Sung Hyun Park Shoots 67 for the First Time in Two Years

Jeju Samdasoo Masters 1st Round: 5 Under Par Surge
Shot 66 at the 2023 BMW Championship in October
"Felt Huge Cheers and Excitement for the First Time in a Long While"

Sung Hyun Park, known for her unique style, made a rare and exciting run in a domestic tournament.

On August 7, at Cypress Golf & Resort (par 72, 6,586 yards) in Seogwipo, Jeju Island, she shot a 5-under-par 67 in the first round of the Jeju Samdasoo Masters on the KLPGA Tour, which has a total prize fund of 1 billion KRW. This is the first time in two years that Park has recorded a score of 67 or lower since she shot a 66 in the fourth round of the BMW Championship on the LPGA Tour in October 2023, after enduring a prolonged slump. It is also the first time in nearly seven years that she has shot 67 or lower on the KLPGA Tour, the last being a 67 in the third round of the 2018 Seri Pak Invitational.

Sung Hyun Park is reading the green on the 15th hole of the first round at the Jeju Samdasoo Masters. Photo by KLPGA

Park took a break from the LPGA Tour last year due to injury. Although she returned this year, she still had not produced any notable results. On this day, she carded seven birdies and two bogeys. She made seven birdies over 12 holes, but also recorded two bogeys on the remaining six holes. At one point, her shot-making and putting were so strong that she climbed to the top of the leaderboard.

Park said, "Before coming to Jeju Island, I played a practice round on the mainland, and my shots were good then. I think that carried over into this tournament," adding, "Except for two iron shots that I pulled to the left, I was very satisfied with my overall performance. My putting, in particular, felt really good. The weather was also not too hot, which was nice."

She continued, "I'm disappointed about the two bogeys at the end. Bogeys can happen at any time, but it's frustrating because they came when I was riding good momentum." Park added, "The next three days are much more important. I'll go to the practice range and make sure that the late iron shot mistakes don't happen again tomorrow."

Park especially expressed her gratitude for the support of her fan club, 'Namdalla.' She said, "At the end of the front nine, I saw some fans get so excited they almost fainted. It had been a long time since I felt such loud cheers and energy. I'm grateful to have given them that feeling, and I truly appreciate such passionate support."