South Korean star Park In-bee made a hole-in-one during Monday's practice round for the Rio de Janeiro Olympic women's golf tournament.

The LPGA Hall of Famer, one of four South Koreans in the field for the women's tournament starting Wednesday, picked up the ace at the par-3, 177-yard sixth hole at the Olympic Golf Course.

"Hopefully, this hole-in-one will be a good omen for the actual tournament," Park told reporters after her round. "I haven't had a lot of aces either in practice or competition but got one today."

Incidentally, the men's gold medalist, Justin Rose of Britain, had a hole-in-one on the par-3, 191-yard fourth hole during the first round last Thursday.

Park is the top-ranked South Korean in the field at No. 5 in the world, but she is in the midst of an injury-plagued season. She has missed weeks of action, first with a back injury and then a finger issue.

She said her finger has healed considerably, and she will try to not let down her fans.

"It's an honor to represent the country at the Olympics," said Park, former world No. 1. "I've prepared thoroughly, and it'd be nice if the result would follow."

Joining Park on the Korean team are Kim Sei-young (No. 6 in the world), Chun In-gee (No. 8) and Amy Yang (No. 9). No other country boasts as many top-10 players as South Korea here.

They will be carrying the huge weight of expectations from fans of the golf-crazed nation, but Park said the pressure won't be any different than at tour events.

"We've all competed under similar pressure," she said. "If we keep doing what we've been doing, it won't really be an issue."

The par-71 course was played at 7,128 yards for men, and it will be 6,245 yards for women.

During the men's competition, the players often cited the unpredictable direction and speed of the winds as the main difference maker.

After her practice round, Park agreed with the sentiment.

"If the wind doesn't blow, this isn't such a difficult course," she said. "But the wind will be a factor. And we need to be creative around the greens because of the contours around them."

At 28, Park is the most senior member of the team. Though there's no team competition in the Olympics, Park said she's been enjoying her time around her teammates, and that she hopes their camaraderie will have a positive influence on their performance.

Kim Sei-young, the 2015 LPGA Rookie of the Year, said she will also try to find her way around the swirling winds.

"I think it's more important to battle the elements than to worry about other players," she said. "I know fans back home are taking a great interest in women's golf, and I'd love to respond with a good result."

Kim, ranked sixth on the LPGA Tour this season at 271.4 yards off the tee on average, said two of the par-5 holes can be reached in two as long as she can manage her game in windy conditions. (Yonhap)