Sung Hyun Park will join the ranks of Korean LPGA Tour stars making the jump to the American-based LPGA.
Park, who is dominating the KLPGA this year, made the announcement in a news conference Monday in Seoul, South Korea. She will be eligible for membership next season based on her non-member winnings being equivalent to top 40 money winnings on the American tour. Park earned $682,825 in seven LPGA starts as a non-member this year. That would rank her 22nd on the LPGA money list and makes her eligible to play next year via Category 10 of the LPGA priority rankings.
“I will take one small step after another and will try to win the Rookie of the Year honors,” Park, 23, said in her news conference, according to South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency.“
Park is No. 10 in the Rolex Women’s World Rankings. She has won a tour best seven Korean LPGA Tour titles this year. In her best American starts, she tied for third at the U.S. Women’s Open, tied for sixth at the ANA Inspiration and tied for fourth at the Kia Classic.
“I think I’ve improved over the past year or so and did well in the United States, too” Park said. “But I haven’t won an LPGA event yet, and I’d love to get my first win next year. But I still have a lot of room for improvement, especially with my putting and my short game around the green.”
