Park edges Shepherd at Kathy Whitworth Invitational

Bohyun Park won the Kathy Whitworth Invitational in her native Texas on Tuesday, thanks in large part to her opening 67 at Mira Vista Golf Club in Fort Worth, Texas. Park, 16, gave herself enough cushion with that round that the field couldn’t catch up in Round 2.

The tournament, which boasts an impressive list of winners from (two-time U.S. Women’s Amateur champion Kristen Gillman won in 2016 and LPGA winner Nelly Korda finished on top in 2014) adds another line to Park’s resume.

Park has won two AJGA events, and also qualified for the U.S. Women’s Amateur last summer. She was top 3 at the AJGA Girls Championship and runner-up at the AJGA Ping Invitational to end 2018.

To win, Park held off Duke signee Erica Shepherd, who was one shot out of first with back-to-back rounds of 70.

In round one, Shepherd notched six birdies on her way to carding a one-under, 70, Monday. She followed that up with four birdies Tuesday, after waiting out a weather delay in the morning.

With the runner-up finish, Shepherd has turned in two straight second place ledgers as she finished runner-up at the Buick Shanshan Feng AJGA Girls Invitational last month.

Alexa Pano was slated to compete in the event, but missed the flight to Texas on Sunday considering she was contending at the Symetra Tour’s SkyiGolf Championship.