World No. 2 Park In-bee set for LPGA return in Thailand

World No. 2 Park In-bee is set to return to LPGA Tour action this week in Thailand, having recovered from a back injury sustained at the start of the season.

The 27-year-old South Korean will compete at the Honda LPGA Thailand at Siam Country Club Pattaya Old Course in Chonburi, starting Thursday.

This is the fourth LPGA event of the season, but Park's first full competition. In the last week of January, she withdrew from the season-opening Pure Silk Bahamas LPGA Classic after one round with a back injury.

She missed the next two events, but upon arriving in Thailand last Sunday, Park said she was completely healthy.

Park has a good history at this tournament, having won in 2013 and finished in second the following year. She tied for seventh in 2015.

Park will also have a chance to close in on the No. 1-ranked Lydia Ko, who finished second at the ISPS Handa Women's Australian Open last weekend but is skipping the Thai event.

Ko currently has 11.41 points, with Park trailing at 9.87 points.

In Park's absence, South Koreans have won two of the first three LPGA tournaments this season. Kim Hyo-joo was the champion in the Bahamas, and Jang Ha-na followed suit by taking the Coates Golf Championship in Florida earlier this month.

Another South Korean, Amy Yang, is the defending champion this week. (Yonhap)