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Pak hits the links to defend her British Open title

TURNBERRY, Scotland -- Se Ri Pak doesn't have great memories of the only time she played in the Women's British Open on a links course.

Arriving with a reputation as one of the sport's rising stars, she found her game blown away at Lytham St. Annes in 1998. She hopes the same won't happen as the championship makes its debut at Turnberry.

"Those were horrible memories. I don't want to think about that," she said a day before opening defense of her title today.

"That was the first time I ever played links golf. The wind was there and it was raining every day. I shot a really, really bad score and I was just out of control. I just didn't know how to play those conditions.

"After that, I thought I'd never come back again."

Pak, who tied for 34th with 20-over 308 in 1998, didn't play the British in 1999 or 2000. But she came back last year when the LPGA Tour made it a major, replacing the du Maurier Classic in Canada. That tournament dropped off the tour because the Canadian government barred tobacco sponsorship of sports events.

The British Open carries the flag of a major even though it has been on the LPGA Tour since 1994.

The $1.5-million tournament has a top prize of $233,000 and attracts all the top players. Dottie Pepper, sidelined by a left shoulder injury, is the only significant absentee.

In contrast to both Lytham and Turnberry, last year's venue, Sunningdale is in south-central England, a long way from the coastal winds and with fairways protected by tall trees.

Pak finished 11 under and watched those playing behind fail to catch her.

Just 24, she's won four majors, including the LPGA Championship this year.

When she went to Lytham, having won two majors in her rookie year, she just couldn't handle the strong winds. At least she can try to use her experience there to help her at Turnberry, one of the courses on the rotation for the men's British Open.

And, of course, she's won the event, which is more than can be said for Annika Sorenstam. The Swede has been a runner-up three times. Before this week, Sorenstam hadn't played a links course in Scotland since she was an amateur in 1987.

TOURNAMENT MOVES: The Australian Women's Open will move to Sydney in 2003 and be played Feb. 27-March 2. ... A new Senior PGA tournament is in development in Kansas City, Mo., to replace the TD Waterhouse Championship, which lost its title sponsor. The new tournament, which will have a pro-am format, will be sponsored by Bayer aspirin.

CANON CUP: The West team outscored the East 9-1 to take a 20-5 lead going into today's final matches at Lake Forest, Ill. Seminole's Brittany Lincicome and Jennifer Pandolfi of Navarre lost 3 and 1 to the West, and Tampa's Mallory Code and Jackie Beers of Midlothian, Va., lost 1-up to the West.

-- Times correspondent Dave Theall contributed to this report.

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