'Major Sharpshooter' Jeon Inzi "Challenge, Career Grand Slam"

In the AIG Women's Open, Four Different Major Winners Compete: Ko Jin-young and Kim Hyo-joo Join, 'Major Queens' Cupcho and Lee Min-ji, Henderson as Title Contenders

Jeon In-ji will challenge the 'Career Grand Slam' at this year's final major, the AIG Women's Open.

[Asia Economy Reporter No Woo-rae] Jeon In-ji (28), known as the ‘Flying Dumbo,’ is a ‘major hunter.’

She has shown particular strength in major tournaments. Of her four total wins on the U.S. Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tour, three are majors. In 2015, Jeon In-ji made history by winning major championships across the Korean Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Tour, LPGA Tour, and the Japan Ladies Professional Golf Association (JLPGA) Tour, becoming the first player ever to claim major titles on three different tours in a single season. That year, she won two majors domestically, including the Hite Championship and KB Financial Star Championship, and swept three majors overseas, including the U.S. Women’s Open, Salonpas Cup, and the Japan Women’s Open.

Jeon In-ji notably won the U.S. Women’s Open as a non-member, securing a ‘direct ticket’ to the LPGA Tour. In September 2016, at the Amundi Evian Championship, she posted a winning score of 21-under-par 263. She set new records for the lowest 54-hole score in a major (194), the lowest 72-hole score (263), and the most under-par in any men’s or women’s major (21-under). In June of this year, at the third major of the 2022 season, the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, she achieved a ‘wire-to-wire’ victory. Starting the final day with a three-stroke lead, she briefly fell to second place, two strokes behind, but finished holes 17 and 18 with pars to secure a dramatic win, shedding tears of joy.

Jeon In-ji has already won majors on three different tours. She is one step closer to the ‘Career Grand Slam,’ having won four of the five major championships in women’s golf worldwide. Since the Evian Championship was elevated to major status in 2013, there are five majors in total, and winning four of them is recognized as a Grand Slam. On the afternoon of the 4th, she will challenge this historic feat at the final major of the year, the AIG Women’s Open (total prize money $7.3 million), held at Muirfield (par 71, 6,728 yards) in East Lothian, Scotland.

If she wins, she will become the second Korean player to achieve the ‘Career Grand Slam,’ following golf legend Park In-bi (34). Jeon missed the cut at this tournament last year but finished tied for 7th in 2020. This year, she has entered the top 10 twice, including her first win in three years and eight months since the KEB Hana Bank Championship in October 2018. She ranks third in prize money ($1,913,312) and eighth in Player of the Year points (72). Last week, she finished tied for 11th at the Scottish Women’s Open. Jeon said, “I will work hard to approach the new goal set before me.”

‘Major Queen’ Minji Lee, Jennifer Kupcho, and Brooke Henderson (from left) aim for their second major win at the AIG Women's Open.

Korea will be represented by No. 1 Ko Jin-young (27), Kim Hyo-joo (27), who finished third in the last two tournaments, 2015 champion Park In-bi, and 2017 champion Kim In-kyung (34). Joining them are Kim Sei-young, Park Sung-hyun (both 29), Choi Hye-jin (23), and Ahn Na-rin (26). This year’s ‘major queens’ include Chevron Championship champion Jennifer Kupcho (USA), U.S. Women’s Open champion Minjee Lee (Australia), and Evian champion Brooke Henderson (Canada). Defending champion Anna Nordqvist (Sweden) aims for back-to-back titles.

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