May 27, 2017: Sung Hyun Park is living up to the hype.
With the nickname Shut Up and Attack, expectations were high for the 2017 rookie when she took up membership on Tour this season. Friday, Park fired a 7-under par, 65 to take a two-stroke lead into the weekend at the LPGA Volvik Championship at Travis Pointe Country Club.
Aditi Ashok fired six birdies and four bogeys in a determined second round effort that helped her climb up to T44.
Park sits at 12-under par through 36-holes, ahead of Suzann Pettersen and Minjee Lee at 10-under par. Lizette Salas, Cydney Clanton, Shanshan Feng, Sarah Jane Smith and Jennifer Song are tied for fourth at 9-under par.
“I started birdie-birdie on the first two holes and after that I kind of lost it a little bit,” Park said through an interpreter. “But going into the back nine, the first hole, on 10 I made a birdie, and from that point on I think my putting kind of came back alive.”
Park earned membership for 2017 by way of her finish on the 2016 money list, including four top-6 finishes. She dominated last season on the KLPGA, topping the money list with seven victories last season alone. Park has three times finished in the top-4 this season and leads the Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year standings.
WEEKEND PLANS
81 players finished the second round at 1-under par or better to make the cut at the LPGA Volvik Championship.
Notable players to miss the cut include Rolex Rankings No. 5 In Gee Chun (E), 2017 Lorena Ochoa Match Play champion Sei Young Kim (E), Paula Creamer (E), Karrie Webb (+1) and Michelle Wie (+2).
The first group, featuring Brittany Lincicome playing solo, will tee off at 7:05 a.m. and the leaders, Minjee Lee (-10) and Sung Hyun Park (-12) will tee off at 1:45 p.m.
LPGA Tour Release
