As if capturing the fourth leg of the career Grand Slam wasn’t going to be enough of a challenge for Inbee Park this week, she’ll now be chasing her seventh major championship with a bad back.

Tuesday at the RICOH Women’s British Open, Park withdrew from the day’s pro-am due to spasms in her lower back, which she believes were due to the long flight from Michigan, the site of last week’s Meijer LPGA Classic.

“You know, it was hard to bend down yesterday, so I really didn’t want to irritate it,” Park said Wednesday. “Playing 18 holes yesterday in the cold weather was only going to do worse. I tried to stretch out and relax and work with my physio. It’s gotten a lot better today.”

The world No.1 says a physiotherapist travels with her weekly, assisting her in regular treatment and stretching. The two were able to work together enough this week to get Park back on the course Wednesday.

“I was able to play 18 holes today and with just a little bit of pain. So obviously not in full no pain condition, but there’s a little bit of pain, but I can deal with it.”

Park is making her first trip around Turnberry this week and has experienced a variety of conditions since arriving, teeing it up in windy weather Monday while enjoy calm and clear conditions Wednesday. The varied conditions could serve the South Korean well in preparing for all types of scenarios this weekend.

“The front nine was playing quite long into the wind,” said Park. “But today without the wind, the course was playing actually pretty nicely. It’s a lot easier than the Monday, and you can play so much different just depending on the weather, depending on the wind, depending on the rain. Now I’ve played in two different conditions, so I feel ready.”

This major championship is one that has eluded Park in her quest to complete the career Grand Slam, needing just the Women’s British Open to complete the feat. As the 54-hole leader last year at Royal Birkdale, Park carded a final round 77 to finish fourth, admitting Wednesday that pressure played a factor in her loss the past two years.

“2013 was obviously the craziest pressure. And then 2014 got a little bit better, and then this year, I feel a lot less pressure.”

While the top ranked player in the world enters this week having already notched a major victory as one of three wins this season, she’s struggled in recent weeks, coming off her worst finish of the year with a T-44 in Grand Rapids.

“I come into this week with no expectations,” said Park. “You get a couple of weeks like that where you don’t feel like you’re hitting the ball that well. It’s just all timing. It’s sad that it’s happening and it just happened last week and I’m not hitting the ball as great as I have been hitting it.”

Park couldn’t get a putt to drop at the U.S. Women’s Open and still managed a tie for third. With her putting now figured out, Park says it’s her ball striking she’s unhappy with.

“I’m just trying to play with it and play through it, and even if I hit it a little bit, I can putt good or play around the greens to save the score.”

Part of her success Park says she’s leaving up to luck.

“Luck really comes into play,” says Park. “Definitely the British Open is sort of, compared to other tournaments, the draw, the tee times, lie of the bunkers. I think golf it always has to do somewhat with luck but this week definitely has a lot to do with luck as well.”

She tees off Thursday at 11:59am alongside Stacy Lewis and Azahara Munoz.

Inbee Park Battling Back Pain in Grand Slam Quest

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