South Korea’s Hee Young Park wins first LPGA title

South Korea’s Hee Young Park won the LPGA Tour’s season-ending Titleholders for her first tour victory, closing with a 2-under 70 on Sunday to hold off Paula Creamer and San Gal by two strokes.Hee Young Park, tied for the third-round lead with Gal, finished at 9-under 279 at Grand Cypress and earned $500,000.”It was difficult on the greens with tough pin positions today,” Hee Young Park said. ”I felt the pressure. I tried hard. I always felt I could win, so today I know that dream came true.”Hee Young Park, 24, also has six victories on the Korean LPGA.

“It was difficult on the greens with tough pin positions today,”Hee Young Park said. “I felt the pressure. I tried hard. I always felt I could win, so today I know that dream came true.”The 24-year-old Hee Young Park also has six victories on the Korean LPGA.”This week, I think, maybe changed my future,” she said.After bogeying the fourth hole, Hee Young Park birdied three of the next four and parred the final 10 holes.

“She had great composure all day long,” Gal said about Hee Young Park. “She’s always smiling. I’ve played with her many times and she’s such a great competitor to play with because she’s always happy and just plays her own game. I think she really, really deserves it.”

”This week, I think, maybe changed my future,” she said.After bogeying the fourth hole, Hee Young Park birdied three of the next four and parred the final 10 holes.”She had great composure all day long,” Gal said about Hee Young Park. ”She’s always smiling. I’ve played with her many times and she’s such a great competitor to play with because she’s always happy and just plays her own game. I think she really, really deserves it.”

“I still cannot believe this,” Hee Young Park said. “On the back nine I was getting like nervous and then getting tight in my body. So my caddie said, ‘Just keep going, keep trying to (play) like (it’s the) first round. You’re on the tee first time each hole, and just keep doing the same thing.’ And then I said ‘OK.’ ”

After a pep talk from Kerr on the driving range — “She told me to cheer up and that I could do it, that I could win,” Hee Young Park said — she pocketed $500,000, by far the largest check of her career. She said a key moment in her round came after a bogey on the fourth hole. Telling herself that she was thinking too much about every shot up to that point, Hee Young Park from then on just trusted her instincts and her club selection.Hee Young Park had won a professional tournament before, the last of her three victories on the LPGA of Korea Tour coming in 2006.”My first win in the U.S., it feels totally different,” Hee Young Park said. “Still same kind of goose bumps, but this win, I think could change my life, my future.”

Hee Young Park, the overnight leader with Gal, had recorded only two top-10s in 20 events heading into the Titleholders. But she took the outright lead in the final round for the first time with a birdie on the par-3 eighth hole, her third birdie in four holes. With the two paired in the final group, Gal pulled within one shot with back-to-back birdies on the 13th and 14th holes, but a bogey at the 15th dropped her two back. Hee Young Park, with a steady hand and a clutch putter, closed out her victory with 10 consecutive pars.”She had great composure all day long,” Gal said of Hee Young Park. “She’s always smiling. I’ve played with her many times, and she’s such a great competitor to play with because she’s always happy and just plays her own game.

“Hee Young Park didn’t make any bogeys. Her short game was great, and she made some good birdies early on, and I think that kind of gave her the momentum for the entire round.”Added Creamer about Hee Young Park: “That’s awesome playing on this course, and playing against all the big names out there. Hee Young Park’s a great player, and she deserved it.”

Hee Young Park (Hangul: 박희영, born 24 May 1987), also known as Park Hee-Young, is a South Korean professional golfer currently playing on the LPGA Tour.

Hee Young Park Early golf career:As an amateur, Park was a three time member of the South Korean National team. Hee Young Park was twice runner-up in the South Korea Amateur Open.2005 was Hee Young Park’s first full year as a professional golfer. She won three times on the LPGA of Korea Tour which earned her rookie of the year honors. Hee Young Park won another two KLPGA tournaments in 2006.

Hee Young Park LPGA Tour career:Hee Young Park earned her tour card at the 2007 LPGA qualifying school. She played in 28 LPGA events in 2008, making the cut in 22 of them. Her best finish was a T4 and she earned $474,744 for the year.

At the second LPGA event of 2009, Honda LPGA Thailand, Hee Young Park shot a opening round 79 in the tournament. Shortly after her round was completed, Hee Young Park had to go to a hospital.She was treated and released. Hee Young Park completed the tournament, shooting rounds of 64, 69, 65, which enabled her to finish in solo second place three shots behind Lorena Ochoa.Later in 2009, Hee Young Park finished second at the Mizuno Classic.

On 20 November 2011, Hee Young Park won her first LPGA Tour event, the CME Group Titleholders. She finished two shots ahead of Paula Creamer and Sandra Gal. Hee Young Park Personal life:As of 2011, Hee Young Park’s sister Choo Young, is a player on the Korean LPGA Tour.Hee Young Park often dresses in very short shorts when playing golf.