LAGUNA – Sung Hyun Park backed her esteemed world No. 1 ranking with a kind of start rarely achieved on an exacting course like The Country Club then held sway in windy conditions at the back to shoot a three-under 69 for a two-stroke lead over amateur Yuka Saso and Taiwanese Wu Hsiao-Ling and Lin Tzu-Chi at the start of the TCC Ladies Invitational here in Sta. Rosa yesterday.
With a huge gallery, that included a host of foreign media, Korean fans and local enthusiasts, Park put her near-flawless shotmaking and iron play on display in the first nine holes, producing three birdies and oohs and ahhs from the crowd before slowing down with a two-birdie, two-bogey effort in the last nine holes for a 33-36 card.
“I didn’t expect to play this well. I know that the course is hard but I also know that I could do better in the second round,” said Park, who hit an errant tee-shot on the long par-3 11th and three putted No. 15 for her bogeys in her first tournament after claiming the world’s top ranking Tuesday. She also flubbed at least three makeable birdie putts on the surface that proved not as fast as the field expected it to be.
Though her backside stint left so much to be desired from a player of her caliber, it still proved enough to put her on top of the $100,000 event she’s expected to dominate although Saso likewise lived up to the pre-tournament hype with a 71 behind a strong finish that should further impressed the most fancied player in the fold.
The Asian Games gold medalist actually failed to shake off jitters playing against Park and Dottie Ardina, dropping a stroke on the first hole. But after a run of pars, the recent Philippine Amateur Ladies Open winner birdied the 10th and gunned down another birdie on the 16th to get back into early contention in the 54-hole championship.
