Drive to win

Seventeen-year-old to show her range at Takefuji Classic

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Henderson resident and Bishop Gorman High School senior In-Bee Park will be making her Ladies Professional Golf Association professional debut when she tees off in the seventh annual LPGA Takefuji Classic at the Las Vegas Country Club, 3000 Joe W. Brown Drive, set for Thursday through Saturday.

Playing on her third sponsor's exemption, the 17-year-old Park was expected to qualify for the event, which held its qualifying round on Monday. Results were unavailable at press time.

Park made her Takefuji Classic debut at 15 and finished tied for eighth after shooting a 214 (71-72-71). Last year, Park fired a 12-under-par 204 (66-71-67) and finished in fifth place, just four strokes behind tournament winner Wendy Ward, who shot a 200 (65-68-67) and had 18 birdies and just two bogeys in the 54-hole, three-day event.

After cutting 10 strokes off her score in the event in one year and finishing fifth last year, Park thinks the Classic is the perfect event in which to turn pro.

"The tournament has been a very special tournament to me, since this was my first LPGA event to play in, and also because this will be my LPGA professional debut," she said. "It is good to play in my hometown with my family and friends watching. I would love to make another great memory for the tournament this year."

One of the promising young talents in the sport, Park was named the 2002 American Junior Golfer Association Player of the Year -- the youngest player ever to be given the title at age 14. Also in 2002, Park was the No. 1-ranked player in the Golfweek/Titleist Junior Rankings. She slipped to No. 2 in the rankings in 2003, but returned to the No. 1 spot in 2004.

Park also was named a First-Team Rolex Junior All-American from 2002-04, and in 2005, Park won the U.S. Junior Girls Championship.

The budding star has played in two prior LPGA tournaments -- the 2005 BMO Financial Group Canadian Women's Open and the 2004 U.S. Women's Open.

Park, who was born in Korea and transferred to Gorman from Orlando, Fla., before her junior year, won the NIAA Class 4A state individual title for a second straight year last fall, shooting a five-under-par 65 in the state meet at the Wildhorse Golf Club in Henderson.

The Gaels senior tied her 18-hole mark from 2004 as Gorman won its third-consecutive state title under the direction of coach Kelsey McCall.

Park's younger sister In-Ah finished third at state with a 74.

Defending Classic champion Ward, who snapped an 80-tournament winless streak with her win at the Takefuji last year, returns to play this year, along with a talented field that was scheduled to include Paula Creamer, Se Ri Pak, Grace Park, Danielle Ammaccapane, Henderson's Natalie Gulbis and Las Vegas resident and Cimarron-Memorial graduate Stephanie Louden, a former four-time NCAA All-American at Stanford University.

Teeing off in Las Vegas for a fourth straight year, the Takefuji Classic features a total purse of $1.1 million, with the winner taking home $165,000. Practice rounds for the tournament are scheduled for today while the Pro-Am is set for Wednesday.

Tickets for today's practice rounds and Wednesday's Pro-Am cost $10, while tickets for tournament play Thursday to Saturday are $15. A weekly grounds pass, good for admission throughout tournament week, is $30. A weekly clubhouse pass, good for admission to the grounds and the clubhouse during tournament week, costs $50.

For more information about tickets, Pro-Am spots or additional sponsorship opportunities, call the tournament office at 898-4653.

For more information about the LPGA Takefuji Classic, the official tournament Pro-Am, ticket forms, volunteer applications and other details, visit www.lpgatakefujiclassic.com.

The tournament will also be televised on The Golf Channel from 1-3:30 p.m. PST.