Korean Min-Ji Park wins Australian Women's Amateur

Min-ji Park will return to play next month’s ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open – provided her mum approves.

The 18-year-old Korean played exemplary golf today, beating compatriot Ayean Cho 6&5 in a high class final to take the women’s Australian Amateur crown in her first overseas trip.

With trophies in hand and speaking through an interpreter, the shy Park said she’d have to call home to take advantage of the biggest prize on offer.

“I’m really looking forward to participating … but I’ll have to ask Mum first,” she said.

“But I hope to be back, definitely.”

Park was nothing short of brilliant throughout the final, extending her 1-up 18-hole lead with yet more birdies in her second abbreviated round.

She made 10 birdies in 31 holes, for an unofficial score of eight under that was just too sharp for Cho to match in the long run, despite her own rash of first-round birdies.

“I was happy to make that many birdies. My putting was good and I think that was the difference,” Park said.

So deep is the Korean talent pool that Park, in her first national squad appearance, wasn’t in the four players nominated to play for the Ross Herbert International Team Trophy on offer this week.

The team of Hye-jin Choi, Hyun-kyung Park, Young-woong Kim and Sung-ho Park were victorious in that event.