Inbee Park of South Korea, ranked No. 2 in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings, has been cleared by doctors to play in the Lorena Ochoa Invitational this week at Club de Golf Mexico in Mexico City.
Park was forced to withdraw from the Blue Bay LPGA in China last week because of pain in the middle finger of her left hand caused by a cyst.
“Nothing major,” said David Kim, Park’s agent. “She will be OK as long as she relaxes for a week. She will be good to go by the time she plays Lorena’s event.”
Park returned home to South Korea and was examined by doctors, who gave her the go-ahead to play in the Ochoa tournament and the LPGA Tour’s season-ending CME Globe Tour Championship next week.
In the last two events, Park hopes to regain the No. 1 ranking from Lydia Ko of New Zealand and also is battling the 18-year-old for the Rolex Player of the Year award, the Vare Trophy (for low scoring average) and the LPGA Tour season money title.
Ko, who is guaranteed to be ahead in the Race to the CME Globe points race heading to the finale next week, won’t be in Mexico after withdrawing from the tournament because of fatigue.
“Yes, just fatigue from four weeks of tournaments in Asia,” said Michael Yim of IMG, Ko’s agent. “She wants to be ready and recharged heading into CME.”
Ko won the finale and the season-long race last year.
