Park Finishes Second at Virginia State Amateur

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BRISTOL, VA – Incoming Virginia freshman golfer Ji Soo Park placed second at the 98th Virginia State Golf Association Amateur Championship that concluded Saturday at The Virginian Golf Club in Bristol.

Mid-amateur Scott Shingler, 39, of Haymarket scored a 3 and 2 victory over 18-year-old Park of Centreville to win the final day’s scheduled 36-hole final.

Park tied for fifth in the 36-hole stroke play qualifying with rounds of 70 and 68. He defeated Joseph Evans of Hampton and Eric Stapars of Reston 4 and 3 in the first and second rounds to advance to the quarerfinals.

Park endured 38 holes in reaching the final. He scored a pair of 19-hole victories and bested two collegians during Friday’s play. He defeated Charlottesville’s Weston Eklund, a 21-year-old redshirt senior at Radford during the morning, before getting past Bryce Chalkley, 18, of Glen Allen, a rising sophomore at Virginia Tech, in the semifinals.

Park reached the second round of match play at the VSGA Amateur in 2009, signaling his previous best performance at the championship and admittedly gained some know-how from this year’s experience. He immigrated to the United States from South Korea seven years ago and was brought to the game by his father, Jong Chan Park, who also serves as his swing instructor.

“I feel great that I made it to the final – it’s more than what I expected,” Park said. “Hopefully, next year I can hold the big trophy like Scott did today. I’ll feel more prepared the next few years.

“My dad has worked on everything with me, so I want to thank him for everything he’s done for me.”

Note: Information provided by the Virginia State Golf Association