NEWTOWN SQUARE, PA – Inbee Park is chasing another KPMG Women’s PGA Championship title – and history.
Park, a three-time winner of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, shot a 4-under-par 66 on Saturday at Aronimink Golf Club (her lowest round of the week) to move to 4-under for the Championship and within striking distance of the lead.
The former world No. 1 is looking to match Mickey Wright with four KPMG Women’s PGA Championship titles, the most all-time. For now she’s tied with Annika Sorenstam, Patty Sheehan, Nancy Lopez, and Kathy Whitworth with three.
Not only did Park win three KPMG Women’s PGA Championship titles, they were all in a row – from 2013 to 2015.
However, Park said that she rarely allows herself to think about what a victory might mean historically.
“I'd be lying if I said I don't think about it, but it's just too crazy to think something big like that, in the history of golf and the history of this championship is going to maybe have a slim chance of happening to me,” said Park. “It’s just too crazy that I really kind of don't think about it, I've got to say.”
Park birdied No’s 7 through 9 on Saturday and added three more birdies on the back nine. She’s already won on the LPGA Tour this season and has a top-10 in at least one major championship since 2009.
“I hit a lot of fairways and greens today, which that's what you really want to do. There were some pins today that were just really tough to get at. I missed a couple of those shots on the short side, and I had to make a bogey, but the rest of the holes I feel like I navigated myself really good and played really good,” said Park. “I putted pretty good today, but I think the ball-striking was really good today, and especially being in the fairways a lot and on the greens a lot.”
Park said she felt like anything within four shots of the lead will have a chance Sunday. The course, she said, was getting firmer, faster, and tougher.
One more thing that will be impactful for Park as she hunts for a fourth KPMG Women’s PGA Championship is that the tee-times Sunday will be all through the morning. The weather is also set to be windy and rainy.
“I’m not really a morning person,” joked Park.
With the early start for Sunday’s finale, Park will rely on her veteran poise to carry her, hopefully, across the finish line at another major.
Although she looks steady and confident on the course, she said she still gets nervous.
“When you're in contention and just playing under pressure, especially in the final round in the major championships, it's always a lot of pressure,” said Park. “But… I'd rather enjoy that than not being in there.”
Heading into Sunday at Aronimink, Park is indeed ‘there’ and with a chance for a history-making Championship win.
