Five Takeaways Inbee Park's Victory at the Kia Classic

Photo provided by Ben Harpring

1) Inbee Park Earns Keys After Long Wait at the Dealership

In ten career appearances at the KIA Classic, Inbee Park always finished inside the top 25, including three runner-up finishes. The dealership finally agreed to the deal, as Park took the keys to a Kia Sorrento with a five-shot victory Sunday to record her 21st career win.

“I always love to play this week and I have played really, really well on this golf course but I was never able to win. I just looked at this trophy in the final round and I thought, I almost had it last -- couple of times, but I didn't win, and didn't end of winning it. So finally being able to win is a relief,” Park said at her victory press conference.

Her lead was as consistent as her pendulumlike tempo of a swing, winning her first wire to wire her LPGA Tour career victory. She navigated all the terrain Aviara Golf Club could offer, conquering the wind and rain with a bogey-free 66 Thursday, then clicking into cruise control through the Carlsbad sun at eight under the rest of the tournament, one of two players to shoot under par all four days.

Nerves did strike the 2016 Olympic Gold Medalist down the stretch until the reachable par four 16th. The LPGA Tour moved the tee box up to make it drivable for the field on the weekend, and Park struck with an eagle to make it a smooth ride to the victory circle.

The LPGA Hall of Famer is now tied for 25th most wins on the LPGA Tour with founder Marilynn Smith. The last time Park won the event before a major, at the 2013 Walmart Northwest Arkansas Championship, she went on to win the U.S. Women's Open the following week. She didn't shy away from the challenge of repeating at the ANA Inspiration next week.

“I would love to jump in the pond right now and wash myself up a little bit. Yeah, that would be really nice,” Park said.

2) Michelle Wie West returns to the LPGA Tour

Michelle Wie West returned to the LPGA Tour for the first time in 19 months, with a new last name and daughter since playing at the KPMG Women's PGA Championship at Hazeltine National. The five-time winner believed her career was over then, as she explained at her pre-tournament press conference Tuesday.

“I thought I was done, to be honest. After KPMG in 2019 I thought I was done, especially when I found out I was pregnant later that year. I thought that cemented it. I thought there was no chance of coming back, and I told my husband that. He was like, No, no, just think it through.

Then we found out that Makenna was going to be a girl and that just changed my perspective of everything. It was crazy how just that one little fact just changes everything,” Wie West said.

Like piecing together a puzzle time and time again without having all the pieces, the 31-year-old showed flashes of the talent that won five times. She'd have the centerpiece with a crushed 300-yard drive, then not find the corners missing a short par putt. She’d grab the corners, then put a tee shot in the water on the 18th. The assistant Solheim Cup Captain carded an 81 in her first round and improved to a 74 in the second round.

“Obviously still not where I want it to be, but a lot of progress, and that's the best thing. If I can improve by seven strokes every single day, I'll take it,” Wie West said after her round Friday.

Notably, she went from seven greens in regulation to ten round one to round two and 32 putts to 30. The heralded American star returns to the ANA Inspiration next week.

3) Sei Young Kim’s Top 25 Streak Comes to a Screeching Halt

After winning at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, Sei Young Kim asked the moderator, “No. 1 now?”

It was a goal of hers for 2020, and while she hasn’t outright said it in 2021, it’s a target she kept continuing to chip away at. Since October of 2019, Kim finished in the top 25 in every one of her starts, climbing the world ranking ladder from 13th to 2nd place heading into play this week.

Over that 16 start stretch, Kim recorded three wins, including her first major championship at the 2020 KPMG Women's PGA Championship. The 2016 Olympian also recorded 11 top 10s, and seven top 5s.

The streak stopped quicker than a Kia Sorrento with the brakes floored this week. After an opening round of even-par and a Friday of 76 moved Kim just outside of the cut line. She shot a 76 once over her top 25 streak at the 2020 U.S. Women's Open's final round.

Jin Young Ko’s 4th place finish will expand the gap between Kim and Ko and Inbee Park possibly passing Kim with the victory to be closest to the World No. 1. Nelly Korda, 3rd in the world, finished T10.

4) The Most Expensive Signature In Gee Chun Forgot to Make Costs Fourth Consecutive Top 10

The most consistent on the LPGA Tour was rolling at the Kia Classic. In Gee Chun, who opened up about a difficult battle with anxiety and depression over the last few years, showed the form that won majors in 2015 and 2016. The South Korean was four shots back after play Friday at T4, set to tee off in the TV window. Chun aimed her sights at a fourth straight top 10 finish and a fourth career victory.

Instead, late Friday night, LPGA Media tweeted out this nightmare scenario.

A signature cost her a chance at the $270,000 first-place check, and an opportunity to beat back her golf demons from the winner's circle. Chun seemed to take it as well as one could, posting to her personal Instagram, “I’ll have today’s painful lesson engraved deep inside me, and I’m going to move forward.”

The South Korean will tee it up at the ANA Inspiration next week. She posted top 25 finishes in three of the four majors in 2020, including a T7 at the AIG Women's Open at Royal Troon.

5) Past Major Champions Peaking Ahead of the ANA Inspiration

The Dinah Shore course's temperature is turning up with the play of major champions and past contenders this week. Inbee Park, Lexi Thompson, Jin Young Ko, Stacy Lewis, and Brooke Henderson all finished inside of the top 10. Nelly Korda, Amy Olson, and Minjee Lee, all in contention at majors last year in search of their first major title, finished within the top 10 as well.

The first major in golf will see some of the best in the game at top form.

Bets of the Week Analysis

Inbee Park (+1400)-1

Mel Reid (+15000)- T26

In Gee Chun (+4000)-DQ

Jennifer Kupcho (+5000) -MC

Jeongeun Lee6 (+6600)- MC

Tough to beat a win, as Park is the first correct selection in 2021. Her 14 to 1 odds reward bettors with 105 units, putting the overall return at +5%.

Mel Reid, at 150 to 1, imploded Sunday but was within five shots of the leader. Likewise, Chun was within striking distance before the DQ.

Lexi Thompson is atop the money list of players without a win and 2nd overall. She heads to the ANA Inspiration, her favorite tournament, as she told Karen Stupples this week, looking for her second victory under the shadow of the Mt. Jacinto mountain range.

2021

Units Bet: 100

Units Won: 105

ROI: +5%

*10 units allocated to year-long money race bet*

Current Money Title Positions

Lexi Thompson- 2nd

Brooke Henderson- 14th