Jeon In-ji, ‘from Hampyeong Golf High’ wins KPMG Women’s PGA Championship
Final total of 5 under par 283
Wire-to-wire… 4 overall wins
LPGA top for the first time in 3 years and 8 months
By Choi Dong-hwan, staff reporter cdstone@jnilbo.com
Posted 2022-06-27 15:48:20
In-Jeon Jeon, who won the LPGA KPMG Women’s PGA Championship held in Maryland, USA on the 27th (Korea time), lifts the trophy. Jeon In-ji, who is called the ‘major queen’, won the championship with a final total of 5 under par 283 on the day, winning the 4th in her career (LPGA) in 3 years and 8 months, and her 3rd win in major tournaments alone. AP/Newsis
In-ji Jeon (28), a professional golfer from Hampyeong Golf High, lifted the championship cup at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, a major American women’s professional golf (LPGA) tournament, and climbed to the top of the LPGA Tour for the first time in three years and eight months. She achieved her four career victories, particularly with the ‘Wire to Wire’ win where she held her lead all three days.
In the final 4 rounds of the tournament held at Congressional Country Club (par 72, 6894 yards) in Maryland, USA on the 27th (Korean time), Jeon In-ji scored two birdies and five bogeys and hit a 3-over par 75.
Jeon In-ji, who recorded a final total of 5 under par 283, beat the tied 2nd place Lexi Thompson (USA) and Lee Min-ji (Australia) by one stroke to win the championship by one stroke.
With this, Jeon In-ji held the LPGA Tour championship for the first time in three years and eight months since she won the LPGA KEB Hana Bank Championship in October 2018.
In addition, she won the third major championship in her career following the 2015 US Women’s Open and the 2016 Evian Championship, showing off her appearance as a ‘major queen’ strong in big competitions.
Jeon In-ji took the lead in the first round for four days and took the ‘Wire to Wire’ championship.
In the first round, she set the record for the lowest hit on the course with 8-under 64 and took the lead alone, 5 shots ahead of tied 2nd place Hye-jin Choi (22) and Ponanong Patrum (Thailand), who hit 3-under 69.
In the second round, he shot 3 under par 69, with a mid-total of 11 under par 133, maintaining first place by 6 shots ahead of tied 2nd place Lydia Ko (New Zealand) and Jennifer Cupcho (USA).
In the third round, he faltered with a 3-over par 75, but maintained the lead by three shots ahead of tied 2nd placed Se-young Kim, Hye-jin Choi, and Lexi Thompson (USA).
In the final round, he scored four bogeys without a birdie in the first nine holes alone, giving up the lead to Thompson. However, Jeon In-ji played a double pole at the last minute. He took a birdie on the 16th hole and finished tied for first place. Jeon In-ji took the lead alone because Thompson made a bogey while recording a par on the 17th hole, and succeeded in a par save on the 18th hole and tasted the thrill of winning the comeback.
After the game, Jeon In-ji said, “In the first half, the game didn’t go as well as I thought, so it was frustrating, and a lot of thoughts went through my head. I haven’t won in the past 4 years, so the thoughts of repaying the fans who trusted and supported me until the end with a win were so strong that there was a lot of pressure. “So in the second half, I thought that I would trust myself and enjoy the process. Playing like that led to the victory,” he said.
Jeon In-ji also revealed her will to challenge the ‘career grand slam’. She has won the US Women’s Open, the Evian Championship, and the Women’s PGA Championship, and Jeon achieves a career Grand Slam by adding her trophy at the AIG Women’s Open, Chevron Champion.
Jeon In-ji said, “After winning three major victories, I have another goal. I want to work hard to reach the new goal set in front of me.”
With Jeon In-ji’s win this season, the Korean players have won four on the LPGA Tour this season. Previously, Jin-young Ko won the HSBC Women’s World Championship in March, Hyo-ju Kim won the Lotte Championship in April, and Eun-hee Ji won the Bank of Hope Match Play in May, respectively.
Meanwhile, Kim Se-young (29) from Yeongam finished tied for fifth place with Choi Hye-jin and Kim Hyo-joo with a final total of 1 under par 287.
Ji Eun-hee was tied for 10th (even par 288), and Park In-bee, Lee Jeong-eun, and Shin Ji-eun were tied for 25th (3 over par 291). World No. 1 Jinyoung Ko (27) tied for 30th with a 4-over par 292.