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| - Kim A-lim says she is still struggling to break through the "wall" separating her and the elite of women's golf as she prepares to defend her US Women's Open crown at The Olympic Club in San Francisco on Thursday. The 25-year-old South Korean conjured one of the most improbable wins in major history last December, overturning a five-shot deficit in the final round to snatch victory in her US Open debut. Her one-shot triumph in the pandemic-delayed major came after a remarkable birdie-birdie-birdie finish that left compatriot and world number one Ko Jin-young and Amy Olson tied for second. But while Kim's fairytale win looked to have marked the arrival of a new force in women's golf, the months since that victory at Houston's Champions Golf Club have been less kind to the world number 36. In six LPGA events since her US Open win in December, Kim has missed the cut three times, and finished tied for 55th place and 32nd place. Her lone top-10 finish came at the Lotte Championship in April, where she tied for 10th. Her missed cuts included her most recent tournament, last month's LPGA Pure Silk Championship in Virginia, as well as the opening major of 2021, the ANA Inspiration at Rancho Mirage. Those results mean that few are backing Kim to defend her title when the Open tees off in San Francisco this week, and the Korean acknowledged her struggles when speaking to reporters this week. "For now, I think I'm at the wall. I need to break through it," Kim said, adding that she believed good fortune had carried her to last year's Open. "Let me be honest with you -- I think I was lucky," she said when asked for the secret to her success in Houston. While Kim's form has nosedived since her victory last December, world number one Ko has made a more consistent start to the season posting four top-10 finishes in six events since February. The 25-year-old from Seoul is chasing a third major championship title since victories at the ANA Inspiration and Evian Championship in 2019. Although Ko made an early exit during last week's LPGA Match-Play event in Las Vegas, she believes her game is in good shape as she prepares to tackle an Olympic Club layout where accuracy will be crucial. "I'm playing good, and my swing or putting or short game, everything is not bad," said Ko. "The fairways are so narrow on this course, so first the important thing is keep the fairway, and greens are small too. "So if you hit drivers and irons well, I think playing good. But if not, it's going to be tough." Ko is likely to face a tough challenge from a crowded field of contenders in what is an era of unprecedented parity for women's golf. Thailand's Patty Tavatanakit became the sixth consecutive first-time major champion with her victory at the ANA Inspiration in April, and the 12th first-timer out of the last 15 major championships. Among those players hoping to extend the streak of first-time major winners is Ally Ewing, who battled through searing heat in Las Vegas last weekend to win the LPGA Match-Play event. "I'll definitely have to recharge the batteries a little bit more than I ever have leading into a US Open," Ewing said following her win in Nevada. "Momentum is huge I think, but I know we've got a big battle at Olympic Club. I'm going to let my body speak to me for the most part and trust that my game will translate no matter how many times I see the golf course." rcw/bgs
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