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Park So-yeon earns her first career title in 167th appearance over seven years
By Kim Jeong-kyoo
Park So-yeon ended her long title drought Sunday, winning the 6th Kyochon Honey Ladies Open at
the Ferrum Club in Yeoju, Gyeonggi Province.
The win was her first career title since she became a full member of the KLPGA Tour in August, 2011.
She had to wait seven years to hold her most coveted trophy aloft. She triumphed in her 167th appearance.
Before clinching the championship, she participated in six competitions this year, and her best score
was a sole second-place finish last week at the CreaS F and C KLPGA Championship.
The 26-year-old exuberant Park, overcoming a bogey on the 10th, achieved a wire-to-wire triumph.
For the day, she averaged roughly 250 meters in driving distance, hitting greens in regulation 88.89
percent, with 33 putts.
Park eked out to edge out Park Min-ji and Choi Min-kyung by one stroke, fighting off the pressure of
the closing day battle. She carded a one-under 71 for an overall score of 11-under 205.
"I could overcome those tense pressures and several crises thanks to my father's consoling advice:
'Stay calm and composed,'" a weeping Park said in a televised interview.
Edgy Park put up an uptight fight with a serene calm, holding off the challenge of her resolute rivals.
Also, she held on easily with hardly any blunders as her close rivals including Lim Hee-jeong and Kim
Min-sun5 faltered early.
Park received 100 million won in prize money after displaying an unswerving victory.
Entering the final round, Park led the field with three strokes clear of Lim Hee-jeong at seven-under. A
batch of six others bunched up within striking distance.
Some contestants rose, menacingly making a furious run at Park for the title. Others fell helplessly,
fading away early out of sight.
Park got off to a hot start with a birdie on the opening hole, extending her sole lead to five strokes.
However, after a long, precarious train of eight pars, she made the turn with a single stroke clear of
Park Min-ji at 10-under.
Park made her first and last mistake on the 10th, pulling her tee shot on the severe slope inside the
penalty area. She bogeyed the hole to share the lead with Park. For sure, it could be a fatal blunder
allowing the trophy to slip from her grasp.
However, getting through the 11th without incident, Park reeled in a precious birdie on the 12th to get
back her lone lead.
She stood on the par-5 18th tee, with a one-shot advantage over Park and Choi waiting in the
clubhouse. Despite her tee shot pushed just a touch, she put her ball safely on the green with her
third shot, setting up a chance for a birdie.
After an easy tap-in par, she raised her hands high, bursting into tears.
Choi (26) chased after Park by five strokes on the off-chance that she might be able to catch her. She
got off to a decent start with consecutive pars before birdying the fourth to share third place.
After collecting her third birdie of the day from a way long range on the 12th, she was two strokes
back of the leader.
Choi went on to birdie the 15th and 17th to pull within a stroke, with the par-5 18th remaining to play.
She failed to birdie the last hole, sharing second place with Park.
Co-runners-up Park (20) started with three pars on the first three holes. Making five birdies on the
front nine, she pulled within three strokes at the turn. She played as if enchanted by a spell, carding a
five-under 31 on the out course.
Park made a furious run at Park So-yeon. Playing in the 15th hole, she found herself sharing the lead
with Park So-yeon, who had a bogey on the 10th.
Her surge stopped at the 12th. Park made a train of seven pars to fire a bogey-free seven-under 65
for an aggregate score of 10-under 206. She ended with a stroke shy of the leader, settling for second
place with Choi.
Defending champion Kim Hae-rym (29) finished at 2-over 74 to tie for 14th place.
