Jeong Yoon-ji's Winning March "Saw Only 5 Birdies?"... Kim Ga-young's 'Hole-in-One'

Yoon Ji Jung Leads by One Stroke in Round 1 of OK Financial Group Park Seri Invitational
Yu Hae Ran Tied for 2nd, Defending Champion Kim Hyo Joo Tied for 5th, Park Min Ji Tied for 37th

Jung Yoon-ji is teeing off at the 10th hole on the first day of the OK Financial Group Park Se-ri Invitational. Photo by KLPGA

[Asia Economy Reporter No Woo-rae] Jung Yoon-ji (22) is on her way to victory.

On the 23rd, Jung Yoon-ji fired a 5-under-par round on the first day of the KLPGA Tour OK Financial Group Park Se-ri Invitational (total prize money 800 million won) held at Serenity Country Club in Cheongju, Chungbuk (par 72, 6,739 yards), taking the top spot on the leaderboard. Yu Hae-ran (21), Jang Eun-su, and Lee Ji-hyun3 (all 24) are tied for 2nd place (4-under-par 68), while defending champion Kim Hyo-joo (27) and five others are tied for 5th place (3-under-par 69), engaging in a chase.

Starting at the 10th hole, Jung Yoon-ji made five birdies without any bogeys. After making her first birdie at the 15th hole, she swept three consecutive birdies at the 17th, 18th, and 1st holes. She continued the good momentum by adding another birdie at the 5th hole. Leading by one stroke, Jung Yoon-ji seized her chance for a second win of the season since her first career victory at the E1 Charity Open in May. She has shown a steep upward trend, finishing in the top 5 three times in the last four tournaments.

Jung Yoon-ji exclaimed, "My putting was good," adding, "Even when I missed the green, thanks to putting, I was able to finish the round without any bogeys." She continued, "The day after the tournament, I try to use my time as efficiently as possible," explaining, "This helps me to reorganize well and maintain good form."

Kim Hyo-joo, who has neck muscle stiffness, recorded four birdies and one bogey despite not being in top condition. After completing the first round, she received physical therapy and practiced. Kim Hyo-joo expressed strong determination to defend her title, saying, "I hope the pain will lessen tomorrow," and "I want to make more birdies."

Kim Ga-young (20) enjoyed the luck of a hole-in-one at the 7th hole (par 3). This was her first hole-in-one in an official tournament, and she received a luxury watch worth 30 million won as a prize. Kim Ga-young combined the hole-in-one with three birdies and two bogeys to finish tied for 5th place. Last week's major KB Financial Star Championship winner Park Min-ji (24) exchanged two birdies for two bogeys and could not lower her score, finishing tied for 37th place (even par 72).

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.