'Desert Fox' Lim Hee-jeong "I am the Major Queen"..."Ultimate goal is to sweep all 5 majors"

'National Title' Korean Women's Open Final Day Adds 3 Under Par for 6-Stroke Victory, Second Major Win "Need 3 More Trophies"

[Asia Economy Kim Hyun-jun, Golf Specialist Reporter] "My ultimate goal is to sweep all 5 major championships."

'Desert Fox' Lim Hee-jeong (22, Korea Land & Trust) expressed her determined ambition. After securing a commanding 6-stroke victory (19-under 269) on the final day of the DB Group Korea Women's Open (total prize money 1.2 billion KRW) held on the 19th at Rainbow Hills Golf Club in Eumseong, Chungbuk (par 72, 6,763 yards), she said, "It is an honor to have my name on the national title champion list," and added, "I want to claim all the major trophies, including the Hanwha Classic this August," igniting her fighting spirit.

Lim Hee-jeong confidently ranked 2nd in the prize money rankings last year, leading with 15 top-10 finishes including one win in 28 events. Despite three runner-up and third-place finishes each, she lacked enough championship trophies. This was the reason for her rigorous training over the past winter. It is noteworthy that she was involved in a serious car accident last April, severe enough to total her vehicle. Although she was not seriously injured, she is still undergoing hospital treatment and suffering from aftereffects such as muscle stiffness caused by shock.

It is remarkable that Lim Hee-jeong shot 4-under on the first day of this tournament, followed by 6-under on both the second and third days, maintaining her winning momentum. Starting the final day with a 6-stroke lead, she added 3-under to break the 72-hole lowest score record (17-under 271) previously set by Oh Ji-hyun (26) in 2018 and Park Min-ji (24, NH Investment & Securities) last year. This marked her 5th career win, her first in 10 months since the High1 Resort Ladies Open last August, and with the 300 million KRW winner’s prize, she jumped to 2nd place in the prize money rankings (406.2 million KRW) in one fell swoop.

"I was very frustrated because I had prepared a lot before the season," said Lim Hee-jeong, who was also pleased, "I was happy to execute the shots I wanted despite my painful condition," adding, "The focus on improving my short game paid off." Lim Hee-jeong’s sweep of the majors, the so-called 'career Grand Slam,' still requires three more pieces of the puzzle. After her second major win at the KB Financial Star Championship in October 2019, the Hanwha Classic, Hite Jinro Championship, and KLPGA Championship remain.

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