42-year-old Unho Park is headed home to Darwin to support
his home town’s new ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia golf tournament.

Turning Professional in 1997, Unho Park has forged a
successful career competing on the Asian Tour but will focus his attention
closer to home this August.

For the first time, Darwin will host a ISPS HANDA PGA Tour
of Australasia tournament when the Northern Territory PGA Championship is
played at Palmerston Golf Club from 11-14 August.

"I grew
up in Darwin, my parents and siblings still reside there. I have been going
back there every year since I left in 1996 to visit them," said Park.

"But
I rarely get to play tournaments in Australia because my focus has been playing
on the Asian Tour."

With
a strong connection to Darwin, Park receives plenty of support from fans in the
Territory and sees the Northern Territory PGA Championship as a way to repay them.

"Anytime
there is a tournament in Darwin I will make an effort to go and play. I
actually played in the Palmerston Pro-Am a couple of years ago," added Park.

"I
feel that I owe it to all the support Darwin has shown me over the years I have
been a Professional golfer."

He
may be the local favourite with course knowledge on his side, but Park believes
he could be eclipsed by the rising stars on Tour.

"I
wouldn’t say I have an edge over the field. There are a lot of good players
now. Regardless of the course you play, if your ball striking is good you will
always have a chance to win," said Park.

"Palmerston
Golf Club is a pretty short course by today’s standards but it will still be a
test. The greens are quite small so your iron play and wedge game have to be
quite sharp."

"My
form hasn’t been that great at the moment, I think I’m getting a bit too old.
Its hard work trying to keep up with the next generation or in my case the next
three generations," added Park, with a laugh.

Park
would love to win the inaugural Northern Territory PGA Championship in front of
his friends and family, but he is also looking forward to spending time back in
the top end.

"It
would be nice to win but I will just do the best I can," continued Park.

"I
plan to stick around after the tournament and kick back. Do some fishing, go
crabbing, watch the drag racing and see some crocs!"

"There
are a number of things you can do in Darwin that you can’t do in Asia."

The Northern Territory PGA Championship will be played at
Palmerston Golf Course from 11-14 August.

In addition to the winner’s share of the $150,000 prize
purse, the champion will receive Official World Golf Ranking Points and be
fully exempt onto the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia until the end of the
2017 season.