Sung Yujin
Park Minji and Sung Yujin carded matching three-under-par 69s to share the first-round lead at the 2026 Hana Financial Group Championship on Thursday.
The Korean pair produced the two biggest highlights of a challenging opening day at The Heaven Country Club. Park eagled the 16th hole, while Sung made a hole-in-one at the par-three eighth.
Their performances left them one shot clear of the chasing pack on a demanding course where only 15 players broke par.
Park, a 20-time KLPGA Tour winner, reached the turn at one under before recording her eagle on the 16th. The 28-year-old is only the third player in KLPGA Tour history to record at least 20 victories.
“Overall, I was satisfied with my shots today. I’m glad I could finish with a good score,” said Park.
“On the 16th hole, I thought it would be great to make an eagle and took the shot – and it really went in. The course is so challenging that I tried to go straight at the pin whenever possible from the fairway.”
Sung recovered from a difficult start before her ace helped move her alongside Park at the top of the leaderboard.
“At the beginning, the game was very difficult, and I had a negative thought that today would be a really hard day,” said Sung. “But thanks to my caddie’s good guidance, I was able to regain my composure, and I think I was able to finish with a good result by concentrating until the end.”
Reflecting on her hole-in-one, she added: “I grabbed a 9-iron and hit a controlled shot, and the ball went straight into the hole. I also saw the ball go in.”
While the home players set the pace, several leading international names found the narrow fairways, thick rough and fast greens difficult to negotiate.
Lydia Ko
World No. 12 Lydia Ko of New Zealand endured a challenging start, carding an eight-over-par 80. The 23-time LPGA Tour winner and Hall of Famer will need a strong second round to move back into contention.
Australian Major champion Minjee Lee opened with a three-over-par 75 to finish the day tied for 39th, six shots behind the leaders.
Lee has built an impressive record at the Hana Financial Group Championship without winning the title. She finished runner-up after the playoffs in 2021, 2023 and 2025, and tied for third in 2024.
Minjee Lee
Former world No. 1 Yani Tseng of Chinese Taipei returned a 76, while Japanese sisters Akie and Chisato Iwai opened with rounds of 74 and 73, respectively.
Defending champion Lee Dayeon also signed for a 73 to sit tied for 22nd after the opening round.
With Park and Sung leading by a single stroke and the chasing group closely packed behind them, the championship remains wide open heading into Friday’s second round.
