Park Ji-Eun Scores Her Lowest Shots, 8-Under in 18 Holes

`On a sharp rise just before the season’s first major tournament.`

Park Ji-Eun (Ihwa Women’s Univ.) has occupied the tied 3rd place in the U.S. LPGA Tour Welch’s/Circle K Championship (total prizes of 800,000 dollars), scoring her lowest shots in 18 holes (8-under 64) in the final 4th round.

The final day of the tournament was on the 25th at Tucson’s Randolph GC (par 72), Arizona.

Starting off well in the 1st and 2nd holes with consecutive birdies, Park hit her 3rd birdie in the 8th hole (par 3) to reduce 3 shots in the first half. In the 2nd half at the 13th hole (par 5), she put the ball 5 meters from the hole-cup in 2-on, and grabbed a eagle. She continued on to add 3 more birdies, and finished the game with the total of 15-under 273.

Although Park failed to win her season’s first title by losing to winner Laura Diaz by 3 strokes, her performance was promising to assure good results in the 2002 season’s first major title, Nabisco Championship.

Meanwhile, last year’s 3-time solo 2nd and 1-time tied 2nd runner, Laura Diaz, hit 4-under 68 on the day to win over Julie Inkster (U.S.A.) by 1 shot.

In the case of Kim Mi-Hyun (KTF), she slipped from the tied 4th position on the previous day all the way down to the tied 36th with the day’s 4-over 76 and the total of 7-under 281. Also, Jang Jeong (Zinus) only managed to reduce 1 stroke, and finished the tournament at tied 29th (8-under 280).

Young-Sik Ahn ysahn@donga.com