Yang Hee-young and Shin Ji-ae, Heated Competition for Paris Olympics
South Korea Breaks 12 Consecutive Tournaments Without a Title Since Opening
Korda Aims for 7th Season Win and Back-to-Back Major Victories
The second major tournament of the season, the US Women's Open, is taking place.
From the 30th (local time) for four days, it will be held at Lancaster Country Club (par 70, 6,583 yards) in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, USA. This is the 79th edition this year. Ali International has joined as a new sponsor, increasing the total prize money by 1 million dollars from last year to 12 million dollars (approximately 16.4 billion KRW). This season is also packed with excitement. Here are three key points to watch at the US Women's Open.
The lineup of Korean players who will participate in the Paris Olympics this August is expected to become clearer. Olympic participation is determined based on the world rankings as of June 24. Up to four players from one country can qualify if they are within the top 15, and after that, a maximum of two players per country can participate in the Olympics. Ko Jin-young, ranked 7th in the world, and Kim Hyo-joo, ranked 10th, are likely to secure their spots for the Olympics. Yang Hee-young, ranked 19th, and Shin Ji-ae, ranked 20th, need to achieve good results in major tournaments to qualify for the Olympic stage. The major tournaments before the Olympics are this US Women's Open and the KPMG Women's PGA Championship in June.
A total of 20 Korean players are participating this year. Since the start of the LPGA Tour season, Korean players have not won any of the 12 tournaments held so far. They are aiming for their first victory of the season at this event. Jeon In-ji, the winner of the 2015 US Women's Open held at the same venue, leads the charge. She has shown strong performance in 'big matches,' having won three of her four LPGA Tour victories in major tournaments. Other contenders include 2019 champion Lee Jeong-eun 6, 2020 champion Kim A-rim, Ko Jin-young, Kim Se-young, and Kim Hyo-joo. From the Korean Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Tour, Park Hyun-kyung, Kim Min-byeol, and Kim Su-ji are competing. Ahn Na-rin, Jeon Ji-won, and Joo Soo-bin earned their spots through qualifying tournaments.
There is also interest in whether world No. 1 Nelly Korda (USA) will continue her winning streak. She has dominated the women's golf world this year with six victories, including five consecutive wins in tournaments. She also won the Chevron Championship in April, eyeing back-to-back major titles. She won the previous tournament, the Mizuho Americas Open, as well. Korda is leading the LPGA Tour in all categories, including wins, prize money, Player of the Year, and scoring average. Other notable players competing include last year's champion Alison Koepka, Rose Zhang (both USA), Hannah Green (Australia), Lydia Ko (New Zealand), and Brooke Henderson (Canada).
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