KEB Hana celebrates Park’s first LPGA win
KEB Hana Bank said Sunday that it will hold a thank-you event for customers to celebrate golfer Park Sung-hyun’s U.S. Women’s Open victory.
According to the bank, which sponsors Park, it will offer “Park Sung-hyun installment savings accounts” from today to Aug. 31 and offer gifts to clients who open either a Hana Money time deposit or Hana Money installment savings account during the period through a draw.
The one-year Park savings account offers a 2.2 percent interest rate with a monthly installment payment capped at 300,000 won ($268).
Through the draw, the bank said it will provide gifts including entrance tickets to the VIP lounge at the LPGA KEB Hana Bank Championship and golf caps with Park’s autograph to 1,111 customers.
“As Park’s main sponsor, the bank prepared this event to share the victory with clients,” a KEB Hana Bank official said.
“The bank also sponsors the PyeongChang Olympic Games and the K-League and seeks to expand sports-related events to get more familiar with its clients.”
The LPGA KEB Hana Bank Championship, slated for October this year, is the only LPGA tour event held in Korea.
KEB Hana Bank has been supporting a number of budding golfers for the past decade and nurtured Park and other stars.
On July 17, Park won the U.S. Women’s Open Championship after firing a five-under 67 in the final round to finish 72 holes with an 11-under 277.
She captured her first major championship by winning the game at T rump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey.
At last year's event, Park was third, after finishing two shots out of the playoff between Brittany Lang and Anna Nordqvist.
But Park was different in her second U.S. Women's Open appearance.
Though she was seven strokes behind the leader after 36 holes, Park came back with a rush, posting two successive 67s in the third and final rounds.
Park, a 10-time Korean LPGA Tour winner, declared her bid to compete full-time on the U.S. LPGA Tour starting this season.
Korean amateur golfer Choi Hye-jin was two strokes behind the champion, and world No. 1 Ryu So-yeon and Hur Mi-jung shared third place at seven-under.
The 17-year-old Choi was almost set to become the second amateur to win the title in 50 years when she was tied with Park with three holes left.
But, at the 139-yard, par-3 16th hole, Choi's tee shot landed in the water to the right of the green. In the end, she settled for a double bogey.
This year's U.S. Women's Open once again proved the dominance of Korean golfers as eight Koreans were ranked in the final top 10.