Park Min-ji Makes First Hole-in-One in 12-Year Career at Her 200th KLPGA Tournament

Park Min-ji has achieved a long-awaited first hole-in-one at her 200th appearance on the KLPGA Tour, marking a significant moment in her career.

On August 24 at the final round of the KLPGA Tour BC Card·Hankyung Ladies Cup, held at Pocheon Hills Country Club in Gyeonggi-do, Park finished tied for ninth with a score of four under par 68.

Park aced the 6th hole (par 3), launching her ball with a 5-iron. Since her official tour debut in 2017, she had never made a hole-in-one in either a tournament or a practice round. This achievement came after a 12-year wait since she last recalled making a hole-in-one at age 16.

“Even during practice, I had never experienced a hole-in-one since starting on the tour, so this is my first in 12 years,” Park reflected after the round. She recalled, “I was aiming for the back right pin at a distance of 162 meters. My 5-iron shot rolled about 8 meters and went straight in. I was completely surprised as I never expected it.”

Park followed her hole-in-one with consecutive birdies on the 7th and 8th holes, building momentum. “I was one over par up to the 5th hole, so things weren’t looking good, but the hole-in-one brought me immediately under par,” she said with satisfaction.

Although she has frequently made eagles in past seasons—claiming nine or ten each year—she remarked, “A hole-in-one is truly difficult.”

The tied ninth finish is also her best result so far this season.

To commemorate her achievement, Park received a Robot Coffee Beat 3.0x machine worth approximately 80 million KRW as a prize. Not a coffee drinker herself, she announced, “I am considering donating it to somewhere in need.”

Reflecting on reaching her 200th tournament appearance, Park expressed gratitude: “I appreciate having the opportunity to play so many events. In the past, senior players had few tournaments, making 200 appearances nearly impossible, but now more players have chances to compete.”

Looking ahead, she added, “I hope to reach my 300th tournament in good health and continue competing.”

With her 20th career victory within reach, Park declared, “Although I have fallen a little short of a win, the tremendous support I receive has strengthened my determination to achieve another victory.”

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

Photo=MHN © Tae-seong Park