PORTLAND, Oregon - After a six-year hiatus from the top 10, South Korean golfer Park Sung-hyun, 31, made a remarkable comeback at the LPGA Tour's Standard Portland Classic, securing a tie for 7th place.

Park finished the tournament with a final score of 16-under 272, following an exceptional performance in the final round on Monday. She carded a 7-under 65, which included one eagle, seven birdies, and two bogeys. Her strong play in the final round propelled her into the top 10, marking her best result on the LPGA Tour since her 8th-place finish at the AIG Women's Open in August 2019.

This return to form is a significant milestone for the former world No. 1. Park dominated the KLPGA Tour with 10 wins from 2015 to 2016 before moving to the U.S. In her rookie year on the LPGA Tour in 2017, she won two titles, including the U.S. Women's Open, and went on to win three more in 2018 and two in 2019. Her stellar 2017 season saw her become only the second player in history, after Nancy Lopez in 1978, to sweep the LPGA Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year, and Money Winner awards.

However, Park’s performance began to decline in late 2019. By 2021, she missed the cut in 10 of her 19 tournaments. Last year, a wrist injury sidelined her completely. She had struggled this season as well, making the cut in only two of her 11 events prior to the Portland Classic.

Her recent resurgence began with a strong showing at the KLPGA Tour's Jeju Samdasoo Masters in early August, where she tied for 11th. In an interview following that tournament, she stated that the result gave her a significant confidence boost. This momentum carried over to the Portland Classic, where her excellent play in the final round even saw her briefly climb to second place.

"I felt the game was going well in the beginning," Park said in a post-round interview. "I made a few mistakes on short putts on the back nine, so I could've had an even better score." She added that her focus was on doing her best on each hole rather than worrying about her score, and the tournament gave her renewed confidence.

The strong finish is a crucial step for Park, as her LPGA Tour card is set to expire at the end of the season. She currently sits at 147th in the points standings and needs to finish within the top 80 to retain her card for next year. Her performance at the Portland Classic provides a much-needed boost as she looks to secure her spot on the tour.

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