Pak Se-ri invited Shin Ji-ae because she had a strong desire to participate in the Olympics
"(Shin) Ji-Ae has a strong desire to participate in the Olympics."
Shin will participate in the Per Hills Pak Se-ri Championship of the LPGA tour on Monday (local time). Rumor has it that Pak Se-ri, the tournament's host, invited Shin in person.
"I say hello to Shin Ji-Ae every year. I talked to her last winter and she talked about the upcoming competition. Shin expressed her desire to participate in the competition because it was March before the Asian season began," Park said at a briefing session at the Westin Chosun Hotel in central Seoul on Wednesday.
To qualify for the Olympics, Shin must perform well in the world rankings, which will be announced on June 24. Athletes from the top 15 in the world rankings are allowed to participate, four per country. Shin's current world ranking is 16th, fourth behind Ko Jin-young (6th), Kim Hyo-joo (9th), and Yang Hee-young (15th). Her remaining four months will have to be spent raising her further in the world rankings.
Shin Ji-ae has 65 wins in global tours, including 21 in Korean LPGA tours, 11 in US LPGA tours (two in major tournaments) and 28 in Japan's JLPGA tours. This is the first time that a Korean player has ranked No. 1 in the world in women's golf, and she also topped the prize money list of the LPGA tour. However, she has no experience in participating in the Olympics yet. Since she peaked at the LPGA and JLPGA both last year, she is aiming for her first Olympics this year in anticipation of good performance.
Meanwhile, the Perhills Pak Se-ri Championship is the first time that a Korean player's name has been included in the LPGA Tour's name. This year, the LPGA Tour will host only three competitions, including the Pak Se-ri Championship, the Mizuho American Open in May (Michelle We West), and Annika Driving in November (Anika Sorenstam). “I have high expectations for the competition in my name in the US,” said Pak Se-ri, CEO of Baz International, a sports culture company. “I will do my best to grow into a competition that gives dreams and hopes to players.”