Inbee Park signs up for Vic Open

ONE of the greatest players in the history of women’s golf is coming back to play in Australia for the first time in six years.

Inbee Park, the South Korean superstar who has won seven major championships and an Olympic Gold medal in 2016, has committed to play the ISPS Handa Vic Open at 13th Beach Golf Links. It will be her debut at the event.

Park, 31, has not played in any Australian tournament since the 2014 Australian Ladies Masters in Queensland. Her previous and only appearance in a Women’s Australian Open was in 2012 at Royal Melbourne, where she missed  the cut.

The world No. 15 has a record that puts her in the top echelon of players through history.

The Korean has won 19 LPGA Tour events and seven majors as well as spending time as No. 1 in the world, as recently as 2018. Injuries and exhaustion from years of touring forced her into a lull in 2016, but she has more recently returned to some of her best form. She enters the 2020 LPGA Tour season ranked fourth on the career money list with $US15,356,126 in career earnings, third-most among active LPGA Tour players.

Her seven majors put her alongside  legends such as Juli Inkster and Karrie Webb, with only Patty Berg (15), Mickey Wright (13), Louise Suggs (11), Babe Zaharias (10), Annika Sorenstam (10) and Betsy Rawls (eight) ahead of that number.

Park was named last week as the LPGA’s Player of the Decade, beating Brooke Henderson of Canada in a popular vote compiled online as the best player in the 2010-2019 period.

She will also play in the ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open in Adelaide, and said she was excited to be returning to Australia.

“I am so excited to be going back to Australia for these two tournaments in February. This is my first time in the country for a few years and I have heard so much about the Vic Open with its men’s and women’s fields, as well as good memories from my previous visits for the Australian Open.”

ISPS Handa executive director Midori Miyazaki said Park would add talent and class to the fields at the two golf tournments.

“Inbee Park’s return to these events is testament to how significant these tournaments are.

“We’re delighted to see Inbee back in Australia and we look forward to the wonderful events at 13th Beach and Royal Adelaide  this February.”

The Vic Open is sanctioned by the LPGA Tour and ALPG Tour (Women’s) and European Tour and ISPS Handa PGA Tour of Australasia (Men’s), and supported by the state government.