Park Sung-hyun made a resounding return to form at the LPGA with an impressive 7-under-par opening round at the LPGA Standard Portland Classic, held on August 15 at Columbia Edgewater Country Club in Portland, Oregon.

Park, along with Brooke Henderson (Canada), Miranda Wang (China), Grace Kim (United States), and Lee Jeong-eun, finished the first round at the top of the leaderboard, establishing a solid foundation to contend for the title.

Despite owning seven career LPGA titles, including two majors, Park Sung-hyun had struggled for several seasons. Her return to the leaderboard's top tier on day one marks her first such post in seven years since 2018.

Previously, Park finished tied for 11th at the KLPGA Jeju Samdasoo Masters, acknowledging her improved performance and expressing optimism: “I think I can play well in the United States as well.”

With the next four tournaments—starting with this one—crucial for breaking into the CME ranking top 80, Park delivered a focused performance, stringing together four straight birdies from holes 2 to 5 and shaving seven strokes off her score.

A bogey on the sixth hole was immediately followed by a birdie on the seventh, and Park further improved her score with birdies on the 10th, 12th, and 13th during the back nine.

While she was unable to add more birdies in the closing holes, Park’s stable play stood out with an average driving distance of 267 yards and just three missed fairways and greens each.

She finished the round with 28 putts, showcasing putting and shot control reminiscent of her prime.

After the match, Park commented, “Recently, I’ve felt comfortable with both my shots and putting, and that feeling carried over well today. I putted with confidence on the greens,” she said. Park also noted that her focus on consistency while preparing for tournaments in Korea provided motivation for her performance in the U.S., emphasizing how her homecoming strengthened her resolve.

Lee Jeong-eun joined the lead group with an eagle and six birdies, delivering a standout opening round. Teeing off from the tenth, Lee impressed with a direct eagle on the first hole of her back nine.

Yoo Hae-ran followed with a 6-under-par to place tied for sixth, while Ko Jin-young finished at 5-under for a joint 10th position after round one.

Note “This article was translated from the original Korean version using AI assistance, and subsequently edited by a native-speaking journalist.”

Photo=Yonhap News, MHN DB