Park In-bee was second in Thailand last month and shared fourth at Singapore earlier this month in the LPGA events.
PHOENIX: World No. 1 Park In-Bee of South Korea takes 49-week run atop the rankings into the Founders Cup with Suzann Pettersen and defending champion Stacy Lewis in close pursuit.
Four-time Major winner In-bee, coming off a victory at a Ladies European Tour event in China, was second in Thailand last month and shared fourth at Singapore earlier this month in LPGA events.
“I actually feel quite fresh coming here and it’s the first tournament in America in a while for me, so it actually feels like a season-opening tournament,” In-bee said.
“I didn’t forget the last three tournaments I had this year. I played quite good, and I hit the ball great. My ball striking, my physical, is stronger. I think I’m mentally a bit stronger, especially from the victory two weeks ago. I feel a lot more confident and I feel good about the season.”
She enters the first US event of the season just 0.92 ahead of Norway’s Pettersen and 2.03 points ahead of American Lewis in the rankings.
“It probably has helped all three of us that we have competitors and try to push each other up and improve our games,” In-bee said.
“I don’t think about that every day, obviously. I’m just trying to play my best and if that’s good enough, that’s good. If not, if I become number two or three, there’s room to improve.”
In-bee won the 2008 US Women’s Open and then last year rolled to victory in the year’s first three Majors, taking the Kraft Nabisco, LPGA Championship and US Women’s Open as well as becoming the first South Korean to win LPGA Player-of-the-Year honours.
“The things I’ve done were very amazing,” she said. — AFP
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