Park Min-ji looks to ride momentum to major win at Korea Women's Open

Park Min-ji, fresh off her third win in as many years at the Celltrion Queens Masters, will be looking to ride that momentum into the DB Group Korea Women's Open Golf Championship teeing off Thursday at Rainbow Hills Country Club in Eumseong

Park Min-ji hits a shot during the Celltrion Queens Masters at Seolhaeone Country Club in Yangyang, Gangwon on Sunday. [KLPGA]

Park Min-ji, fresh off her third win in as many years at the Celltrion Queens Masters, will be looking to ride that momentum into the DB Group Korea Women's Open Golf Championship teeing off Thursday at Rainbow Hills Country Club in Eumseong, North Chungcheong.

Park, the winningest golfer on the KLPGA Tour with 17 titles, won her first trophy of the season after defending her title at the Celltrion Queens Masters on Sunday.

Park had been struggling prior to last week, failing to manage a top-five finish in the previous four tournaments. The Celltrion Queens Masters win could mark a turning point for the season, assuming Park is able to capitalize on that momentum.

The Korea Women’s Open — the second major of the KLPGA season — may be a chance for Park to secure her second title of the season and a tournament she has traditionally been strong at, winning in 2021 and finishing third last year.

First introduced in 1987, the Korea Women’s Open has seen some prominent golfers win the tournament and go on to become bigger figures in golf globally, including 2013 champion Chun In-gee, 2014 champion Kim Hyo-joo and 2020 champion Ryu So-yeon, who all now compete on the LPGA Tour.

While those three sit out the KLPGA event, there will still be some strong competitors in the field alongside Park, including defending champion Lim Hee-jeong and 2019 champion Lee Da-yeon.

If Lim wins the Korea Women’s Open and defends her title, she will be the first golfer to do so since Song Bo-bae in 2004.

Lim Hee-jeong hits a shot during the DB Group Korea Women's Open Golf Championship at Rainbow Hills Country Club in Eumseong, North Chungcheong on June 19, 2022. [YONHAP]

Lim has yet to manage a title this season, while Lee has already secured a major at the CreaS F&C KLPGA Championship in April — her first title of the season.

Three of Lee's seven titles come from the majors — the 33rd Korea Women’s Open in 2019, the Hanwha Classic 2021 and the CreaS.

The road to victory, however, will not be easy. The Korea Women’s Open will take place at Rainbow Hills Country Club this year, a notoriously difficult course filled with water hazards and high tees that offer little visibility.

Lee Seul-ki2 paired with Kim Ji-su and Park Seo-hyeon will be the first to tee off on the first hole at 6:30 a.m.

Park Min-ji with defending champion Lim and Lee Da-yeon will then all start together on the first hole at 1:10 p.m.

The competition will be broadcast on SBS Golf.

BY PAIK JI-HWAN [paik.jihwan@joongang.co.kr]