Ricoh British Women’s Open
Inbee Park’s dream came true at the weekend as the golf talent from South Korea carded a course record-equalling 65 in the final round of the Ricoh Women’s British Open (30 July – 2 Aug) to clinch her seventh Major title and become only the seventh player ever to win the traditional career Grand Slam.
The world number one teed-off on Sunday in 5th place, three shots off the pace, but surged up the leaderboard thanks to a blitz of four birdies in a row from the 7th hole. As other contenders began to slip away, Park then produced an eagle at the par 5, 14th and birdied the 16th. Apparently, the ‘golfing gods were on her side’, so she admitted afterwards. The player from Seoul went on to win at the Trump Turnberry Resort in Scotland with a score of 12-under par, three strokes clear of another South Korean player: Jin-Young Ko.
Twenty-seven year old Park’s victory at Turnberry, which earned her nearly 300,000 pounds, is her fourth title this season. Since turning professional ten years ago, she has already notched-up 16 victories.
Wendy Hoad
WHAT A COINCIDENCE! During the weekend of the Ricoh Women’s British Open, we were travelling through France when we were besieged by a bunch of students from South Korea at a motorway service station. There were about twenty of them busily filming and interviewing motorists on a study trip through Europe. Naturally, we had some questions for them too. Did they play golf? And what did they think of Inbee Park? “Yes!” and “Brilliant – she’s really big in South Korea!”, came their enthusiastic replies in broken English. And, what is more, their next stop was Holland! WH