Pak Se-ri vs. Park In-bee: Who Is the Greatest Korean Female Golfer of All Time?

If greatness is measured by historical impact, Pak may be impossible to surpass.

Published Aug 11, 2026, 12:45 am KST; Updated Aug 11, 2026, 1:25 am KST

Choosing the greatest Korean female golfer of all time is, as NBC Sports once put it, like trying to select the greatest marathon runner in Kenya, the greatest speed skater in the Netherlands, the greatest alpine skier in Austria, or the greatest squash player in Egypt.

When Park In-bee, now 38, reached 20 career LPGA Tour victories in 2020, the U.S. sports outlet used that analogy to describe the difficulty of choosing between her and Pak Se-ri, now 48, for the title of greatest Korean female golfer. NBC Sports went further, likening the comparison to choosing between George Washington and Abraham Lincoln for the title of greatest American statesman.

The two golfers defined Korean women's golf in different eras, making a definitive verdict elusive.

Pak was the pioneer who elevated Korea — once dismissed as a "golf wasteland" — to global prominence through her LPGA Tour success. Park, meanwhile, was the complete champion who achieved virtually everything a professional golfer can accomplish.

Even during the 2026 LPGA season, in which Korean players such as Kim Hyo-joo, 31, and Ryu Hae-ran, 25, have distinguished themselves, the names of Pak and Park inevitably resurface whenever Korean golfers reach significant milestones. Neither legend is easily surpassed.

Pak's Historic Path

Pak's victory at the 1998 U.S. Women's Open at age 21 is remembered as far more than a sporting achievement. It is widely regarded as a cultural triumph that awakened a profound sense of national pride.

At the time, Korea was in the grip of the Asian financial crisis and an IMF bailout. Pak's unforgettable image in the final round — removing her shoes and socks, wading into a pond, and striking the ball barefoot — delivered a message of perseverance and hope to a weary nation.

Her pale feet, contrasting with deeply tanned calves hardened by years of grueling training, became an iconic symbol of dedication. Trailing the leader by one stroke, Pak could have taken a drop and accepted a penalty, but doing so would likely have consigned her to a runner-up finish. Instead, she refused to concede and ultimately prevailed in a playoff.

Her barefoot fighting spirit endures as one of the most celebrated moments in Korean sports history. Pak captured four LPGA titles that year alone and became the first Korean to earn LPGA Rookie of the Year honors.

The trail Pak blazed effectively became the history of Korean women's golf. She won the Women's British Open in 2001 and the LPGA Championship in 2002, becoming, at age 24, the youngest player to claim four major championships. In June 2007, she was inducted into the LPGA Hall of Fame.

Pak had already satisfied the performance criteria for Hall of Fame induction in 2004, but LPGA rules required a minimum number of years as a tour competitor, obliging her to wait an additional three years before her formal enshrinement.

Because golf was not yet an Olympic sport during Pak's competitive career, she never competed at the Games. However, at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, she made history as a coach, guiding Korea's women's team to a gold medal. Pak became known for exceeding her coaching responsibilities, personally donning an apron to prepare doenjang jjigae, spicy stir-fried pork, and other Korean dishes for her players.

For these reasons, many believe that without Pak opening the door, the era of world-class Korean golfers such as Park would have arrived considerably later. Park herself was among the generation of young Korean golfers who came to be known as "Se-ri Kids" — players who took up the sport after watching Pak's breakthrough, a wave so significant that Korean women would go on to account for a substantial share of LPGA Tour membership and victories in the decades that followed.

The Kid Who Surpassed Her Idol

Ironically, the 2016 Rio Olympics — where Pak coached Korea to gold — also added fresh fuel to the GOAT debate between the two golfers. Pak delivered an Olympic gold medal as a coach, while Park captured Korea's first Olympic gold medal in golf as a player. Golf had returned to the Olympic program in Rio after a 112-year absence, placing both achievements on a stage the sport had not seen in over a century.

From that point, Park began eclipsing Pak's records one by one, earning the nickname "In-believable," a play on her first name and the word "unbelievable."

Pak won 25 LPGA titles, including five majors. Park finished her career with 21 LPGA victories, seven of them major championships.

Park's case gained particular momentum on Aug. 2, 2015, when she won the Women's British Open to complete the career Grand Slam — an achievement Pak never realized.

After capturing her first major at the 2008 U.S. Women's Open, Park reached her peak in 2013, sweeping the Kraft Nabisco Championship, the LPGA Championship, and the U.S. Women's Open to become the first player to win three majors in a single LPGA season.

She also spent a total of 106 weeks ranked world No. 1, became the first Korean to win the LPGA Player of the Year award, claimed consecutive money titles in 2012 and 2013, and in 2016 became the second Korean woman after Pak to be inducted into the LPGA Hall of Fame. Her seven major victories remain the benchmark for any Korean golfer.

Park's path to stardom differed from that of Pak, who had endured rigorous training under the strict supervision of her "golf dad." Park was recognized as a promising young golfer in Korea before relocating to the United States in middle school, where she won numerous junior tournaments and quickly drew attention.

In 2008, she became the youngest U.S. Women's Open champion at 19 years and 11 months. She subsequently endured a four-year slump and at one point contemplated quitting golf entirely. Her career was resurrected after she met Korean golf coach Nam Ki-hyeop. After marrying Nam in 2014 — at the height of her career — Park championed the concept of "happy golf" and work-life balance. She has been widely praised for modeling a new paradigm that values not only competitive results but also a player's personal life off the course.

Records Belong to Park, History to Pak

Following her retirement, Pak reinvented herself as a coach and businesswoman and, until recently, maintained a close public connection through frequent television appearances. Park is now a mother of two. Shortly before giving birth to her second daughter, she announced her candidacy for a seat on the International Olympic Committee's Athletes' Commission and traveled throughout France during the 2024 Paris Olympics as she explored a new chapter.

Park has not officially announced her retirement, leaving open the possibility that her playing career may continue.

Judged purely on performance and statistics, there is little disagreement that Park holds the edge. Seven major titles, a career Grand Slam, and 106 weeks at No. 1 are objective benchmarks of her standing as the most accomplished Korean female golfer in competitive terms.

Yet the title of greatest player can encompass more than statistics. It can include the capacity to transform an era and reshape a sport's history. By that standard, Pak was the trailblazer who propelled Korean women's golf to the summit of the world stage.

That is what makes the debate so difficult to settle. If records are the priority, Park has the advantage. If historical impact is the measure, Pak stands supreme.

It is precisely why NBC Sports drew the comparison to George Washington and Abraham Lincoln — two figures whose greatness, like that of Pak and Park, resists a single definitive ranking.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.