Confidence in being able to do better Top 10 in six years, Park Sung-hyun, who returned, and winning the LPGA survival green light are Akie Iwai

Aug 18, 2025

Confidence in being able to do better Top 10 in six years, Park Sung-hyun, who returned, and winning the LPGA survival green light are Akie Iwai
Photo courtesy=KLPGA



Park Sung-hyun (31) is back.

It has entered the top 10 in six years on the LPGA tour.

Park Sung-hyun tied for seventh with a 7-under-par 65 in the fourth round on the final day of the LPGA Tour Standard Portland Classic (total prize money of $2 million) held at Columbia Edgewater Country Club (par 72, 6497 yards) in Portland, Oregon on the 18th (Korea time), recording one eagle, seven birdies and two bogeys. It is the first time in six years that Park Sung-hyun has ranked within the top 10 in the LPGA Tour tournament since she ranked eighth in the AIG Women's Open in August 2019.




Park Sung-hyun, who entered the U.S. in 2017 with 10 career wins on the KLPGA Tour, won two LPGA wins in 2017, creating a stir for the second time since Nancy López (USA) in 1978 to win the Player of the Year, the Rookie of the Year, and the top prize.

It wasn't a sparkle. With three wins in 2018 and two wins in 2019, she became No. 1 in the world with seven LPGA wins.

However, a long slump began in the second half of 2019. It rarely rebounded due to overlapping wrist injuries.




There were only two cuts in 11 tournaments this year, but it set an opportunity for a rebound in the KLPGA Tour, which was participated for the first time in a long time earlier this month.

Park Sung-hyun, who tied for 11th at the Samdasoo Masters in Jeju, said in an interview at the time that `I gained a lot of confidence.' In this Portland Classic, which was held shortly after the competition, he broke his long silence and announced 'Resurrection'.

Park Sung-hyun, who once competed for the championship by ranking second in the fourth round, tried to do her best every hole rather than at-bats"I gained confidence that I could do better as I played the game," he said in a positive message.




Park Sung-hyun's qualification for the LPGA Tour will end this year. You have to consistently do well in the remaining competitions and rank within the 80th place in the points rankings. Before the event, Park was ranked 147th in points.

Confidence in being able to do better Top 10 in six years, Park Sung-hyun, who returned, and winning the LPGA survival green light are Akie Iwai
Akie Iwai, of Japan, holds up the trophy after winning the LPGA Portland Classic golf tournament at Columbia Edgewater in Portland, Ore., Sunday, Aug. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Ali Gradischer)
Confidence in being able to do better Top 10 in six years, Park Sung-hyun, who returned, and winning the LPGA survival green light are Akie Iwai
Akie Iwai, of Japan, poses with the trophy after winning the LPGA Portland Classic golf tournament at Columbia Edgewater in Portland, Ore., Sunday, Aug. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Ali Gradischer)
Akie Iwai of Japan reduced six shots on the final day and beat Glyn Kaur of the U.S. (20 under par) by four shots to become the winner of $300,000 (about 410 million won). His first win after his twin brother Yiwai Chisato, who won the Riviera Maya Open in May. Chisato also performed well at this tournament with a 19-under 269.

Yoo Hae-ran, who cut five strokes on the final day, tied for seventh with Park Sung-hyun at 16-under par.





This article was translated by Naver AI translator.