Inbee Park
Encyclopedia
Inbee Park, also known as In-Bee Park, is a South Korea
n professional golf
er.
. She began playing golf at the age of 10. After moving to the United States, she won nine events on the American Junior Golf Association
(AJGA) circuit and was a five-time Rolex Junior All-American. She was a semifinalist at the 2003 U.S. Women's Amateur. She won the 2002 U.S. Girls' Junior and finished as runner-up in both 2003 and 2005.
While an amateur from 2004 through 2006, Park played in the Kraft Nabisco Championship
as a sponsor invite and in the LPGA Takefuji Classic
three times, recording two top-10 finishes.
In 2007, Park changed the English spelling of her name from In-Bee to Inbee.
, Park appealed to the LPGA
for permission to attempt to qualify for the LPGA as a 17-year old. LPGA rules generally require that a player be 18 to join the Tour. The LPGA denied Park's request, so she enrolled at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas
but soon after dropped out and turned professional, playing on the Duramed Futures Tour where the age of entry had recently been lowered to 17.
In 2006, she recorded 11 top-10 finishes on the Futures Tour. She finished third on the Futures Tour season-ending money list to earn exempt status on the LPGA Tour
for the 2007 season.
.
in Edina, Minnesota
for her first LPGA win. At 19, she was the youngest player to win the title. In four rounds, she shot 72-69-71-71 to score 9-under-par, beating Helen Alfredsson
of Sweden by 4 strokes.
.
LPGA major
is shown in bold.
DNP = did not play
CUT = missed the half-way cut
T = tied
Green background for a win. Yellow background for a top-10 finish.
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
n professional golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
er.
Early life and amateur career
Park was born in SeoulSeoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
. She began playing golf at the age of 10. After moving to the United States, she won nine events on the American Junior Golf Association
American Junior Golf Association
The American Junior Golf Association is a "501 nonprofit organization dedicated to the overall growth and development of young men and women who aspire to earn college golf scholarships through competitive junior golf." AJGA is considered by many leaders in the golf industry to be the premier...
(AJGA) circuit and was a five-time Rolex Junior All-American. She was a semifinalist at the 2003 U.S. Women's Amateur. She won the 2002 U.S. Girls' Junior and finished as runner-up in both 2003 and 2005.
While an amateur from 2004 through 2006, Park played in the Kraft Nabisco Championship
Kraft Nabisco Championship
The Kraft Nabisco Championship is one of the four major championships on the LPGA Tour. It was founded in 1972 by Dinah Shore and has been classified as a major since 1983...
as a sponsor invite and in the LPGA Takefuji Classic
LPGA Takefuji Classic
The LPGA Takefuji Classic was an annual golf tournament for professional female golfers on the LPGA Tour that took place every year from 2000 through 2006. Between 2000 and 2002 it was held at two different courses in Hawaii...
three times, recording two top-10 finishes.
In 2007, Park changed the English spelling of her name from In-Bee to Inbee.
2006
In 2006, after graduating from Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas, NevadaLas Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, Park appealed to the LPGA
LPGA
The LPGA, in full the Ladies Professional Golf Association, is an American organization for female professional golfers. The organization, whose headquarters is in Daytona Beach, Florida, is best known for running the LPGA Tour, a series of weekly golf tournaments for elite female golfers from...
for permission to attempt to qualify for the LPGA as a 17-year old. LPGA rules generally require that a player be 18 to join the Tour. The LPGA denied Park's request, so she enrolled at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
University of Nevada-Las Vegas is a public, coeducational university located in the Las Vegas suburb of Paradise, Nevada, USA. The campus is located approximately east of the Las Vegas Strip. The institution includes a Shadow Lane Campus, located just east of the University Medical Center of...
but soon after dropped out and turned professional, playing on the Duramed Futures Tour where the age of entry had recently been lowered to 17.
In 2006, she recorded 11 top-10 finishes on the Futures Tour. She finished third on the Futures Tour season-ending money list to earn exempt status on the LPGA Tour
LPGA
The LPGA, in full the Ladies Professional Golf Association, is an American organization for female professional golfers. The organization, whose headquarters is in Daytona Beach, Florida, is best known for running the LPGA Tour, a series of weekly golf tournaments for elite female golfers from...
for the 2007 season.
