Charley Hull tied second at six under par

 NEWS RELEASE
KOREAN LPGA’s Sung Hyun Park took advantage of nearly perfect conditions Thursday at Sky 72 Golf Club’s Ocean Course in South Korea, posting a 10-under par, 62 to lead by four-strokes on day one of the LPGA KEB Hana Bank Championship. Park’s opening round 62 matches the Tournament’s low round, posted by Gloria Park in the final round of this event in 2003. The 22-year-old Park has two victories this season, having won last week on the KLPGA Tour as well as the season’s first major championship, the Korea Women’s Open.

Park leads Solheim Cup stars Gerina Piller and Charley Hull, who are currently T-2 at 6-under par. Piller’s opening round, bogey-free 66 is her lowest first round of the season, which she says was due in large part to the ideal scoring conditions.
“This course, the rough has always been tough and firm greens, firm and fast; I think the weather had a lot to do with it. I think years in the past, it's been a little chilly and that makes the ball obviously go nowhere at all,” said Piller. “ So to get a little warmth and get the ball a little higher, a little more spin, and so I think that's a huge part of it.”
Piller started her day on the back nine and was able to get off to a quick start with two birdies in her first three holes.

“I just made some putts,” Piller said. “The greens are rolling pretty quick, and they are pretty pure. But I think just getting the putter going, I missed the green on the first hole and I had about a 10-footer, so I think that just kind of kick started the whole day.”
Her putting is what put Piller on the map just last month after holing a clutch putt on the final hole of her Sunday singles match during the Solheim Cup to help lift Team U.S.A. to victory and she’s continued that good play this week in South Korea.
“I feel like there's a lot of times where I may hear that putting is kind of holding me back, and where I think I'm a great putter, but hopefully it's a little quiet to them, and gives me a lot more confidence obviously to perform on that type of stage,” Piller told the media after her round. “I played great all week and to make a putt of that much significance was definitely a huge confidence booster.”
Having joined the Tour in 2010, Piller is still in search of her first victory. She has four top-10’s this season, including a season best T-2 at the Meijer LPGA Classic, where she posted her low round of the year with a final round 64.
“I've been playing well, so I don't think it really matters where you are. If you're playing good golf, I think that kind of takes care of everything,” said Piller. “What I was working on this year was being more consistent. I feel like I've got to that point where I'm pretty consistent and it's just a matter of time.”

Also tied for second and four off the lead is Charley Hull, who carded a bogey-free 66 including five birdies in her first nine holes, but cooled on the back nine with just one birdie at the par 3, 17^th.
“I've just been hitting it really well, touch wood, and putting good and hit it close. I just felt like I was pretty solid out there,” Hull told the media Thursday. “On the back nine, I gave myself nearly a birdie chance on every hole, and I just didn't kind of make them. But I felt like it was a good score out there today.”
Hull’s 66 matches her low round of the season which she posted just last week at the Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia, where she finished T-25. Hull has two top-10 finishes so far this season and is looking for her first victory on the LPGA Tour.
Hyo Joo Kim, Shanshan Feng and Eun-Hee Ji are tied for third at 5-under par. Lexi Thompson is part of a group at 4-under par through round one. World No.1 and 2 Inbee Park and Lydia Ko posted opening rounds of 69 to sit at 3-under par. Defending champion Q Baek carded a 2-over par 74 on Thursday.
Catriona Matthew had a one-under 71 and is tied 31st.

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