'Number 1' Ko Jin-young "This Time, Marching Toward Major Victory"... Saso 'Title Defense'

'US Women's Open Major Queen' Challenge, 'Number 2' Korda Returns After 4 Months, 2008 and 2013 Champion Park In-bi 'Absent'

'Number 1' Ko Jin-young aims to become the 'Major Queen' at the US Women's Open.

[Asia Economy Reporter No Woo-rae] 'Number 1' Ko Jin-young (27) is advancing toward a major championship victory.

On the night of the 2nd (Korean time), the US Women's Open (total prize money $10 million), known as the 'National Title of America,' kicks off at Pine Needles Lodge Golf Club (Par 71, 6,546 yards) in Southern Pines, North Carolina. This is a traditional major tournament that began in 1946. Since Park Se-ri (45, retired) in 1998, South Korea has produced 11 wins by 10 players up to 2020, including Kim A-rim (27, SBI Savings Bank). The defending champion is Yuka Saso (Japan).

Ko Jin-young is the dominant force on the LPGA Tour. She is enjoying great success with 13 wins, including two major titles. She won the Rookie of the Year award in 2018, and in 2019, she was named Player of the Year, won the Vare Trophy, and topped the money list. She was the first Korean player to win the money title three consecutive times (2019?2021) and earned Player of the Year twice (2019, 2021). Notably, she secured five wins last season, including successfully defending her title at the CME Group Tour Championship, the final event of the season.

This year, she has also started strong. She won the HSBC Women's World Championship in March, her first appearance this year. She has finished in the top 10 three times in six tournaments. Although she suffered a quadruple bogey due to a shot mistake in the mud on the 17th hole (par 4) of the third round and a four-putt double bogey on the 7th hole (par 3) of the fourth round at the DIO Implant LA Open in April, she showed resilience by finishing second at the following Palos Verdes Championship.

She skipped last week's Bank of Hope Match Play to prepare thoroughly for this tournament. Ko has competed in the US Women's Open five times since 2017 but has yet to claim the winner's trophy. Her best finish was a tie for second place in 2020. Last year, she also performed well with a tie for seventh place. It is encouraging that her accurate tee shots and 'needle-like iron shots' are coming back. If her clutch putting ability recovers, she is in a strong position to contend for the title.

'Number 2' Nelly Korda will make her return to the US Women's Open after 4 months.

The return of 'Number 2' Nelly Korda (USA) is a hot topic. This is her comeback after four months since the Drive On Championship in February. She was diagnosed with thrombosis in mid-March and missed the season's first major, the Chevron Championship, in April, undergoing surgery and focusing on treatment and recovery. Last year, Korda won the gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics and secured four LPGA Tour wins, competing fiercely with Ko Jin-young (27) for the top spot. Interest is already high in the showdown between the two players.

Saso is aiming for her second consecutive win. Last year, she captured a major title as a 19-year-old non-member. This year, she started well with back-to-back top 10 finishes in the first two tournaments but has not placed in the top 10 in the last eight events. South Korea's lineup includes 'Match Queen' Ji Eun-hee (36, Hanwha Q Cells), Yoo So-yeon (32, Mediheal), Jeon In-ji (28, KB Financial Group), Park Sung-hyun (27), and Lee Jeong-eun 6 (26, Daebang Construction), all former champions. Park In-bi (34, KB Financial Group), the 2008 and 2013 champion, withdrew due to poor condition.

Yuka Saso challenges to defend her title at the US Women's Open.

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