Off the tee: It's the foreign invasion

Michelle Wie, the 13-year-old phenomenon from Honolulu who won the US public links championship this year, is an appropriate new face for women's golf in the United States.

American-born of immigrant Asian parents, she would have been right at home during her forays on to the LPGA circuit this year.

The premier professional circuit in the world has attracted the best Asian players and they are proving very successful.

Take this week's State Farm Classic. It was won by Taiwanese-born 22-year-old Candie Kung.

Koreans Grace Park, Se Ri Pak and Young Kim were in the top 10, and Jung Yeon Lee was in 14th place.

Kung has won three tournaments this year, so has Pak.

Park and Han have also been among the winners.

The American collegiate system, with its golf scholarships, has nurtured the careers of several, including Kung, who began winning in the youth ranks before starring at the University of Southern California.

Pak, in contrast, had a successful career in Korea before heading to the US six years ago.

Since joining the LPGA tour she has won 21 tournaments, including four majors. This season she is second on the money list behind the redoubtable Annika Sorenstam, of Sweden.

Sorenstam is the leader of a remarkable foreign invasion of the premier women's tour in the US. This season after 24 tournaments there have been only six American-born winners.

The Asian presence on the men's tour has been less pronounced, though Korean K. J. Choi has won twice in his career in the US and was second in this year's Mercedes Championship.

And, after all, a certain Tiger Woods is half-Thai.

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Martin Phillips will be chasing a second Auckland match-play title at Whitford Park this weekend, 14 years after he took the title for the first time, at Titirangi.

In the meantime, the Waitakere player has had a spell as a professional before regaining his amateur status some months ago.

Phillips faces a tough first-round clash with Auckland representative Albert Kim, who will be playing his home course.

The only other former winner of the match-play title is the top seed, Logan Holzer (The Grange), who won in 2000 and took the stroke-play crown at Pakuranga two weeks ago. He plays Leon Stewart, of Aviation, in the first round.

Former national champion Chris Johns (Omaha Beach) will play fellow North Harbour representative Ben Jujnovich (Redwood Park) in the first round.

There will be two rounds tomorrow followed by the semifinals and final on Sunday.

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Former world No 1 David Duval no longer works on weekends, the result of a golfing slump identified as much by his posture as the numbers on his scorecard.

He hasn't broken par for weeks, he has shot in the 80s in his last three stroke-play events, and he has no clue which way the ball is going until it leaves the tee. But to suggest it can't get any worse is to forget Royal Troon six years ago.

Rock bottom? Try being a major champion who goes 31 straight PGA Tour events without a pay cheque.

Try taking six months off in a desperate search for a solution, then taking a patched-up swing and shattered confidence to golf's oldest championship.

Rock bottom is a 92 in the opening round of the 1997 British Open. It's knowing that thousands of people watching this horror-show at Troon are cracking jokes or taking pity and trying to decide which one makes you feel worse.

Ian Baker-Finch can tell you all about rock bottom. "I felt like I was walking naked, like the grass was taller than me," he said. "I tried to walk with my head high. It was really hard."

Baker-Finch cried in the locker room that afternoon, withdrew from the tournament and quit competitive golf at age 35, the prime of his career.

Duval is not there yet, not even close.

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Annece Choi, from Huapai, is the only newcomer in the North Harbour women's team to defend their interprovincial title at Invercargill next month.

Choi replaces the unavailable Anita Boon (Muriwai).

The team, in playing order: Stacey Tait (Huapai), Bobea Park (North Shore), Catherine Mitchell (Omaha Beach), Natalie Storck (North Shore), Choi. The reserve is Chantelle Webb (Huapai).

Waikato-King Country's team are all under 25. Hillcrest High pupil Stephanie Slavich makes her senior debut at the age of 16. The team: Sarah McDonald (Lochiel), Shannon Pawhau (Waiterimu), Kirsty O'Neill (Cambridge), Wiki Shailer (Tokoroa), Slavich (Lochiel). Jan Storey (Waiterimu) is the travelling reserve.

Teenager Mi Ri Joo will lead the Northland challenge. The team: Mi Ri Joo (Northland), Samantha Dangen (Whangaroa), Haeji Kang (Whangarei), Janine Carroll (Whangarei), Jessica Bon (Northland). Reserve, Caroline Bon (Northland).

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Rangitoto College student Bobea Park beat a field including several national representative contenders to win the North Shore 54-hole tournament.

Park had rounds of 72, 74 and 75 to beat Sarah Nicholson (Hutt) by four shots. Jenny Park (Otago) was two shots further back after shooting two-under 71 in the third round.