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Jun 29, 2008 11:06 pm US/Central
Park's Open Win Gives Inspiration To Young Golfers
EDINA, Minn. (WCCO) ―
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Inbee Park of South Korea the youngest winner in history with the trophy after the final round of the 2008 U.S. Women's Open Championship held at The Interlachen Country Club, on June 29, 2008, in Edina, Minn.
David Cannon/Getty Images
Inbee Park made history at the U.S. Women's Open as the youngest player ever to win the tournament. She's 19-years-old, just a couple weeks shy of her 20th birthday. She was the only player to break par all four days at Interlachen Country Club in Edina, Minn.
Park has advice to young girls who want to be just like her: do well in school and...
"Try to enjoy your game and just try to enjoy the moment you are living in. And work hard on it," said Park.
Park was inspired by another young pro golfer, Se Ri Pak, when Pak became the youngest player to win a U.S. Women's Open a decade ago, and that's when 9-year-old Inbee Park first decided to learn the game.
A group of teens who volunteered to work the tournament play on their high school golf teams. On Sunday, they are waiting for the pros outside the locker room so they can add to their autograph collections.
Ask them how many years they've been playing and you'll hear:
"With real clubs or plastic ones?" said youth golfer Elizabeth Bauernfeind.
Bauernfeind will leave the tournament with an autograph collection and determination to be a pro on the tour.
"I have a golf course by my house where I go out at least once a day to go and putt and work on my short game because that's the game that needs the most help," said Bauernfeind.
The American Junior Golf Association said the growth in the number of girls in its tournaments has outpaced that statistic for boys in recent years.
The girls had some catching up to do and seeing a teenage champion can only help that.
"I think that's just amazing. Good for her beating all those people that are older than her, played longer than her. Like Annika, she beat Annika," said youth golfer Kelley Yount.
This tournament set a record for the number of kids who attended with nearly 11,000 girls and boys as spectators. The organizers were hoping to attract the young players. Nine kids could get in free with each adult who had a ticket.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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