Heeyoung Park's Fresh Start "8th Place, 4 Strokes Behind"… Danielle Kang Leads

Drive On Championship Day 1: 2 Under Par, Shedoff 2nd, Lydia Ko and Minjee Lee Tied 5th in 'Chase'

[Asia Economy Reporter No Woo-rae] Veteran Hee-young Park (33, Isu Group, photo) has made a refreshing start.

On the 1st (Korean time), at the Inverness Golf Club (par 72, 6,852 yards) in Toledo, Ohio, USA, Hee-young Park shot 2-under par on the first day of the LPGA Tour Drive On Championship (total prize money $1 million), placing tied for 8th. World No. 4 Danielle Kang (USA) leads with 6-under 66, followed by Jodi Ewart Shadoff (England) in 2nd place with 5-under 67. This tournament is the first held in five months since the suspension due to COVID-19 after the Australian Women's Open in February.

Hee-young Park recorded four birdies and two bogeys. Although she lost momentum with consecutive bogeys on holes 15 and 16 after birdies on holes 10 and 13, she changed the atmosphere with a birdie on the 18th hole (par 4) and secured another birdie on the 8th hole (par 5) in the back nine. She relied on shot accuracy, missing the fairway and green only four times each. She is four strokes behind the leader and has a chance to collect another winner's trophy since her third career win at the ISPS Handa Vic Open, the third event of the 2020 season, in February.

Danielle Kang swept up six birdies to dominate the top of the leaderboard. C?line Boutier (France) is tied for 3rd at 4-under 68, while Minjee Lee (Australia) and Lydia Ko (New Zealand) are tied for 5th at 3-under 69. South Korea's Hee-young Yang (31, Woori Financial Group), Minseo Kwak (30), and Jiwon Jeon (23) are tied for 28th at 1-over 73, and In-ji Jeon (26, all KB Financial Group) is tied for 94th at 5-over 77. 'Number 2' Nelly Korda (USA) is tied for 80th at 4-over 76.