$10 million in earnings a chip shot for Park

Park In-bee

Park In-bee, the top-ranked female golfer in the world, is about to join the LPGA Tour’s $10 million club.

Park, who made her LPGA debut in 2007, has earned a total of $9,950,984.

She would be the ninth player and second Korean to earn more than $10 million in prize money, after Park Se-ri with $12,527,577.

Annika Sorenstam is the LPGA’s career money leader with $22,573,192.

Park has earned more than $2.2 million in each of the past three years.

The 2015 LPGA Tour starts with the Coates Golf Championship on Jan. 29 in Ocala, Florida. The four-day event offers $15 million in prize money, with the winner taking home $225,000.

If Park earns at least $50,000 by finishing fourth, she will top $10 million for her career.

That would not be unusual, as she finished fourth or higher in eight of 10 recent tournaments.

It will be the first time she has competed in the LPGA’s season-opening tournament, as she historically has not competed in January.

“I’m planning to start early this year to try to get used to the tour as soon as possible,” she said.

After participating in the first two LPGA tournaments, Park plans to skip the third and return for the Honda LPGA Thailand on Feb. 26 at Siam Country Club in Chonburi.

Reaching the eight-digit level in prize money may sound amazing enough, but Park has set a higher goal for herself this season: achieving the Career Grand Slam by winning the British Open in July or the Evian Championship in September.

BY KIM DU-YONG [bongmoon@joongang.co.kr]