Korea's First LPGA Appearance... Jeon Inzi "I Will Achieve Good Results"

Challenge for Victory at the Honda LPGA Thailand Opening on the 23rd

It is the first appearance of Korean players.

The Honda LPGA Thailand, part of the U.S. Women's Professional Golf (LPGA) Tour with a total prize money of $1.7 million, is being held on the 23rd at the Siam Country Club Pattaya Old Course in Chonburi, Thailand (Par 72, 6,576 yards). Korea did not have any participants in the season opener, the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions, held in January. This Honda LPGA Thailand marks the start of the season for Korean players. A total of 72 players compete in a 72-hole stroke play format to determine the winner. There is no cut-off.

Jeon In-ji challenges for her first victory of the new year at the Honda LPGA Thailand.

Korea, which once dominated the LPGA Tour, is suffering from a severe drought in victories. Since Jeon In-ji won the major KPMG Women's PGA Championship in June last year, Korean players have gone 17 consecutive tournaments without a win. Among those challenging for their first victory are Yang Hee-young, who won 3 of her 4 career victories at this tournament, world No. 5 Ko Jin-young, Jeon In-ji, Kim Hyo-joo, Kim Se-young, Choi Hye-jin, Lee Jeong-eun 6, Ji Eun-hee, Anna Lin, and Kim A-rim.

Jeon In-ji said in an official interview on the 22nd, "Starting the LPGA Tour season in the very hot Thailand, I need to drink plenty of water and adapt well to the weather." She added, "Since this is the first tournament of the season, I have the desire to achieve good results." Jeon underwent pre-season training in Palm Springs, California, USA. She worked on improving her putting and short game and maintained her competitive edge by playing 9 holes daily.

Kim Hyo-joo said, "Winter seemed to pass by quickly," and added, "I prepared hard, so I am looking forward to this season." She continued, "I focused more on physical training," and said, "This year, I want to aim for up to two wins." Veteran Ji Eun-hee said, "I went skiing a lot and took lessons from my coach in Seoul," expressing confidence by saying, "If I manage my physical condition well, I think I can perform well."

After three months of injury treatment and winter training, Ko Jin-young returns to the field to assess her training results. Ko had applied to participate in the Vacation Tournament of Champions but withdrew due to an incomplete recovery from a wrist injury. She explained, "I focused on building my body and concentrating more on my swing. Although I am not 100% perfect yet, I have improved a lot." She added, "My goal is to regain my swing feel as soon as possible," and said, "If I can achieve that, the results will follow."