Park Eun-shin, Kos Record Title... "Did You See Those 2 Eagles?"

Park Eun-shin is on a winning march.

On the 20th, Park Eun-shin fired a course record-tying 8-under-par 64 in the first round of the Golfzon Open (total prize money 700 million KRW), a newly established tournament on the 2023 Korean Professional Golf (KPGA) Korean Tour, held at Golfzon County Ora in Jeju City, Jeju Island (par 72, 7,195 yards), taking the top spot on the leaderboard. Kang Kyung-nam, an 11-time Korean Tour champion, is chasing in second place with 6-under-par 66.

Park Eun-shin is teeing off at the 14th hole during the first round of the Golfzon Open.
[Photo by KPGA]

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Park Eun-shin collected two eagles and five birdies (with one bogey). His impressive start included a 4-stroke gain over the first four holes, featuring an eagle on the 11th hole (par 5) and consecutive birdies on the 12th and 13th holes. After a birdie on the 15th hole (par 5), he lost a stroke with a bogey on the 16th hole (par 4) and took a brief breather. Park added his second eagle on the 4th hole (par 5) and finished the round on a high note with consecutive birdies on the 5th and 6th holes. Leading by two strokes, he is aiming for his third career win, his first in five months since the Golfzon-Doray Open last November.

Park Eun-shin has been on a steep upward trajectory, having finished tied for 6th at the season-opening DB Insurance Promy Open that ended on the 9th. Park smiled broadly, saying, "My condition was good, and the weather was perfect for playing. Everything went well today." He added, "The two eagles were possible because the ball stuck well to the hole," and expressed his determination: "I will maintain this good momentum and focus over the remaining three days."

Seo Yo-seop and last year’s Rookie of the Year Bae Yong-jun started solidly with 4-under-par 68. Seo Yo-seop laid the groundwork to erase the disappointment of finishing third after narrowly missing a wire-to-wire victory at the DB Insurance Promy Open. Amateur national representatives Jo Woo-young and Jang Yoo-bin, who will compete in the Hangzhou Asian Games this September, both shot 4-under. Lee Hyung-jun and Kim Han-byeol carded 3-under-par 69, while last week’s DB Insurance Promy Open winner Ko Gun-taek posted 2-under-par 70.

“Golf world’s Woo Young-woo,” Lee Seung-min, appeared as a recommended player and exchanged four birdies for four bogeys, finishing even par 72. Lee Seung-min, a golfer with autism spectrum disorder, is making his 23rd Korean Tour appearance at this tournament. His personal best finish is 62nd at the 2018 DB Insurance Promy Open.

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