With Park’s thumb injury potentially taking her out of contention, the bulk of the attention will fall to No. 1 ranked Lydia Ko and Thailand’s rising star Ariya Jutanugarn, the victor of her past three tournaments.
Advertisement
“She’s told me that earlier in the year at a different tournament”.
But then came a big attitude adjustment.
And on the finishing hole, a long, uphill par 4, she was so far back, she needed to hit 3-wood to get to the green. Down to seventh in the world, the 31-year-old American is winless in 50 starts since June 2014. She’s happy before each shot, and she has plenty of reason to be happy afterward, with victories in her past three events.
CHAMPIONS: Jay Don Blake birdied three of the last five holes at windy Philadelphia Cricket Club to shoot 2-under 70 and take the first-round lead in Flourtown, Pa., at the Senior Players Championship, the third of the tour’s five majors. I was, ‘no, wait, that’s not it’. Although she hit just 10 of 14 fairways and 10 of 18 greens, she managed to get around in just 23 putts to card the low round of the morning wave.
Ariya is aiming to tie Nancy Lopez’s record of four consecutive victories.
It’s pretty heady stuff for someone quickly making a name for herself.
One of the criteria for active LPGA players to qualify for its hall of fame is they have to play at least 10 years on the Tour.
Still, the LPGA Tour recognizes Park’s feat as a career slam. But it was not a lost year.
She says the thumb feels better than it has in recent weeks and she intends to play as many holes as possible. The Chapin, S.C., native has already won twice on the Web.com Tour this year and leads the money list with $280,692 earned this season.
All the while, her demeanor never wavered. A win this week would make Ko the first player since Park in 2013 to win three straight majors.
Asked point blank if we would see her on Friday, Park said that she would see how the thumb felt. “I love playing with her and spending time with her”. “We are confident that her determination, hard work and achievements at the collegiate level – both in the classroom and on the golf course – serve as a strong foundation for her future success as a professional”. Some times, I think she doesn’t get the credit she deserves.
She did not use driver when she won the Volvik Championship. It’s a formula that has certainly worked.
Advertisement
If Park wins, she would join Scotland’s Tom Morris Jr – victor of the British Open from 1868 to 1872 with the event not held in 1871 – and American Walter Hagen – victor of the PGA Championship from 1924 to 1927 – on the men’s side as the only golfers to accomplish that feat. Nobody in the men’s or women’s game has won six majors in three years since Wright did it in 1962-64.
