Annika Sorenstam’s triple a crown for Park’s desire

Park In-bee of South Korea has won the last two LPGA Championship titles and is gunning for a rare triple in the new incarnation of the women’s major, the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Westchester Country Club.

“The PGA of America and the LPGA collaborating on this tournament together and making a great tournament is something different and something unique,” Park said.

“Everything is really new and everything is very fresh and very exciting. So I’m really excited to see what this tournament is going to end up being. I’m sure it’s going to be a great one, and hopefully I’ll be the one holding the trophy.”

Three wins

Only Sweden’s Annika Sorenstam has registered three wins in a row in the 60-year history of the event, achieving the feat with her victory in 2005.

It is the first women’s championship staged by the PGA of America, which also organises the PGA Championship men’s major, the Senior PGA and the Ryder Cup.

For the LPGA, the partnership increased the prize money to $3.5 million at a high-profile venue in the New York metropolitian area, and has infused excitement among the 156 players contesting the second major of the season.

The hilly Westchester layout with its sloping greens was a fixture on the PGA Tour for some 40 years.

“You can’t hope to be on a better golf course than this,” said two-times major winner Cristie Kerr. “It is such a scenic, beautiful, tough-as-nails golf course.”

Kerr said players were excited to be playing the classic, tree-lined, 6,670-yard course playing at a par of 73.

“Even being in the players dining, you look up and Seve’s (Ballesteros) picture is on the wall, Hale Irwin, all the greats, and then at the end there will be one female with the trophy up there, so that’s really cool,” Kerr said. “That’s ground-breaking.”

Starting today, it also figures to be a stern test.

“This golf course is probably a bit of everything,” said Park. “You have to be accurate off the tee. You have to be accurate with the irons, and you have to putt really well. It has very slopey greens.”

Stephanie Meadow from Jordanstown is the Irish interest in the event.