The Korea Herald

South Korea’s Kim increases Portland Classic lead

Kim In-Kyung increased her lead to three strokes in the LPGA Tour’s Portland Classic by shooting a 5-under 67 to reach 12 under after Friday’s second round.The South Korean had seven birdies and two bogeys in her morning round in cloudy, calm conditions at Columbia Edgewater.Spain’s Carlota Ciganda and South Korea’s Mi Jung Hur shot 65 to join Laura Diaz at 9 under. Diaz had a 68.South Korea’s So Yeon Ryu, the Canadian Women’s Open winner on Sunday, was 8 under along with Mina Harigae, China’s X

Aug. 30, 2014

Pettersen looks for third win

PORTLAND, Oregon (AP) ― Defending champion Suzann Pettersen looks to make tournament history as the headliner in the LPGA Portland Classic starting Thursday at Columbia-Edgewater Country Club.The 33-year-old Norwegian hopes to join Nancy Lopez as the tournament’s only three-time champion. Pettersen won the Portland tournament in 2011 and 2013. Lopez claimed her titles in 1985, 1987 and 1992.Pettersen rallied with a final-round 5-under 67 to defeat Stacy Lewis by two strokes in the 2013 Portland

Aug. 28, 2014

Ryu captures Canadian Open

LONDON, Ontario (AP) ― Ryu So-yeon missed out on the LPGA Tour’s 72-hole scoring record. She got the champagne shower she was longing for on the final green- reversing roles with Park In-bee.“I’ve been waiting so long for the champagne,” Ryu said Sunday after winning the Canadian Women’s Open for her third LPGA Tour victory. “I was ready to get champagne. I put champagne on Inbee maybe more than five times. Finally, she gave it to me.”While Ryu fell short of Sorenstam’s tour record of 27 under,

Aug. 25, 2014

Ryu So-yeon earns LPGA victory in Canada

So Yeon Ryu of South Korea imitates a `selfie` as she celebrates her two stroke victory during the fourth round of the LPGA Canadian Pacific Women`s Open at the London Hunt and Country Club on Sunday in London, Ontario, Canada. (AFP)South Korean golfer Ryu So-yeon picked up her first LPGA Tour victory in two years on Sunday at the Canadian Pacific Women's Open.At the London Hunt and Country Club in London, Ontario, Ryu shot a 3-under 69 in the final round for a four-round total of 23-under, a to

Aug. 25, 2014

Ryu So-yeon earns LPGA victory in Canada

Ryu still in lead at Canadian Pacific

LONDON, Ontario (AP) ― After dunking her ball in the water, Azahara Munoz later rebounded to shoot a 9-under 63 Saturday to vault into contention at the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open.She’s tied with Choi Na-yeon in second place, four strokes behind Ryu So-yeon, who leads at 20 under going into the final round.“The key of my round was on (hole No.) 4, I was going for it in two with a 4-iron and I hit in the water,” Munoz said. “But I kept it calm, I knew I could still make up and down for par, so

Aug. 24, 2014

Ryu grabs LPGA lead in Canada

LONDON, Canada (AFP) ― South Korea’s Ryu So-yeon fired a bogey-free opening round of nine-under par 63 Thursday to seize a one-stroke lead over compatriot Choi Na-yeon at the LPGA Canadian Women’s Open.Ryu, the 2011 U.S. Women’s Open champion, hit all 14 fairways and needed only 25 putts, reaching 16 of 18 greens in regulation and chipping in with a sand save to stand atop the leaderboard.“I really feel great about that, especially because before I was going to tee off my warming up shots were r

Aug. 22, 2014

Ko seeks three-peat in Canada

LONDON, Canada (AFP) ― New Zealand’s Lydia Ko, a 17-year-old seeking her third consecutive LPGA Canadian Women’s Open title, tees off Thursday trying to join Meg Mallon and Pat Bradley as three-time winners.The South Korean-born prodigy was an amateur when she won in 2012 at age 15 and last year when she took the title in Edmonton.But world No. 3 Ko has already won twice this year on the LPGA Tour in her first professional season, taking the Swinging Skirts Classic and Marathon Classic.“The firs

Aug. 21, 2014

Grit of a champion

PITTSFORD, New York (AP) ― Park In-bee successfully defended her title in the LPGA Championship, beating Brittany Lincicome with a par on the first hole of a playoff Sunday to end the United States’ major streak at three.On the playoff hole on Monroe Golf Club’s par-4 18th, Park hit her second into the rough behind the hole. Lincicome hit her approach to the left fringe, nearly identical to her position on the final hole of regulation when she made a bogey to fall in the playoff.Lincicome chippe

Aug. 18, 2014

Park In-bee captures LPGA Championship in playoff

South Korean golfer Park In-bee captured the Wegmans LPGA Championship in a playoff on Sunday in New York, coming from behind to take her fifth career major title.Park edged out Brittany Lincicome with a par on the first hole of their sudden death playoff at Monroe Golf Club in Pittsford, New York.This was Park's fifth career major, which ties her with Pak Se-ri for most LPGA majors won by a South Korean golfer.Park, former world No. 1 and currently ranked third, won three majors last year. Her

Aug. 18, 2014

Lincicome in lead

PITTSFORD, New York (AP) ― Brittany Lincicome beamed. She had fought off the jitters while leading an LPGA Tour major and it felt oh-so-good.Lincicome, who hadn’t held a second-round lead since 2009 and never in a major, shot a 1-under 71 on Saturday at the LPGA Championship to finish the third round at 10-under 206. That was one shot better than Suzann Pettersen (67) of Norway and defending champion Park In-bee (69) of South Korea.

