Thursday 14 August 2014 18:44, UK
Defending champion Inbee Park is hoping victory in this week's Wegmans Championship at New York will boost her chances of returning to the top of the world rankings.
Since taking the honours at Locust Hill Country Club in 2013, the South Korean registered three further victories on the LPGA Tour, including the US Womens Open.
She has since lost top spot to American Stacy Lewis but a recent run of good form - including winning the Manulife Financial Classic, a fourth-place finish in the Ricoh Women's British Open and a play-off defeat to Mirim Lee at last week's Meijer LPGA Classic - has lifted her back to third place in the standings.
Victory this weekend could see her reel in second-placed Lydia Ko of New Zealand but Park admits she has her eye on the ultimate prize.
"Probably for the last month or so I have been playing really well," she told reporters ahead of the tournament, which is live on Sky Sports.
"I played really good last week at the Meijer Classic as well although I got a bit unlucky there. I feel my game is a little better now and hopefully a couple of good wins will get me back to No 1 again."
World No 18 Catriona Matthew of Scotland, who lost to Park at the third extra hole of the championship last year, believes she is returning to the top of her game following a bout of illness.
"Yeah, I feel good coming into this," she said. "I played really pretty well in this last year. I was ill at the British so I had a bad week there but then played well last week so I feel like hopefully coming into some form."
Two of this year's major winners - Lexi Thompson, who won the Kraft Nabisco Championship and British Open champion Mo Martin - will tee it up this week but there is no place for US Open champion Michelle Wie who faces a month on the sidelines due to a finger injury.
Teenage sensation Ko, already a two-time winner on the LPGA Tour this season, is targeting a first major title this weekend.
The 17-year-old captured the top spot at the Swinging Skirts Classic in April and the Marathon Classic last month, to move just behind Lewis in the world rankings.
"It's been a really great experience playing these different types of majors and I was fortunate enough to play this last year and really had fun out there," she said.
‘’Every major is different in its own way, and it's always exciting because we all prepare for the majors. But to me I didn't perform that well so I'm going to try to think of it as just another tournament, and hopefully I'll hit some good shots and roll in some good putts."
Watch all four rounds of the Wegmans LPGA Championship starting this Thursday from 5.30pm on Sky Sports 4
