Stanford takes 1-shot lead over Wie at LPGA Lotte

KAPOLEI, Hawaii (AP) ― Angela Stanford adeptly handled the windy conditions to shoot an 8-under 64 on Thursday and take a one-stroke lead after the second round of the LPGA Lotte Championship. Stanford took the lead early with five birdies in a row on the front nine and finished the day with eight birdies. The best round of the tournament so far left the five-time LPGA Tour winner at 8-under 136. “Finally I got comfortable on these greens and it felt great,” Stanford said. “To see the ball go in

April 18, 2014

Pak among 3 tied for early lead in LPGA Lotte tournament

KAPOLEI, Hawaii (AP) ― South Korea’s Pak Se-ri, Kim Hyo-joo and Ryu So-yeon each shot a 4-under 68 on Wednesday for a three-way tie atop the leaderboard after a breezy first round of the LPGA Lotte Championship.Winless in 2013, Pak played the back nine in 2-under 34 in her afternoon round. She had birdies on the par-5 13th and par-4 17th, to go along with an eagle on the par-5 5th.Kim, the 2012 China Ladies Open champion, had five birdies. She had her only bogey on her final hole of the day on t

April 17, 2014

Park resumes quest for first win of 2014

South Korea’s Park In-bee hopes to celebrate a year atop the women’s golf world rankings with her first victory of 2014 in the LPGA Lotte Championship this week.“Obviously the time has gone really fast,” Park said. “This was the week I took over the No. 1 spot last year, and a lot of things happened since this week last year.“I’ve had a lot of wins, and I’ve experienced a lot of things. “A lot of things going well for me in my career. I feel like I’m probably a lot more mature player than I was

April 16, 2014

Double Bubba

AUGUSTA, Georgia (AP) ― Bubba Watson’s second Masters title was nothing like the green jacket he won two years ago.The only daring shot Watson hit was one he really didn’t need. The wild swing in momentum came on the front nine, not the back nine of Augusta National. And the sweetest difference of all Sunday was seeing his 2-year-old son walk toward him on the edge of the 18th green after his three-shot victory over Jordan Spieth.Watson turned in another masterpiece and joined an elusive group a

April 14, 2014

Haas surges to early Masters lead

AUGUSTA, Georgia (AP) ― No nerves. No worries. Adam Scott never knew the opening round at Augusta National could be so enjoyable.With his green jacket upstairs in the locker room for Masters champions, Scott made only one bad swing that cost him two shots in a round of 3-under 69. It was the lowest opening score by a defending champion in 13 years, and it left Scott one shot behind leader Bill Haas on an otherwise demanding day.“It was really how you hope to come out and play at any major, and e

April 11, 2014

Without Tiger, a wide-open field

AUGUSTA, Georgia (AP) ― One after another, some of the world’s best players and favorites to win the Masters trudged up the hill on the opening hole to start their practice rounds.Phil Mickelson. Rory McIlroy. Adam Scott.It was typical of any Tuesday at Augusta National, except for the scoreboard to the right of where they were walking. The board has the names of all 97 players in the field, with blank boxes to put their scores when the tournament begins. On the far right side of the board is a

April 9, 2014

Learning on the fly

AUGUSTA, Georgia (AFP) ― Korea’s Lee Chang-woo, the Asia-Pacific amateur champion bolstered by an Augusta practice round with countryman Choi Kyung-ju, is confident of making the cut at this week’s Masters.The 20-year-old, appearing in his first Masters, has already won a title on the Korean tour and finished second to Rory McIlroy in the Korean Open.After touring Augusta National with Choi, who is playing this year on his last invitation from winning the 2011 Players Championship, and studying

April 8, 2014

Down to the wire

RANCHO MIRAGE, California (AP) ― Michelle Wie and Lexi Thompson topped the Kraft Nabisco leaderboard, setting up a possible final-round showdown the LPGA Tour has been waiting for.The 24-year-old Wie shot a bogey-free 4-under 68 on Saturday to match Thompson at 10-under 206 at Mission Hills in the first major championship of the year.“I think Lexi is a really entertaining golfer,” Wie said. “I like to think I’m somewhat entertaining as well. So, I think the both of us paired together is great. I

April 6, 2014

Feng takes early lead at Kraft Nabisco

Shanshan Feng picked the brain of a wily veteran en route to grabbing the clubhouse lead at the Kraft Nabisco Championship, the first major of the women’s golf season, on Thursday. Feng, China’s first winner on the LPGA Tour, carded seven birdies and one bogey for a six-under 66 to head teenage amateur Angel Yin by two strokes with half the field in the clubhouse at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, California. Feng played her opening round with three-time Kraft Nabisco Championship w

April 4, 2014

Let’s do it again

RANCHO MIRAGE, California (AFP) ― World No. 1 Park In-bee returns for the first of her three major title defenses this season, seeking a first victory this year at the LPGA Kraft Nabisco Championship.After her stunning 2013 campaign, Park has yet to win on the LPGA Tour in 2014, but she has posted four successive top-10 finishes and won a Ladies European Tour title at the World Ladies Championship in China in March.Although she hasn’t broken through for an LPGA win so far this year, the 25-year-

April 3, 2014

Korea seeded 2nd for Crown

The International Crown on the LPGA Tour has all the trappings of the best team event in golf until the Olympics in 2016. And considering there will be no team medal awarded in Rio, the LPGA event might be best team format in golf after the Olympics.The Americans nudged South Korea as the top seed for the International Crown, which features eight teams of four players on July 24-27 at Caves Valley in Maryland. The combined world ranking of their four players ― Stacy Lewis, Paula Creamer, Lexi Th

April 2, 2014

Bowditch holds on at Texas Open

SAN ANTONIO (AP) ― Steven Bowditch held on to win the Texas Open in windy conditions Sunday for his first PGA Tour victory and a spot in the Masters.The 30-year-old Australian bogeyed the par-5 18th for a 4-over 76 for a one-stroke victory.“I’m over the moon. I really can’t believe it,” said Bowditch, who attempted suicide in 2006 and has fought depression throughout his career.It was the highest closing score by a winner since Vijay Singh finished with a 4-over 76 in the 2004 PGA Championship,

March 31, 2014

Kerr, Salas tied for lead at LPGA’s Kia Classic

CARLSBAD, California (AP) ― Cristie Kerr made a 55-foot par-saving putt after hitting her final approach into the water Saturday at Aviara to take a share of the lead with Lizette Salas after the third round of the Kia Classic.Kerr finished with a 2-under 70 to match Salas at 10-under 206. After dropping a stroke on the par-5 17th, Kerr holed out from the edge of the green on the par-4 18th after taking a penalty drop.Salas had a 69. She birdied the par-5 17th for a share of the lead and matched

March 30, 2014