed early in her news conference Sunday evening what thousands must have been thinking throughout the day: "I really can't believe I just did this."

After all, this US Women’s Open was supposed to be the final Open showdown between Annika and Lorena, the superstars of women’s golf. Yet neither Sorenstam nor Ochoa was really ever in contention. Overall, though, the two grand women of golf were upstaged by one of the many young hungry up-and-comers on a tour that may soon need to be - by sheer necessity - bilingual.

Park, a few weeks shy of her 20th birthday, became the youngest US Women’s Open champion, and she showcased on-course maturity beyond her years. She never put away her driver down the stretch, and she didn’t hesitate to hit a fairway wood across the pond - the one Bobby Jones famously skipped a shot over for an eventual birdie on the third leg of his Grand Slam season in 1930.

"I like to play aggressive and my caddie does, too," Park said. "… Just go for it."

LPGA sponsors have, by virtue of their endorsement contracts, made some questionable investments. While the likes of Michelle Wie, Paula Creamer and Natalie Gulbis have the looks, they all lack the credibility of championship success. There is a glut of Koreans who have won significant tournaments, yet their suitors largely come from their homeland.

Perhaps that’s because of the prevailing stereotypes of the Korean female golfer. That she is robotic. Boring. And passive aggressive.

Park may change all that because she has the game.

Park acknowledged that she played aggressive on the back nine to entertain fans, and she doesn’t have an obvious weakness. She finished in the top 20 in driving (268 yards), and she tied for second in putts (1.6). She also flashed a remarkable touch, like her chip on the 18th that nearly rolled in for an eagle.

"She played fantastic. I was very impressed with her composure," said veteran Helen Alfredsson, who finished second at 5 under. "She was very calm. Never changed anything. And really that's very impressive for a 19 year old.

"I was very impressed with her game," Alfredsson said. "She's going to win a lot more."

She is charming, a trait she displayed during her news conference. She drew several laughs, most notably when a reporter asked her to outline her training schedule. She noted that she gets out to the practice range at 9 or 10 a.m., and she leaves the course around 6 or 7 p.m., a stark contrast to her Korean peers who are known for being the first and last players to leave the course.

"I'm not one of those players who practice a lot," Park said. "As a Korean I think I'm pretty lazy."

She has a remarkable personal story, both on and off the course.

In 1998, Park’s parents woke her up when they were watching Se Ri Pak win the U.S. Womens Open at Blackwolf Run in Kohler, Wis. That tournament was televised in the wee hours of the morning in Korea, and young Inbee was awaken by her cheering parents.

"I just woke up and was like, 'What are you guys doing?' " Park recalled.

Half asleep, she watched Pak win, then headed out to a driving range two days later.

"It was very impressive for a little girl," Park said of Pak’s feat. "I just thought that I could do it, too."

Now she has, although there have been many sacrifices by her family over the last decade.

Her father, Gungyu Park, operated a family owned plastic bottle wrapping company in Korea and supported his two daughter’s pursuit of golf greatness in the U.S. Neither has disappointed: Inbee had a very successful amateur career, including the 2002 U.S. Girls Junior Championship, and her younger sister, Inah, will play golf at Southern Cal starting next fall.

"It’s been tough time, because they are young girls," said Inbee Park’s mother, Sung Kim. Naturally, Park chatted with her father every day this past week, and he insisted that he would fly to Minnesota for Sunday's final round. But Park asked him to stay at home and watch the action on television.

So when it was clear that Inbee Park had won the U.S. Women’s Open, Sung Kim was overwhelmed with emotion.

"She’s only 19,” she emphatically said, tears streaming down her face.

When she collected herself, Kim said she fully expected her daughter’s life to change. Her wardrobe, for starters. On Sunday, Park wore all white, with an LPGA cap and a shirt from Birdy & Grace, a Connecticut-based clothing manufacturer.

She has the connection through a friend. But she isn’t sure if the company will be able to afford her after Sunday.

"I got to ask her that," Park said.

For now, though, Park just figured to go out for a nice celebratory meal with her mom and a few friends. After that, she mentioned that she’d like to etch her name on a few more shiny trophies.

"People aren't too familiar with my face," she said. "I got to play better for people to recognize me then. So just keep playing good and people will follow, I guess."

Based on her performance this weekend, sponsors and LPGA fans would be wise to jump on the bandwagon early.

Sean Jensen can be reached at nothinbutlovefor@aol.com