Inbee Park of South Korea, who won the Women’s British Open to complete the LPGA’s career Grand Slam, increased her cushion as the No. 1 player in the world in the Rolex Rankings released Monday.
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It saw her increase the pressure further on Ko who eventually began to buckle with a bogey at the 13th, denting her prospects, before a double bogey on the 16th after finding the water saw her dream of trying to claim a major at her first attempt fade.
She has seven major titles in seven years, six in just the last three, and the glorious way she won at Turnberry yesterday brooks no argument over who is the pre-eminent player of this era.
“The LPGA endeavors to maintain fair comparisons – as they relate to major championships and grand slams – from generation to generation”. Elevating the Evian Championship to major status in 2013, the year after Park won it, leaves everybody in a pickle.
South Korea’s Park In-bee had once hoped to win all the top tournaments in women’s golf before her career came to an end. The other is the “Super Career Grand Slam“, which includes the Evian.
“Greatest day of my life yet for sure“, Park said Sunday at Trump Turnberry. I love going there. After winning the British Open on Sunday, the 27-year-old now finds herself searching for new goals.
“This is the birthplace of golf and this feel like real golf so winning this trophy in Scotland means so much more”.
Disaster struck Ko on the par-4 16th, where she put her second shot in a hazard and wound up with a double-bogey.
But she eagled the 14th and made her seventh birdie of the day at the 16th.
Her composure was stunning, considering the uncharted territory she was in.
Park said that Sorenstam is her idol and it is intriguing to contemplate that the Swede was once asked what motivated her in the tough times.
The Korean’s 65 gave her a 72-hole aggregate of 12-under par 276 and a two shot victory over co-third rounder leader, Jin Young Ko, while Lu dropped back to sixth place on 282 after carding a 74.
No. 16 wound up being the deciding hole. She took her fur-lined puffy coat from her caddie and looked a beaten woman for the first time this week. Obviously got a little bit lucky today. The result was already in hand as Park walked up the 18th fairway. “I was really close and I couldn’t wrap it up”. I gave it a few cracks and it’s just been so hard. Park could barely see the ball when she approached it, but had a stroke of luck as it had settled on a drain.
On Ko’s performance in her first major championship, Park said: “She is a very talented girl and she was holding up well out there”.
Even with the loss, add Jin-Young Ko to this long list of youthful Korean talent crashing major championship stages and the world rankings.
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Somewhat ungraciously, Cristie Kerr, the two-time major victor, remarked that the Koreans are “like machines, they practise 10 hours a day”.
