Park grabs Sta. Lucia golf lead

Park Min-Ung nailed birdies at the end of each nine to buck a slow start and shoot a 71 for a three-stroke lead in the first round of the men’s championship division in the Sta. Lucia Amateur Open Championship at The Orchard in Dasmariñas Wednesday.

Park stole the thunder from favored local star Rupert Zaragosa, whose 76 at Orchard’s Palmer layout left him five shots off pace.

Park led Gido Mandanas and Kim Tom, who scored  74s. Justin Quiban was a stroke down after a 75.

JP de Claro, Jelbert Gamolo and Ko Myeong-hun made 77s.

Park did not have an ideal start to his campaign, hooking a drive right at the very first hole, going out of bounds and settling for a  double bogey 6.   But the Korean, who counts Riviera as his home course, rebounded with birdies on Nos. 7 and 9.  At the backside, he sandwiched a bogey with two birdies, the last one a five-footer on the 18th for that 71.

“I told myself to forget about the double bogey and stay focused,” said Park, last month’s winner at Summit Point.

Bianca Pagdanganan, who was part of the Philippine women’s squad in the recent Southeast Asian Games, and Hwang Min-jeong were joint leaders in the ladies side with 73 apiece.