In this AFP photo, Chun In-gee of South Korea plays a chip shot on the seventh hole during the final round of the AIG Women's Open at Muirfield in East Lothian, Scotland, on Sunday. (AFP-Yonhap)
South Korean LPGA player Chun In-gee has cracked the top 10 in the world rankings for the first time in over four years, on the heels of a runner-up finish at the season's final major championship.
Chun climbed a spot to reach No. 10 in the latest world rankings released Tuesday. The last time she had ranked inside the top 10 was in March 2018, when she was No. 8. Chun sat as high as No. 3 on different occasions in late 2016 and early 2017.
Chun began this year ranked 35th.
On Sunday in Scotland, Chun lost to Ashleigh Buhai of South Africa in a playoff at the AIG Women's Open. Chun rallied from a five-shot deficit in the final round to force the sudden-death affair, but Buhai edged out Chun on the fourth playoff hole with a par.
In June, Chun ended a four-year title drought by winning the KPMG Women's PGA Championship, her third major title and her fourth LPGA win overall. A victory at the Women's Open wuld have made Chun the eighth player to complete a career grand slam -- winning four different majors at least once each.
Despite the near miss, Chun is enjoying the most lucrative season of her career. She is No. 2 on the money list this year with just under $2.5 million, more than her earnings from the last four seasons combined.
Another South Korean star, Ko Jin-young, remained at No. 1. She has been at the top since Jan. 31. Kim Hyo-joo, who stayed at No. 8, is the one other South Korean inside the top 10. (Yonhap)
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