Park Ju-young, 36, scored a decisive victory in a duel between veteran players in their mid-30s.
Park defeated Lee Jung-min, 34, by 6&4 in the first round of group stage play at the 18th Doosan Match Play on the Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Tour, held Thursday at Ladena Golf Club (par 72) in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province. The score means Park led by six holes with four holes remaining.
Park seized the initiative with a birdie on the par-5 second hole, then won four consecutive holes with par-par-birdie-par from the fifth through eighth to build a five-hole lead. She closed out the match early with another birdie on the par-4 14th.
Park, known as a "mom golfer," had been scheduled to play alongside Bang Shin-sil and amateur Kim Seo-ah in the first and second rounds of last week's NH Investment & Securities Ladies Championship, with a long-drive showdown anticipated. However, she withdrew from the event due to a back strain.
Park is in Group 14 for this tournament along with Han Jin-sun, Choi Ga-bin and Lee Jung-min. Her victory in the opening match has boosted her hopes of advancing to the round of 16. Only the top finisher in each group advances.
