Park Goes Back to His Roots

The silky swing of four-time European Tour winner and 2003 U.S. Open runner-up Stephen Leaney will also be on show in Darwin alongside other experienced campaigners that include former PGA TOUR member Michael Sim, the ever-consistent Matthew Millar, who finished third on the 2015 Order of Merit standings behind Nathan Holman and Zunic, and former European Tour winner Mark Brown.

Leaney staged a memorable duel for the U.S. Open title with steely American Jim Furyk and was gallant in a narrow defeat in one of the toughest tests of golf on the planet. Results such as this have taken the West Australian to the heights of the PGA TOUR and 17 starts, and counting, in golf’s four major championships.    

Spectators can be assured that they will witness golf being played in a manner with which they are not familiar watching the likes of Tighe, Todd Sinnott, Max McCardle, who has been in hot form on the PGA TOUR China Series this year, and many more of their peers perform at Palmerston for the first time.          

For Darwin products Unho Park, a four-time Ageas HKPGA Championship winner, and Aaron Pike, the inaugural championship will be a special event in their careers. Both are proud and excited about the opportunity that lies ahead not only themselves, but for Darwin and the Territory to showcase its abundant tourism attractions, diverse culture and economic potential to a wide audience. 

Singapore-based Park once represented the Northern Territory in his junior days and now campaigns full-time on the Asian Tour. He will be will be making a rare but very welcome start in an Australian tournament field and will return ‘home’ to Darwin seeking to add the title to the four-consecutive Hong Kong PGA Championships won from 2011-14.       

In an expansive gesture and with an eye to the championship’s future, organisers have also made provision for 10 places in the field for players from nearby Asian countries willing to make the short hop down to Darwin for the inaugural event.