Korea’s Park Hyun-kyung opened her first Japan Ladies Tour event with a 69 featuring 5 birdies and 2 bogeys, finishing the day 3 under par and tied for 9th. After a strong front nine, she struggled with the wind on the back nine but found encouragement in her ball-striking and is targeting a lower score on the second day.
On the opening day of the NOBUTA GROUP Masters GC Ladies, her first event as a Japan Ladies Professional Golf Association (JLPGA) member, Park Hyun-kyung shot a 69 with 5 birdies and 2 bogeys to make a strong start at 3 under par, tied for 9th. She hit a number of precise approach shots on the front nine and made her club selections between the 5- and 6-irons after carefully reading the wind, continuing to lower her score through the early stages.
On the back nine, however, the wind direction changed sharply, making it increasingly difficult to judge the distance for second shots, and she finished the nine with 2 bogeys. Even so, she felt that her ball-striking was returning to form, saying at one point, “My shots have improved considerably,” particularly in reference to her play on the front nine.
After the tournament, she revealed that she has 12–13 sponsors, including the Japanese companies ヒラタ and トランスコスモス. Looking ahead to the next round, she identified her target as “making at least 2 birdies on the par-5s” and indicated that she intends to build on her strong start.
Her goal for the second day is “to hit the best shots I can, regain a good feel and leave with it.” In light of her performance in this tournament, she said she would refocus on consolidating her ball-striking and adapting to the wind in order to maintain her position near the top of the leaderboard.