Park Sang-hyun, 40, got off to a strong start in his quest to win back-to-back Korean Professional Golf Association (KPGA) Korean Tour events.
Park made one eagle and eight birdies without a bogey in the first round of the Baeksong Holdings-Asiad CC Busan Open at Asiad Country Club (Par 71) in Busan on Saturday.
His 10-under-par 61 gave him a two-stroke lead over second-place finisher Ham Jung-woo (8-under 63).
The 10-under par is also Park’s lowest score for 18 holes. His previous best was an 8-under 63 at the 2018 Shinhan Donghae Open and the 2022 DGB Financial Group Open.
Park won the Genesis Championship in a playoff on Aug. 15, giving him 12 career victories and the first KPGA player to earn more than 5 billion won ($5.04 billion) in career earnings.
With three tournaments remaining in the season, the gateway tournament is the first to showcase his chances of winning the Genesis Grand Prize and the money list.
Park is fourth in Genesis points (4,138.81) and second in prize money ($654 million).
The 2018 Genesis prize money winner has yet to win the grand prize.
This was his 200th tournament since making his Korean Tour debut in 2005.
“I played with less effort rather than trying to play too well,” Park said, “I won the Genesis Championship, so I think it paid off to trust my instincts.”
“I had about 235 meters (to the hole) after I hit my driver,” he said of his eagle on the ninth (par-5), “and I thought if I hit a good 3-wood into the crosswind, I could get on the green, but it was really close to the pin.”
Behind Ham in second, Kim Chan-woo, Lee Sang-hee and Kim Min-joon tied for third at 7-under-par 64.
Kim Sung-hyun, who plays on the PGA Tour, finished the first day in a tie for 14th place (4-under 67) with seven birdies and three bogeys.
Han Seung-soo, who leads the money list, is tied for 23rd (3-under 68) and Ko Goon-taek, who has three wins on the season, is tied for 35th (2-under 69). 무료슬롯게임