The last couple of months have been a whirlwind for Annie Park. Park, who became a Rolex First-Time Winner at the 2018 ShopRite LPGA Classic, is now playing for the seventh consecutive week on Tour at the LPGA MEDIHEAL Championship. And in two weeks, she will have played nine straight tournaments after next week’s Aramco Team Series event in New York and the BMW Ladies Championship in Korea. But with the focus on The Saticoy Club, Park got off to a necessary solid start after a 4-under 68 on Thursday to sit with 10 others in a tie for seventh. It’s proof, she said, that the works she’s been putting in is coming together.
“I knew committing to seven weeks in a row it's going to get tough. There will be some burnout. The biggest priority I had was trying to take care of myself first, putting my body first, so been just trying to -- that is what I've been focusing on,” said Park. “I think eventually it'll pay off maybe.”
Park has not had the season she may have envisioned at the start of the year. Despite two top-10 finishes at the Palos Verdes Championship presented by Bank of America (T5) and Bank of Hope LPGA Match-Play (T9), Park missed eight-straight cuts between the Meijer LPGA Classic through the Kroger Queen City Championship presented by P&G. She currently sits in 90th on the Race to the CME Globe and knows a quality finish this week will only help secure her status for the 2023 Tour season. Park, who finished No. 98 in 2021 to retain her card for this year, has learned over this consecutive stretch of events to take the time for herself, both mentally and physically, and is proud of how she’s handled the long weeks on the road.
“I knew I was resilient. I'm a tough cookie. But seven weeks in a row and committing to nine tournaments, I mean, I'm pretty proud of myself that I can really push through it,” said Park. “I've had a lot of tough weeks and did not -- I told myself I'm not going to let golf beat me; I'm going to beat golf.”
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