Aug. 17, 2014

Tiger pulls out of Ryder Cup consideration

Tiger Woods removed himself from consideration for the Ryder Cup team Wednesday evening with a clear message that he is not healthy enough to play.One day after U.S. captain Tom Watson said he trusted Woods to give him the “straight skinny” on the condition of his back injury and his game, Woods said he called the 64-year-old captain to say he would not be available.The decision spares Watson from having to leave Woods off the team, and it eliminates a distraction over the next three weeks befor

Aug. 14, 2014

Pak Se-ri to have own tournament in Korea

Hall of Fame golfer Pak Se-ri will have a women’s tournament bearing her name open on her native soil this fall, officials announced Tuesday.The 36-year-old will be the host of the “Se Ri Pak Invitational” on the Korean LPGA Tour from Oct. 3-5 at Solmoro Country Club in Yeoju, about 100 kilometers south of Seoul. The tournament will be sponsored by OK Savings Bank.Pak Se-ri (File photo)Pak and the tournament organizers signed off on the naming agreement Tuesday. Pak joins the PGA Tour veteran Ch

Aug. 12, 2014

Pak Se-ri to have own tournament in Korea

Winning formula

BELMONT, Michigan (AP) ― Lee Mi-rim won the Meijer LPGA Classic on Sunday for her first LPGA Tour victory, beating fellow South Korean player Park In-bee with a birdie on the second hole of a playoff.“I (was) nervous 100 percent,” Lee said. “First time in playoff. Park Inbee is like a hero in Korea and all the young girls want to be her now in Korea.”The long-hitting Lee drove into greenside bunker on the second extra hole ― the short par-4 17th ― and blasted out to 5 feet. After Park’s 15-foot

Aug. 11, 2014

McIlroy wins PGA for 4th major title

LOUISVILLE, Kentucky (AP) ― The challenge finally arrived for Rory McIlroy, and he was better than ever to win the PGA Championship.On a back nine filled with as much tension as a major can provide, McIlroy emerged from a four-man battle with flawless golf to outlast Phil Mickelson and the darkness Sunday at Valhalla and capture his second straight major.McIlroy closed with a 3-under 68 and became only the fourth player in the last century of golf to win four majors at 25 or younger. The others

Aug. 11, 2014

Michelle Wie sidelined with finger injury

PITTSFORD, New York (AP) ― Michelle Wie has a finger injury that forced her to withdraw from the LPGA Championship next week at Monroe Golf Club and will sideline her at least three to five weeks.IMG Golf said Saturday that Wie has a stress reaction in a bone in her right index finger. The U.S. Women’s Open champion withdrew from the Meijer LPGA Classic on Thursday in Michigan after playing nine holes in the first round.IMG said she was examined by hand surgeon Dr. Tom Graham of the Cleveland Cl

Aug. 10, 2014

Michelle Wie sidelined with finger injury

McIlroy keeps one-shot lead

LOUISVILLE, Kentucky (AP) ― Rory McIlroy celebrated his final birdie with a smile and a slight pump of his fist, knowing that 8-foot putt gave him the outright lead Saturday in the PGA Championship.“It’s a great position to be in,” he said.He’s just not used to it being so crowded at the top.McIlroy has won all three of his majors with the lead going into the final round ― by eight shots at the 2011 U.S. Open, three shots at the 2012 PGA Championship, six shots last month at the British Open.Now

Aug. 10, 2014

Park leads Meijer LPGA Classic

BELMONT, Michigan (AP) ― Park In-bee figures the best defense against the nerves that come with being in the lead is a hot putter.Using a new blade putter this week, Park made two long birdie putts on the back nine Saturday and finished with a 3-under 68 to remain a stroke ahead after the third round of the Meijer LPGA Classic.“I feel like I haven’t holed that kind of putt for a long time and it’s all of a sudden happening this week,” Park said. “This putter, it seems like it’s going really on l

Aug. 10, 2014

Westwood, McIlroy ride momentum at PGA

LOUISVILLE, Kentucky (AP) ― Rory McIlroy showed no sign of letting up. Lee Westwood might just be getting started. Momentum was a big theme Thursday in the opening round of the PGA Championship, and it even applied to Tiger Woods.Except that Woods kept going the wrong direction.Westwood followed up a season-best 63 four days ago at Firestone by matching his best score in a major championship. He made nine birdies at Valhalla for a 6-under 65, giving him a share of the lead with Ryan Palmer and K

Aug. 8, 2014

Woods ready to play

LOUISVILLE, Kentucky (AP) ― Barely able to tie his shoes three days ago, Tiger Woods is ready to play in the PGA Championship.Woods caused the biggest sensation of the week Wednesday afternoon simply by driving his silver SUV into the parking lot at Valhalla. He has never arrived so late for a major championship and had so little time to prepare ― just nine holes at Valhalla, which he had not seen since winning the PGA Championship in 2000.But at least he’s playing.That much was in doubt Sunday

Aug. 7, 2014

Woods’ fate a mystery as year’s last major looms

LOUISVILLE (AFP) ― Tiger Woods was nowhere to be seen Tuesday at the PGA Championship, except for his image on promotional banners, and his status for Thursday’s scheduled start at Valhalla remained uncertain.Former world number one Woods, a 14-time major champion chasing the record 18 majors won by Jack Nicklaus, suffered a back injury Sunday during his final round at the World Golf Championships event in Akron, Ohio.Woods, who underwent back surgery March 31 to ease a pinched nerve, returned i

Aug. 6, 2014

Woods’ fate a mystery as year’s last major looms