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The LPGA canceled its Asian swing due to the coronavirus, eliminating a tough decision for a player like Inbee Park, who was already weighing her options. Park, who got her season started much earlier than usual, said she respects the tour’s decision. She’s making her fourth start in 2020 at this week’s ISPS Handa Australian Open.
Thailand and Singapore are limited-field events with guaranteed paychecks. It’s tough to miss out on playing opportunities – three in all – but there’s more on the line than money. Park is trying to play her way into the 2020 Olympics and figures she might need to win twice before the June 29 cutoff to make that happen. Other players are trying to play their way into the ANA Inspiration and U.S. Women’s Open.
A maximum of four South Korean players can qualify for the 2020 Olympics. Hyo-Joo Kim would be the first alternate and Park the second.
The top four South Koreans who would currently qualify are Jin Young Ko (No. 1), Sung Hyun Park (No. 2), Sei Young Kim (No. 6) and Jeong Eun Lee6 (No. 9). Inbee is now 17th in the Rolex Rankings.
The 2016 gold-medal winner twice won the HSBC Women’s Champions (2015 and 2017) in Singapore and captured the Honda LPGA Thailand in 2013.
After this week’s event, she’ll have to wait one month until the Volvik Founders Cup March 19-22 in Phoenix to get another chance.
“I mean, it’s not going to be an easy task,” said Park of making the South Korean team. “I’m going to say it’s probably tougher than getting a medal in the Olympics to make the team.”
For years people have speculated about Park’s retirement. The 31-year-old said she doesn’t mind the talk because it’s always on her mind as well.
Not because she doesn’t like golf. No, it’s the lifestyle that gets the LPGA Hall of Famer down these days.
Simple every-day things like going to the store to buy groceries can get complicated.
“On the road another week after week after week,” she said, “and you go back home and you have a couple of weeks off, but I can’t even go to the grocery and buy things because I know it’s all going to go to waste after a week. I’m like, should I go the grocery or should I just get a delivery? I just hate that kind of life.”
But the winning part, that never gets old.
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