Park rules 14th HANMI Golf Classic

Jun Park took advantage of his familiarity with the LaoLao Bay Golf and Resort to rule the 14th Annual Hotel Association of the Northern Mariana Islands Charity Golf Classic held last Saturday on the east course of the Kagman facility.

Jun Park, center, receives the trophy and cash prize from Hotel Association of the Northern Mariana Islands chair Gloria Cavanagh, right, and tournament director Das Krishnan during the awards banquet of the 14th HANMI Golf Classic last Saturday at the Saipan World Resort.
(Jon Perez)

Park, the Club Lao president and golf instructor, fired a tournament best 74 to beat 140 others in the one-day Blackjack double peoria event.

“I haven’t had the chance to practice for a long time since I’m also busy being a golf instructor,” said Park, whose students include HANMI Classic runner-up Jin Feng Chun and 11-year-old promising golfer Dong Young Lee.

“Course familiarity is also a slight advantage on my part since I always play and hold my classes here. But you also have to consider the wind direction in every course layout, which could affect your game,” added Park.

Park, who teed off at the back nine, had a roller coaster opening, starting the round with a bogey, birdie, and par. He double bogeyed the par-3 No. 13 and bogeyed the par-4 No. 14 before making back-to-back birdies. He closed out with a double-bogey and par at the No. 17 and 18, giving him a 39 heading to the front.

A double-bogey at the par-3 No. 3 almost put Park’s title bid in jeopardy, but an eagle at the 404-yard par-4 No. 6 highlighted his back-nine campaign where he closed out with three straight pars for that 35 and the winning score of 74.

Jin and Joe “Kamikaze” Camacho, who will be representing the CNMI in next month’s XV Pacific Games in Papua New Guinea, fired similar 75s, but the former clinched runner-up honors after the scorecard tiebreak.

Veteran Jeff Taylor, who has also suited up for the CNMI in several Pacific Games, came in at fourth with a 76, while Kim Jeon Seok tallied 77.

Meanwhile, Manuel Alvarez won two nearest to the pin side events at the par-4 Nos. 4 and 11, while Park Soon Nam and Koribayashi Tsukuna duplicated the feat at Nos. 6 and 15. Ben Jones (No. 14), Jayson Sablan (No. 12), and Yeong Sook Kim (No. 16) were the accuracy drive winners.

HANMI, which is celebrating its 30th year anniversary, also gave a special award to the golfer who finished 30th place—Alex Tudela. Tudela received a certificate for one night stay at Hyatt Regency-Saipan’s suite, a brunch at Aqua Resort Club, and a bottle of 2-year-old Chivas Regal.