2007
During the 2007 season, she tied for fourth at the U.S. Women's Open and tied for second at the Safeway ClassicSafeway Classic
The Safeway Classic is an annual golf tournament for professional female golfers on the LPGA Tour. Founded in 1972, the 54-hole event takes place every year in the Portland, Oregon area and is the oldest continuous event on the LPGA Tour. Tournament Golf Foundation has managed the tournament since...
.
2008
On June 29, 2008, Park won the 2008 U.S. Women's Open at Interlachen Country ClubInterlachen Country Club
The Interlachen Country Club is a private country club in Edina, Minnesota which has hosted several national golf tournaments, including the 1930 U.S. Open , the 2002 Solheim Cup, and the 2008 U.S...
in Edina, Minnesota
Edina, Minnesota
Edina is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and a first-ring suburb situated immediately southwest of Minneapolis. Edina began as a small farming and milling community in the 1860s. The population was 47,941 at the 2010 census.-Geography:...
for her first LPGA win. At 19, she was the youngest player to win the title. In four rounds, she shot 72-69-71-71 to score 9-under-par, beating Helen Alfredsson
Helen Alfredsson
Helen Christine Alfredsson is a Swedish professional golfer who plays primarily on the U.S. based LPGA Tour and is also a life member of the Ladies European Tour.-Amateur career:...
of Sweden by 4 strokes.
2009
After her breakout year in 2008, Park struggled in 2009, recording only four top-10 finishes and ending the season 50th on the LPGA official money list.2010
2010 was Park's best year to date as a professional. She had top-10 finishes in all four major tournaments, won twice on the LPGA of Japan Tour and finished the season ranked 12th in the Women's World Golf RankingsWomen's World Golf Rankings
The Women's World Golf Rankings, also known for sponsorship reasons as the Rolex Rankings, were introduced in February 2006. They are sanctioned by the five main women's golf tours and the organisations behind them: Ladies Professional Golf Association , Ladies European Tour, Ladies Professional...
.
LPGA Tour (1)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory |
Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 29 Jun 2008 2008 LPGA Tour The 2008 LPGA Tour was a series of weekly golf tournaments for elite female golfers from around the world that took place from February through December 2008. The tournaments were sanctioned by the United States based Ladies Professional Golf Association... |
U.S. Women's Open | 4 strokes |  Helen AlfredssonHelen Alfredsson Helen Christine Alfredsson is a Swedish professional golfer who plays primarily on the U.S. based LPGA Tour and is also a life member of the Ladies European Tour.-Amateur career:... |
LPGA major
Women's major golf championships
Women's golf has a set of major championships which parallels that in men's golf, but the women's system is younger and has been less stable than the men's. Many professional stroke play events for women are played over three rounds , but the majors are played over four rounds , which is the...
is shown in bold.
JLPGA Tour (3)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory |
Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 29 Jun 2010 2010 LPGA of Japan Tour Events in bold are majors.Mizuno Classic is co-sanctioned with LPGA.* Ahn Sun-ju's victory at Stanley Ladies marks Korean players' 100th victory since Ku Ok-hee's victory at Kibun Ladies Classic in 1985. .... |
Nishijin Ladies Classic | Playoff |  Chieko Amanuma |
|
| 2 | 28 Nov 2010 2010 LPGA of Japan Tour Events in bold are majors.Mizuno Classic is co-sanctioned with LPGA.* Ahn Sun-ju's victory at Stanley Ladies marks Korean players' 100th victory since Ku Ok-hee's victory at Kibun Ladies Classic in 1985. .... |
Japan LPGA Tour Championship Ricoh Cup | 4 strokes | Mika Miyazato Mika Miyazato Mika Miyazato is a Japanese professional golfer who plays on the Ladies Professional Golf Association Tour.As an amateur, Miyazato won the 2004 Japan Amateur Women's Championship at the age of 14, and was the youngest player to win the event. In the Asian Games, she won silver medals in the...  Ahn Sun-ju |
|
| 3 | 6 Mar 2011 | Daikin Orchid Ladies | 3 strokes | Miki Saiki |
Wins (1)
| Year | Championship | Winning Score | Margin | Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|
| 2008 2008 U.S. Women's Open Golf Championship The 2008 U.S. Women's Open Golf Championship took place in Edina, Minnesota at Interlachen Country Club from June 26 to June 29. The winner was 19-year old Inbee Park, edging out Swedish golfer and winner of the 1993 Kraft Nabisco Championship Helen Alfredsson.... |
