Park Danyu leads Rejuran Championship as Thai hopefuls stay in contention

Park Danyu fired a six-under-par 64 to take the first-round lead as the Bt22.44 million Rejuran Championship, the season-opening event of the KLPGA Tour, got under way at Amata Spring Country Club in Chonburi on Thursday.

Park shines with nine birdies to seize first-round lead

Ranked 176th in the KLPGA standings, Park made a blistering start with four consecutive birdies before adding five more, with her only blemish a lone bogey. Her impressive round put her on top of the leaderboard at the par-72, 6,552-yard course in humid conditions.

She held a two-shot advantage over former KLPGA Tour No. 1 Lee Yeewon and Han Areum. One shot further back were Thai contenders Nemittra Juntanaket and Natthakritta Vongtaveelap, along with amateur Oh Soomin, Hwang Yuna, Yoo Hyunjo and Lim Jinyeong, after all carded rounds of 67.

“I made four consecutive birdies from holes 1 to 4, which gave me a really strong start to the round. Overall, everything worked well today, especially my putting, which was particularly solid and helped me finish with a very good score. I feel really pleased with my performance,” said the 30-year-old Park, who spent the off-season training in Hanoi.

“For the next round, I’ll try not to worry too much about the score. Instead, I’ll focus on my game plan and course management, with a strong emphasis on putting. I believe that if I stick to that, the good results will follow.”

Thai pair Nemittra and Natthakritta keep home hopes alive

Nemittra, from Phayao, recovered from an uneven front nine to post six birdies against a lone bogey for an opening 67. The highlight of her round came at the floating 17th, where she struck her tee shot to within nine feet and converted the birdie putt.

“I’m so overwhelmed today. I didn’t expect to play this well. I just wanted to go out there and have fun,” said the 29-year-old Thai.

“This is my first event of the year and it’s a big one. The organisation is very good and the course is set up well. I wanted to experience what a big tournament is like and learn from the top players. However, I still need to improve my driving and hit more fairways,” added Nemittra, who earned her place in the field this week through her Thai LPGA ranking.

Former LPGA Tour member Natthakritta also moved into contention after producing a bogey-free round of five-under 67.

“Overall, I’m satisfied with my performance today, especially my approach shots from 70 to 120 yards, which gave me several birdie opportunities within seven yards. It was different from the practice round because there was no wind to deal with, but I still missed a few chances because of my putting decisions and some putts not dropping. For tomorrow, I’ll try to let the game flow — attack when the opportunity is there, and play safe when it’s not,” said Natthakritta, the runner-up at the 2023 Honda LPGA Thailand.

Season-opening KLPGA event begins at Amata Spring

The tournament marks the opening event of the 2026 KLPGA Tour season and is being contested over 72 holes across four days. After 36 holes, the field will be cut to the top 60 players and ties, who will then compete for the title and prize money.

The event is backed primarily by Rejuran and PharmaResearch, with additional support from the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s Amazing Thailand campaign, K-Food, K-Berry, Thailand Post, UIH, CERAGEM, TP Mills, WAAC, Nolbu, Monkey Travel, Smith & Leather, Golf Pride, SBS Golf, Golf Plus and Quad Sports.

Golf fans have been able to purchase tickets since February 16, 2026, through Ticketmelon. Tickets for the first two rounds are priced at 300 baht per day, while tickets for rounds three and four cost 500 baht per day. A four-day tournament pass is available for 700 baht.

VIP tickets cost 2,000 baht per day for rounds one and two, and 3,000 baht per day for rounds three and four, with only 20 VIP tickets available per round.

Fans who book in advance will receive complimentary lunch and souvenirs from Rejuran and the KLPGA, including an official tournament cap. These will be given to the first 100 customers who purchase tickets for rounds one and two, the first 200 customers for rounds three and four, and the first 500 customers who buy a four-day pass.

VIP ticket holders will also receive special gifts, including a cap and an umbrella.