Jeon Inzi 4th Place "Got a Feel for 4 Under Par"... Park Seonghyeon 'Cut Off'

Gainbridge LPGA Day 2 Lydia Ko Leads, '51-Year-Old Veteran' Sorensdam Advances to Round 3

Jeon In-ji is competing for the win, moving up from 4th place on the second day of the Gainbridge LPGA.

[Asia Economy Kim Hyun-jun, Golf Specialist Reporter] '3 strokes behind, 4th place.'

Jeon In-ji (27, KB Financial Group) continues her march toward victory. On the 27th (Korean time), at the Lake Nona Golf Club in Orlando, Florida (par 72, 6,701 yards), the second day of the 2021 LPGA Tour's second event, the Gainbridge LPGA (total prize money $2 million), she shot 4 under par to rise to 4th place (7 under par, 137 strokes). Lydia Ko (New Zealand) leads after two days (10 under par, 134 strokes), with Nelly Korda (USA) in 2nd place, one stroke behind (9 under par, 135 strokes).

Jeon In-ji entered 'revival mode' with a tie for 4th place at the season opener, the Diamond Resort Tournament, in January. This came after a slump lasting more than two years since reaching her third career win at the KEB Hana Bank Championship in October 2018. It is encouraging that she is competing for the title in two consecutive tournaments. On this day, she collected six birdies, though a double bogey on the 7th hole (par 4) was a regret. Choi Woon-jung (31, Volvik) from Korea is chasing in a tie for 5th place (6 under par, 138 strokes).

‘Diamond Resort Tournament champion’ Jessica Korda (USA) is aiming for ‘back-to-back wins’ from a tie for 8th place (5 under par, 139 strokes). World No. 1 Ko Jin-young (26) fell back to a tie for 16th place (4 under par, 140 strokes) with an even-par performance. No. 2 Kim Se-young (28, Mirae Asset) is also struggling in a tie for 67th place (2 over par, 146 strokes). Park Sung-hyun (28) was cut off entirely after a 5-over-par slump, recording four birdies, four bogeys, one double bogey, and one triple bogey.

Locally, the 51-year-old veteran Annika Sorenstam (Sweden) making the cut for the third round became a hot topic. She joined a tie for 67th place with 1 under par, making three birdies and two bogeys. Interestingly, on the previous day’s 5th hole (par 4), a triple bogey resulted from a referee’s misjudgment. She inquired whether she could open a gate that was obstructing her swing near the fence where her ball lay, but was denied. Eventually, she declared the ball unplayable and lost three strokes instantly. When it was revealed that the referee’s decision was against golf rules, an apology was issued to Sorenstam.

‘51-year-old veteran’ Annika Sorenstam is cheering at the 14th hole on the second day of the Gainbridge LPGA. Orlando, Florida, USA = Getty Images / Multibits