Park In-bi "I Want to Quickly Regain My Game Sense"

LPGA Tour Opening Event Diamond Resorts Declaration "Aiming for the Olympics~"

Park In-bee is holding a press conference ahead of the Diamond Resort Tournament. Photo by LPGA Tour video capture

[Asia Economy Reporter No Woo-rae] "I want to find my game rhythm before playing a major."

This is the opening commitment of Park In-bi (32, KB Financial Group). On the night of the 16th (Korean time), she will tee off at the Diamond Resorts Tournament of the LPGA Tour (total prize money $1.2 million) held at the Four Seasons Golf & Sports Club in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA (par 71, 6,645 yards). Park In-bi, who said, "This year, I started from January," added, "It's a bit unfamiliar since it's a format where celebrities and pros play pro-am, but I will play many tournaments to find my shot rhythm."

Park In-bi's goal this year is to compete in the Tokyo Olympics in August and achieve back-to-back victories. To participate in the 'dream stage' Olympics, she must be ranked within the top 15 overall and within the top 4 among Korean players based on the world rankings in June. Currently, Park In-bi is ranked 16th, following No. 1 Ko Jin-young (25, Hite Jinro), No. 2 Park Sung-hyun (27), No. 5 Kim Se-young (27, Mirae Asset), No. 7 Lee Jeong-eun6 (24, Daebang Construction), and No. 13 Kim Hyo-joo (25, Lotte), making her the sixth Korean player.

"Since 2020 is an important year with the Olympics being held, there is a clear reason for starting the season a bit earlier," she said. "I will play as many games as possible before the Olympics to accumulate more ranking points." She added, "I hope many good opportunities to win come my way, and until then, I will work hard in my games." After winning the gold medal at the Rio Olympics four years ago, she started raising her pet dog 'Rio.'

When asked if she plans to raise another pet dog if she wins in Tokyo this year, she smiled and said, "Currently, Rio has a girlfriend next door, so I don't think he needs another friend." After completing a practice round, she expressed confidence that she could achieve good results in this tournament. Park In-bi, who said, "The first place I came to in the U.S. was Orlando," analyzed, "The course seems to be moderate, and the greens are receptive."

She cited distance adjustment due to climate as a variable. "Since the air here is a bit heavier than in Las Vegas where I practiced, I need to pay attention to distance adjustments and similar aspects," she said. "If the overall weather is good, this course can yield many birdies, so I will play aggressively." Park In-bi will start the first round at 9:50 p.m. with former NFL player Richard Dent and amateur Mark Cantin.