Se-young Kim "Marching Toward 2 Consecutive Wins"... Ji-eun Hee Aims for Title Defense

LPGA Tour Season Opener Clashes at Diamond Resorts, Park In-bee and Hur Mi-jung Join the Victory Race

Se-young Kim will challenge for her second consecutive win at the Diamond Resort Tournament, the opening event of the 2020 LPGA Tour season.

[Asia Economy Reporter Noh Woo-rae] Kim Se-young (27, Mirae Asset) is on a '2 consecutive wins march.'

On the 16th (Korean time), the 2020 LPGA Tour season opener, the Diamond Resort Tournament (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), is a fierce battleground. It is interesting that the tournament features a unique format where players with wins in the past two years and celebrities compete in a 'pro-am.' A total of 26 players participate, competing over four days in a 72-hole stroke play format to determine the winner.

Kim Se-young is famous as the 'Queen of Comebacks.' In fact, all five of her wins on the Korean LPGA (KLPGA) Tour have been come-from-behind victories. She moved to the United States in 2015 and immediately won the Rookie of the Year award. At the 2018 Thornberry Creek Classic, she broke records for the most under par (31 under) and the lowest total score (257), earning her the nickname 'Queen of Records.' Last year, she swept three wins in the season, including the final CME Group Tour Championship.

She is now a world star with 10 LPGA Tour wins. Kim Se-young's goals this year are to win a major championship and to participate in the Tokyo Olympics in August. This is why she started the LPGA Tour early in the new year. She recharged her energy with sufficient rest over the winter and has been gradually improving her condition by fine-tuning her shot feel in recent practice. She added, "Winning the Tour Championship gave me a strong belief in myself," and expressed her aspiration, "I want to compete in the Tokyo Olympics."

Jieunhee attempted to defend her title at the Diamond Resort Tournament.

For the 'eldest sister' Ji Eun-hee (34, Hanwha Q CELLS), this is a title defense. She recalls the sweet memory of winning by two strokes (14 under par 270) last year, fending off the chase from Lee Mi-rim (30, NH Investment & Securities) in the inaugural tournament. She is the oldest Korean champion (32 years and 8 months). The previous record was held by Park Se-ri (43), who won the 2010 Bell Micro Classic at 32 years, 7 months, and 18 days. She said, "Playing with enjoyment worked," and added, "I will give my all to achieve back-to-back wins."

The 'Golf Empress' Park In-bee (32, KB Financial Group) is also starting the season early. This is an initial sprint to secure a ticket to the Tokyo Olympics. Recently, she was selected by fan voting as the 'Best Player of the Last 10 Years' on the LPGA Tour. She is burning with determination, saying, "I plan to participate in more than 15 tournaments by June." Joining the Korean contingent are Jeon In-ji (26, KB Financial Group), Hur Mi-jung (31, Daebang Construction), and Yang Hee-young (31, Woori Financial Group).

The emerging LPGA Tour powerhouse Nelly Korda (USA) is a player to watch. She won one tournament in 2018 and two last year. With consistent performance, she competes for the title in every event. She had a good fit with the course, finishing third by three strokes in the inaugural tournament. The champion group, including Brooke Henderson (Canada), Nasa Hataoka (Japan), Danielle Kang, and Lexi Thompson (both USA), are eyeing their opportunities. Players like Ariya Jutanugarn (Thailand) and Feng Shanshan (China), who went winless last year, are eager to restore their honor.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.