Inbee Park aiming to add British Open to her laurels

Women's British Open: When is a career Grand Slam not a Grand Slam? That is the question for world number one Inbee Park ahead of the Women's British Open (live on BBC 2 from 1pm today).

The British Open is the only one of the ‘traditional’ major championships that Park has yet to win, but the Evian Championship only became the fifth major in 2013, a year after Park won the event, which was then called the Evian Masters.

“It would be nice if I can win it (the Evian) again,” said Park at Turnberry. “It’s the same trophy, isn’t it? I’ve won that event before. My name is on there whether it’s a major tournament or not.

“I’ve never put my name on the British Open trophy. That’s really my main goal. For me, the true Grand Slam would be winning the British Open.. .”

Park has won three times on the LPGA Tour this year to reclaim top spot in the world rankings from New Zealand teenager Lydia Ko.

Stephanie Meadow is the only Irish player in the field after Leona Maguire, the world's number one ranked amateur, and Hermione FitzGerald failed to come through final qualifying at Irvine in Scotland.


Paul Lawrie Matchplay: Scotland's Richie Ramsay believes the European Tour should be more "forward-thinking" and consider adding floodlit golf and mixed team events to its schedule.

Ramsay is among the 64-man field contesting this week’s inaugural Paul Lawrie Matchplay in his native Aberdeen, one of just three events in the 47-tournament schedule which is not a standard strokeplay competition.

The 32-year-old former US Amateur champion believes incoming chief executive Keith Pelley will be open to change.

Ramsay said: “We’ve got courses now in Turkey which are floodlit that you can play at night. We played a course in China this year (in the Shenzhen International) that was floodlit . . . you’ve got be proactive and set out your stall.”

Ramsay holds the course record at Murcar Links having carded a 62 in the Scottish Challenge in 2006. He faces India’s Shiv Kapur in the first round today.

Michael Hoey is the only Irish player taking part.

European Tour: Denmark's JB Hansen has some unfinished business to attend to in the rescheduled Madeira Islands Open at Santo da Serra this week.

Hansen held the clubhouse lead after the opening round of the original event back in March, before bad weather forced the tournament to be cancelled.

Four Irish players are competing: Kevin Phelan, Simon Thornton, Peter Lawrie and Ruaidhrí McGee.