Sung Hyun Park regained the No. 1 ranking after claiming her second victory of the season in steamy Arkansas. Who was there to congratulate her on the 18th green? The woman she toppled, fellow South Korean Jin Young Ko.
One gets the impression these two could pass the honor back and forth for a while.
Park, 25, hit an iron into the closing par 5 and two-putted for birdie from 35 feet to break free from a cluster of players at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship. Inbee Park, Danielle Kang and Hyo Joo Kim – all three major champions – were tied at 17-under 196 when Sung Hyun came to the final hole. A tap-in birdie there sealed her seventh LPGA title. Sung Hyun also won the HSBC Women’s World Championship last March in Singapore.
American Kang played the last five holes in 5 under to vault up the board with a closing 65. Inbee Park led the field after an opening 62 at Pinnacle Country Club. She also finished with a 65, as did Kim.
“I gave everything I got the last nine holes,” said Kang, “so came up one shot short.”
Inbee Park is still searching for her first victory of 2019 and it’s a surprising club that’s keeping her out of the winner’s circle.
“I’m probably hitting the ball better than when I was No. 1,” she said, “but the putter is that important in the game, and yeah, it just hasn’t been my club at the moment.”
Sung Hyun first became No. 1 in the world in November of 2017. This will be her fourth stint as the top-ranked player. She’d been No. 1 a total of 16 weeks when Ko took over in April after winning the 2019 ANA Inspiration.
Brittany Altomare finished alone in fifth at 16 under. The former Virginia standout is steadily increasing her chances of making her first U.S. Solheim Cup team this fall.
.png?w=600)
