Choi Kyong-ju, Park Inbee talk about goals for 2021 season

“I got my 20th win in 2020. I’d like to continue the winning streak in the new year and achieve the 21st win and more,” South Korean golf queen Park Inbee said at the 2021 Dunlop Sports Korea Untact Media Day event held on Tuesday. She is sponsored by Dunlop Sports Korea, using Xxio’s golf club and Srixon’s golf balls.

Park who has been training in South Korea for the upcoming season said she is focused on putting practice lately. “I had good shots last year so my training is focused on maintaining that rhythm,” she said. “In particular, I am focusing on putting, which was not completely satisfying last year. I tried to create putting strokes with a consistent rhythm.”

Park also expressed her expectations for the Tokyo Olympics scheduled in July this year. “I hope that COVID-19 is controlled this year so that I can finally achieve my dream of competing at the Olympics twice,” the gold medalist of the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics said. “I will do everything in my power to prepare for the Olympics and achieve good results.” Park will focus on physical and golf training in South Korea for a while before departing to the U.S. Her first tournament of the season is expected to be Kia Classic in Carlsbad, California on the LPGA Tour, which begins on March 25.

Choi Kyong-ju who joined for an interview along with Park showed expectations for good performance by younger South Korean golfers at the Tokyo Olympics. “Japanese golf courses are similar to South Korea’s, which may work in favor of South Korean golfers. Given the skills of Im Sung-jae and Kim Si-woo, winning medals can be very doable,” the coach of South Korea’s national golf team said. “Our players are much more concentrated on earning medals, which will work to our advantage.”

Choi who is over 50 and became a member of PGA TOUR Champions said he will continue to compete at the PGA Tour. “Although I will compete at both, I am going to put more focus on the PGA Tour this year,” he said. “I’d like to perform well this year and continue to compete at the PGA Tour next year. My dream is to win the PGA Tour Champions after I become more solid at the PGA Tour.”


hun@donga.com