'I could not have imagined this moment,' says Park In-bee
Park In-bee after winning the 2013 Women's U.S. Open at Sebonack Golf Club in Southampton, New York. / UPI-Yonhap
By Kim Da-hee
Korean golfer Park In-bee has expressed her thought on being inducted into the Hall of Fame in Seattle.
The golfer, 27, is about to be the 25th Hall of Fame member when she completes her first round at the KPMG Women's PGA Championship at Sahalee on Thursday.
Looking back on her 10 years on the LPGA, she said she could not have imagined being inducted into the Hall of Fame.
“I am preparing for an important day marking my 10th active year on the LPGA,” she said in press conference at Sahalee on Wednesday. “I’ll be tense but I will try to enjoy the moment.”
She will be the youngest player inducted into the LPGA Hall of Fame and the second Korean following Park Se-ri in 2007.
Park In-bee expressed her gratitude to Park Se-ri, saying: “Park, who is a pioneer in Korean women golf, built a path for us.”
She said her interest in golf developed after she saw Park Se-ri.
“I wouldn’t have been able to think about playing on the LPGA without her,” she said. “Just as Park is my role model, I want to be a role model for others.”
Asked about her injured finger, which forced her to withdraw from the Kingsmill Championship on May 19-22 and the LPGA Volvik Championship on May 26-29 in the U.S., she said her finger was much better.
“However, I cannot say I will be ready to represent Korea at the Olympics in August because I won’t take the chance if I am not in top shape,” she added.