Women’s final: Steady Park takes the lead

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A bogey-free first round has propelled Min-ji Park into the halfway lead of the women’s Australian Amateur Championship at Melbourne’s Metropolitan Golf Club.

Park was 2-down to Korean compatriot Ayean Cho in the early going as the latter nailed birdies on the 2^nd and 4^th holes.

But in an enthralling and quality battle, the Koreans each traded five pars to finish the front nine.

Park, though, turned up the heat on the back nine with birdies on the 10^th and 11^th to draw level.

Cho’s birdie on the 12^th momentarily regained the lead, but bogey on the 13^th and a concession on the 14^th ceded the edge to Park.

They traded birdies on the 15^th before Cho cashed in on a sensational approach to the 16^th hole to draw level again.

But the steadier Park was again the beneficiary of her steadiness when she won the 17^th with a par before two more pars up the last hole.

The second round begins at 1.15pm AEDT.