U.S. Women's Open |
| 4 strokes | Helen Alfredsson Helen Alfredsson Helen Christine Alfredsson is a Swedish professional golfer who plays primarily on the U.S. based LPGA Tour and is also a life member of the Ladies European Tour.-Amateur career:... |
Results timeline
| Tournament | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kraft Nabisco Championship Kraft Nabisco Championship The Kraft Nabisco Championship is one of the four major championships on the LPGA Tour. It was founded in 1972 by Dinah Shore and has been classified as a major since 1983... |
DNP | DNP | T62 | DNP | 9 | T56 | T10 | T29 |
| LPGA Championship LPGA Championship The LPGA Championship, currently known for sponsorship reasons as the Wegmans LPGA Championship, is the second-longest running tournament in the history of the Ladies Professional Golf Association surpassed only by the U.S. Women's Open. It is one of four majors on the LPGA tour... |
DNP | DNP | DNP | T62 | T46 | T14 | T7 | T14 |
| U.S. Women's Open | CUT | DNP | DNP | T4 | 1 | T26 | T8 | T6 |
| Women's British Open Women's British Open The Women's British Open is a leading event in women's professional golf and the only tournament which is classified as a major championship by both the Ladies European Tour and the LPGA Tour. Since 2007, it has been called the Ricoh Women's British Open, for sponsorship reasons... |
DNP | DNP | DNP | T11 | CUT | T24 | T9 | T7 |
DNP = did not play
CUT = missed the half-way cut
T = tied
Green background for a win. Yellow background for a top-10 finish.
LPGA Tour career summary
| Year | Tournaments played | Cuts made | Wins | 2nd | 3rd | Top 10s | Best finish | Official Earnings ($) | Money list rank | Scoring average | Scoring rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 2004 LPGA Tour The 2004 LPGA Tour was a series of weekly golf tournaments for elite female golfers from around the world which took place from March through December 2004. The tournaments were sanctioned by the United States based Ladies Professional Golf Association . This was the 55th season since the LPGA Tour... |
2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | T8 | n/a | n/a | 72.60 | n/a |
| 2005 2005 LPGA Tour The 2005 LPGA Tour was a series of weekly golf tournaments for elite female golfers from around the world which took place from February through December 2005. The tournaments were sanctioned by the United States based Ladies Professional Golf Association... |
2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | n/a | n/a | 71.00 | n/a |
| 2006 2006 LPGA Tour The 2006 LPGA Tour was a series of weekly golf tournaments for elite female golfers from around the world which took place from February through December 2006. The tournaments were sanctioned by the United States based Ladies Professional Golf Association... |
2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | T35 | 5,406 | n/a | 73.86 | n/a |
| 2007 2007 LPGA Tour The 2007 LPGA Tour was a series of weekly golf tournaments for elite female golfers from around the world that took place from February through December 2007. The tournaments were sanctioned by the United States based Ladies Professional Golf Association... |
26 | 18 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | T2 | 380,263 | 37 | 73.19 | 72 |
| 2008 2008 LPGA Tour The 2008 LPGA Tour was a series of weekly golf tournaments for elite female golfers from around the world that took place from February through December 2008. The tournaments were sanctioned by the United States based Ladies Professional Golf Association... |
26 | 22 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 1,138,370 | 8 | 71.78 | 26 |
| 2009 2009 LPGA Tour The 2009 LPGA Tour was a series of weekly golf tournaments for elite female golfers from around the world that took place from February through November 2009. The tournaments were sanctioned by the United States based Ladies Professional Golf Association .... |
23 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | T5 | 271,303 | 50 | 72.55 | 67 |
| 2010 2010 LPGA Tour The 2010 LPGA Tour was a series of weekly golf tournaments for elite female golfers from around the world that began in Thailand on February 13, 2010 and ended in Florida on December 5, 2010... |
19 | 19 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 2 | 825,477 | 11 | 70.83 | 9 |
| 2011 2011 LPGA Tour The 2011 LPGA Tour was a series of weekly golf tournaments for elite female golfers from around the world that began in Thailand on February 17, 2011 and had its last official event end on November 20, 2011 in Florida... |
2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | T40 | 14,513 | 44 | 73.88 | 47 |
- Official as of 27 February 2011