Jeon In-ji's Vengeance "Revival Shot in the Opening Match~"

'Wangjungwangjeon' Challenges Victory at Diamond Resort Tournament, Heo Mijeong and Park Heeyoung Join, Sorensdam's Appearance Sparks 'Off-Court Buzz'

Jeon In-ji aims to restore her honor at the 2021 season opener, the Diamond Resort Tournament.

[Asia Economy Reporter No Woo-rae] It is Jeon In-ji's (27, KB Financial Group) 'Washing one's hair and tasting gall' (臥薪嘗膽).

On the 21st (Korean time), the opening event of the 2021 LPGA Tour, 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 a unique format where players with winning experience over the past three years and celebrities compete in a 'pro-am'. World No. 1 Ko Jin-young (26), No. 2 Kim Se-young (28, Mirae Asset), and No. 3 Park In-bee (33, KB Financial Group) are absent.

Jeon In-ji is the player who won the US Women's Open in 2015 as a 'non-member' and proudly joined the LPGA Tour the following year as a major champion. She won the rookie of the year title with her major victory at the Evian Championship in 2016, but has been without a title for 2 years and 3 months since her third career win at the KEB Hana Bank Championship in October 2018. Despite the reduced number of tournaments last season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, she participated in 15 events but only made two 'top 10' finishes.

Her money ranking dropped to 37th ($301,686), and her world ranking fell to 62nd (1.94 points). It is urgent to restore her honor from the first tournament of the new year. The key is to revive her 'dulled putting,' which ranked 73rd (30.22 putts per round) last year. Ahead of the tournament, she signed a sponsorship contract with Fairlier, a golf wear brand favored by young golfers in their 20s and 30s. She said, "This year marks my 10th year since joining the Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA)," and expressed her determined resolve, "I will repay with a new image."

Korea is represented by Heo Mi-jung (32, Daebang Construction) and Park Hee-young (34, Isu Group). Strong players such as Brooke Henderson (Canada), Lexi Thompson, Danielle Kang, Stacy Lewis, and Nelly Korda (all USA) are also participating in large numbers. Sophia Popov (Germany), last year's major AIG Women's Open champion, is competing for the first time. Gaby Lopez (Mexico) is aiming for a second consecutive win. She recalls the thrilling memory of her second career win last year after a 7-hole sudden death playoff over '1 Night 2 Days.'

'The legend of women's golf,' Annika Sorenstam, will appear in the celebrity invitational category of the Diamond Resort Tournament.

The appearance of 'legend of women's golf' Annika Sorenstam (Sweden) is also a hot topic. Since retiring in 2008, she has occasionally appeared in event tournaments, but it has been a long time since she appeared in an official LPGA Tour event. She is competing in the invited celebrity category. Sorenstam won 72 times on the LPGA Tour, ranking third all-time in wins, and won 10 majors, earning her a place in the Golf Hall of Fame. She has been serving as the president of the International Golf Federation (IGF) since this year.

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