Blue Canyon Battle Royale: Park and Yoo ready for title clash

Park, ranked 27th on the KLPGA, carded six birdies, including four on the back nine, to reach 14-under-par 202 in the season-opening event and the only KLPGA-sanctioned tournament held outside South Korea this year.

"Since the weather was hot today, I thought I should finish as quickly and stress-free as possible. I think I managed to wrap it up well. There’s still one more round left tomorrow, so if I stay calm and play well, I think it will be fine," said the 26-year-old, who is chasing her third tour victory following her triumph at the Sangsangin·HankyungTV Wownet Open in 2024.

"Honestly, I didn’t come into this tournament with big expectations. Since it’s my first event after making so many changes, I feel proud that the things I worked on in training are coming together well. But I still need to finish strong tomorrow," she added.

Yoo, the world No. 66 and ranked seventh on the KLPGA, kept pace with a solid five-under 67, sinking seven birdies against two bogeys. She and Park capped their rounds with a birdie on hole 18 to establish a four-shot cushion heading into Sunday's finale.

“I tried to play a more aggressive game today, and since my shots were working well from the start, things went smoothly. But there were two shots I regretted, and I think both resulted in bogeys. I'll try to be more cautious in those areas tomorrow,” said the 20-year-old Yoo, seeking her second KLPGA title after clinching the KB Financial Group STAR Championship last year.

Trailing four shots behind the leaders at 10-under 206 were a quartet of contenders, including Lee Gayoung, who posted a 68 with six birdies, including four in a row from holes 13 to 16, offset by two bogeys.

Halfway co-leaders Miyu Yamashita of Japan and Li Shuying of China each signed for a 71, while Hwang Youmin carded a 69 to join them in a tie for third.

Thailand’s top contender, Arpichaya Yubol, battled through inconsistent putting but managed a 69 to sit five shots back at nine-under 207. She remains the only Thai player in the top 10 after 54 holes.

“Overall, it was still a good round for me, even though I missed some scoring opportunities. I woke up this morning feeling no pain in my wrist for the first time in three days, which gave me a good boost,” said the 22-year-old Arpichaya, aiming to become the first Thai champion on the KLPGA Tour.

“From my experience, I like to be the chaser rather than the leader. I’m more motivated to shoot low scores when I’m behind. As Thailand’s top hope at this stage, I will try to give my all in the final round,” said the 2018 Thai LPGA No. 1, who is hunting her first title since winning both individual and team gold at the Hangzhou Asian Games two years ago.

Bae Sohyun also carded a 70 to join Arpichaya at nine-under, setting the stage for an intense battle on Sunday.

TrueVisions will broadcast the tournament live on the following schedule: March 13 (14:00-17:00), March 14 (14:00-17:00), March 15 (13:00-16:00), and March 16 (13:00-16:30).

About the KLPGA

The Korean Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Tour is among the world’s top eight professional golf circuits, considered one of the five premier women’s tours alongside the LPGA Tour (USA), JLPGA Tour (Japan), Ladies European Tour (LET), and WPGA Tour (Australia). Established in 1977, the KLPGA contributes to the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings and continues to develop some of the world’s top talent.