In Gee Chun, runner-up here a year ago, doesn’t have a prediction of who the winner will be, but she can guarantee fans one thing.
“I can’t say which player will win,” Chun said, “but what I can tell you is that you are going to see some great golf this week.”
So Yeon Ryu doesn’t have a prediction either, but in her mind, she considers this championship right up there with a major.
“This is one of the championships that I want to win the most,” Ryu said. “So I am one of the players who want to win it the most. I think all I can do is my best, and of course, sometimes your best is not enough. You do need a little bit of luck. So I will just do my best under the circumstances and hopefully I’ll be a bit lucky.”
Lydia Ko was born here as well but moved to New Zealand when she was a child. Last year was her first time playing in the LPGA KEB Hana Bank Championship and she only broke par one day, finishing in solo 29th. Therefore, despite a torrid pace recently - two wins and a runner-up in her last three starts - Ko would be content with just gaining improvement over a year ago.
“This tournament last year was the first time where I played in front of the Korean fans in Korea. I had a great experience and wish I could have finished a lot better. So that’s I think my goal for this week, to have a better result than last year.”
On the Ocean Course at Sky 72 Golf Club, where the wind blows in strong from the north down through the golf course, anything can happen, and Ko thinks she’s figured out the recipe for the hilly layout.
“It’s a tough course, and it can get really windy as everyone can see outside,” Ko said. “So I think somebody who is really creative and holes a lot of putts will definitely be the winner at the end of the week.”
Ko would take over the world’s No. 1 ranking with a win this week.
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