Las Vegas, Nevada (August 1, 2013)–Inbee Park won two Nevada State High School golf titles while playing at Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas. She also finished in the top 10 of Las Vegas' LPGA Tour event at the time, the Takefuji Classic, a couple times as a young amateur. Now she looks to re-write the history books at the 2013 Ricoh Women's Birtish Open where she is looking to become the first golfer–male or female–to win four professional majors in a year. After round one, Park was in with a 3-under par 69 and well on her way to what some would consider the Grand Slam, even though the LPGA Tour added a fifth major for this season. –By Brian Hurlburt, Follow @LVGolfInsider.
Only Mickey Wright (1961-62) and Tiger Woods (2000-2001) have won four consecutive professional major championships, though not in one calendar year. Bobby Jones won four major championships in a single season in 1930 including two amateur events, then considered majors. Coincidentally, one of the four major championships earned by Wright came in the LPGA Championship in 1961 which was played at the Stardust Country Club (today known as Las Vegas National Golf Club).
“I'm really looking forward to going there and playing for the fourth major win,” Park, who no longer lives in Las Vegas, told LPGA.com. “Not many people, not many golfers get that kind of opportunity, winning three majors and going for a calendar grand slam at the British Open on such a historic golf course.”
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Park's peers in women's golf are watching this week, with many rooting for her to do it while also understanding how big the accomplishment will be should Park walk off the 18th hole at St. Andrews as the champion. “It doesn't get any bigger than that,” Sorenstam said of winning four majors in a season. “Nobody, male or female has won four professional majors in a row in the same season and this would be one of the biggest feats in golf history. The fact that it could be done at St. Andrews and the home of golf would make it that much more special.”
Park, who won the 2012 LPGA Official Money List and Vare Trophy for lowest scoring average, became the first LPGA player in the modern era to win the first three majors in a season at the U.S. Women’s Open in June. Babe Zaharias, the only other player to accomplish the feat, did it in 1950 when she won all three majors played that year – the Titleholders Championship, the Women’s Western Open and the U.S. Women’s Open. Mickey Wright (1961) and Pat Bradley (1986) are the only other players in LPGA history to win three majors in a season, though not consecutively. Photo courtesy LVRJ.com and City of Champions: the History of Professional Golf in Las Vegas.