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Park Sung-hyun, Lexy Thompson compete for the longer shot

Park Sung-hyun, Lexy Thompson compete for the longer shot

Posted August. 31, 2016 07:13,   

Updated August. 31, 2016 07:39

한국어
Park Sung-hyun, a rising star in the Korean LPGA, was mired into controversy over her decision to withdraw from the H1 Resort Women’s Open, where she aimed at a third consecutive win, last week.

After a poor start with a four-over par in the first round, Park gave up on the tournament mentioning her caddie’s injury. She lost six more shots in the nine holes in the second round. According to the Korean LPGA, it was the first one who withdraws from a tournament. Some raised suspicions that it might be her trick to keep her best record – no.1 in average shots (69.51 shots). If a golfer withdraws from a tournament, the record will not be kept. Amid criticism that the 23-year-old did not do her best, her caddie explained that Park had no other option.

Park will play at Hanwha Financial Classic of the Korean LPGA at Golden Bay Golf Course in Taean, South Chungcheong Province, for four days from Thursday. It is a big tournament with total prize money of 1.2 billion won (1.08 million U.S. dollars) and the top prize money of 300 million won (269,106 dollars). Park is known to have focused on preparing for the tournament without media exposure. She even declined an interview by the Korean LPGA.

Park needs to turn around as she will compete with Lexy Thompson, a 21-year-old American golfer of the LPGA, for a long shot. Park, who is ranked 13th in the world, is the top in the average driving distance of 265 yards in Korea, while Thompson, ranked 4th in the world, is top in the LPGA with 281 yards. Thompson won last year's LPGA KEB Hana Bank Championship at Sky72 Golf Course in Incheon, and Park was a runner-up. Park is a co-lead in the KLPGA with five eagles based on her long shots, and Thompson is the LPGA's No. 1 with eight eagles.

Other front runners are Jessica Korda of the U.S. who garnered four LPGA tour wins with Thompson, depending champion Haru Nomura of Japan, who had two wins in this season’s LPGA tour, and Shin Ji-eun of Hanwha.



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