2019 The Country Club Ladies Invitational: Park rules the ‘World’
Sung Hyun Park enhanced her bid to becoming the world’s No. 1 this early, putting up a strong start and a stronger finish to capture the Women’s World Championship at Sentosa Golf Club’s Tanjong Course in Singapore Sunday.
Four behind world No. 1 Ariya Jutanugarn after 54 holes, Park birdied five of the first seven holes, reeled back with a bogey on the par-5 No. 8 but razed the backside with another four-birdie splurge under pressure.
She finished with a pair of tournament-best 32s, pooling a 15-under 273 to beat Aussie Minjee Lee by two. The Seoul native, who recently inked a two-year sponsorship deal with Solaire, pocked $225,000.
As Jutanugarn struggled in the early going after firing a 66 Saturday to seize control, Lee took command with a 33 start but failed to match Park’s sizzling windup, settling for second at 275 after a 69 with another Korean, Jin Young Ko, ending up tied at third at 277 with Spain’s Azahara Muñoz after carding identical 69s.
Jutanugard never recovered from a double-bogey mishap on No. 4 despite rebounding with three birdies as she also dropped two strokes on the par-5 13th and closed out with two bogeys in the last five. She wound up with a 75 and dropped to joint eighth at 280.
The victory further made Park, who placed joint 21st in last week’s Honda LPGA Thailand, the overwhelming favorite in the first The Country Club Invitational where she is the top draw following her tie-up with Solaire.
