Park Chan-ho's Nightmare: "15 Over Par 87 Strokes"

Recommended Player Participates in Shinhan Donghae Open
1R 15th Hole Quintuple Bogey, Last Place 138th
"Feels Like a Grand Slam Home Run, But Still Love Golf"

It is a nightmare for the 'Korean Express' Park Chan-ho.

On the 7th, at the opening round of the 39th Shinhan Donghae Open (total prize money 1.4 billion KRW) held at Club 72 Ocean Course (Par 72, 7,204 yards) in Jung-gu, Incheon, he collapsed with a 15-over-par 87. Entering as a recommended player, he is in last place at 138th. This tournament is jointly organized by three organizations: the Korean Professional Golfers' Association (KPGA) Korean Tour, the Japan Golf Tour Organization (JGTO), and the Asian Tour.

Park Chan-ho is disappointed after missing a birdie putt on the 17th hole of the first round at the Shinhan Donghae Open.
[Photo by KPGA]

Park Chan-ho made 1 birdie, 4 bogeys, 2 double bogeys, 1 triple bogey, and 1 quintuple bogey. On the 15th hole (par 4), his tee shot flew into the out-of-bounds (OB) area, and due to consecutive shanks in the long rough of the penalty area, he finished the hole in a staggering 9 strokes. Park said, "It felt like I got hit by a grand slam," but added, "Still, I love golf."

Park Chan-ho holds the record for the most wins by an Asian player with 124 career victories in Major League Baseball. He is also a skilled amateur golfer. He is participating as a recommended player with a certified handicap of 3 or below from the Korea Golf Association. Last May, he scored 13 over par at the Woori Financial Championship, and in June at the SK Telecom Open, he scored 12 over par and was cut off.

Park Chan-ho vowed to complete this tournament. He said, "Golf is fun and I feel as passionate about it as I do about baseball," and added, "Tomorrow, my goal is to make par on the 15th hole and finish with a single-digit over par."

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