2019 ANA Inspiration Champion Jin Young Ko will not defend her title this week at Mission Hills Country Club, nor in Rancho Mirage (California) where he finally argue this week, celecting to stay at home in the Republic of Korea due to travel issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The French Céline Boutier and Perrine Delacour are in the running. Relocated from April to September, the second Major tournament of a season cut by a good number of events on the LPGA Tour, promises to be trying. with temperatures oscillating between 40 and 45 degrees. He finally argues this week in Rancho Mirage (California)

ANA Inspiration: Jin Young Ko sends his best wishes to the players

Jin Young Ko - © Jin Young Ko via Twitter

“ANA Inspiration will be forever dear to me as my very first Major tournament victory on the LPGA Tour. Choosing not to participate in the ANA this year has been one of the most difficult decisions of my life. All year long I looked forward to reliving so many special memories at Rancho Mirage and having the opportunity to jump into Poppie's Pond again ”said Ko. “Although unfortunately I am not participating this year, I am encouraged by the successful resumption of the Tour and by all the positive measures that the LPGA is taking to make the various events as safe as possible. I want to thank the LPGA and all of our Tour sponsors, including ANA Inspiration, for continuing to provide opportunities for players in the midst of this unprecedented crisis and look forward to getting back into the fray when international travel is around. again found to be safe. "

Ko has yet to make her debut on the LPGA Tour in 2020, whose last appearance was in the CME Group Tour Championship 2019. She has competed in three events on the KLPGA Tour in recent weeks, with the best result being a sixth place finish. at the Korea Women's Open.

World No.4 Sung Hyun Park makes LPGA Tour comeback at ANA Inspiration

ANA Inspiration is an important week for Rancho Mirage, and one player is using this week to make her comeback on the LPGA Tour. Sung Hyun Park, number 4 in the Rolex Rankings, takes the start for the first time this year since the 2019 CME Group Tour Championship, where she retired due to a lingering shoulder injury. She took advantage of the break in play to allow her shoulder to recover, which she says is now fully healed.

“It's been a while since I've been on the Tour. I think I'm more nervous than excited to be back. It's been a while since I've been in a competitive environment, and I have to keep that in mind when playing all four rounds this week ”said Park, who only competed in one KLPGA Tour competitive event as well as a charity skin match against world No.1 Jin Young Ko during the Tour hiatus.

Park trained in the Dinah Shore Tournament Course, and says she drank seven or eight bottles of water while playing 18 holes. As the temperature rises above 38 degrees, she knows what challenges await her. But the grand champion isn't trying to put too much pressure on herself for her debut in 2020.

“I don't imagine being very well placed for these first tournaments. I just hope to take the right momentum and play well in a competitive environment ”said Park. “There aren't a lot of tournaments this year, but I hope to win at some point to end the year on a high note. "

To know more : https://www.anainspiration.com/

To read our last article on the same subject :

LPGA postpones three new tournaments and reschedules ANA Inspiration in September