The Korea Herald

Park In-bee to lead Korean contingent at LPGA event

The world’s No. 1-ranked female golfer Park In-bee will lead the South Korean team at an international competition to be inaugurated by the LPGA Tour this summer.The top women’s golf tour will stage the International Crown in Maryland in July. The four highest-ranked players each from eight countries will compete at Caves Valley Golf Club, outside Baltimore, and the representatives were based on the world rankings announced on Monday.Park stayed at No. 1 for the 51st week in the latest rankings.

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

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

Bowditch leads Texas Open

SAN ANTONIO (AP) ― Steven Bowditch of Australia opened a three-stroke lead Saturday in the Texas Open, while Phil Mickelson withdrew after 10 holes because of a pulled muscle in his right side.Bowditch, the 30-year-old seeking his first PGA Tour title, shot a 4-under 68 to reach 12 under at TPC San Antonio. Matt Kuchar and Andrew Loupe were tied for second. Kuchar shot 65, and Loupe had a 70.“I’ve won four or five times on between Australia and Web.com,” said Bowditch, who would get into the Mas

March 30, 2014

Every rallies for 1st win at Bay Hill

ORLANDO, Florida (AP) ― Matt Every is finally a winner on the PGA Tour, and he’s still not sure how it happened.He was nine shots behind Masters champion Adam Scott going into the weekend at Bay Hill. He was still four back of the Australian he referred to as a “stud” going into the final round Sunday at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.Every figured even par over the last three holes would do the trick. He made two bogeys.Even after a hearty handshake from the tournament host and a shiny trophy a

March 24, 2014

Ko leads at Founders

There were too many players close behind and too many low scores to be had for Lydia Ko to feel at ease at the top of the JTBC Founders Cup leaderboard.That won’t change the 16-year-old New Zealander’s approach Sunday at Desert Mountain.“I’m just going to play my own game,” Ko said. “If somebody goes crazy low like shooting 10 under, 9 under or whatever, it’s not something I can control.”She shot a 5-under 67 on Saturday to reach 16-under 200. Jessica Korda and Lee Mi-rim were a stroke back, and

March 23, 2014

Park, Piller share early lead in JTBC Founders Cup

PHOENIX (AP) ― Top-ranked Park In-bee birdied her final three holes for a 6-under 66 and a share of the JTBC Founders Cup lead among the early starters on Thursday. Coming off a victory two weeks ago in China in a Ladies European Tour event, Park closed with a tap-in birdie on the par-4 ninth after nearly holing a pitching wedge from 134 yards at Desert Ridge’s Wildfire Golf Club. “It was a very solid round,” Park said. “Very good irons today.” Morgan Pressel was 7 under after eight holes in her

March 21, 2014

Park, Piller share early lead in JTBC Founders Cup

Scott off to a record start at Bay Hill

ORLANDO, Florida (AP) ― Masters champion Adam Scott was feeling ill when he arrived at Bay Hill. One majestic round with the putter made him feel a lot better on Thursday. Scott made five putts from about 20 feet or longer, two of them for eagle and one of them from off the green for birdie, and matched the course record with a 10-under 62 to build a four-shot lead in the Arnold Palmer Invitational. The conditions were close to perfect. So was his work on the greens. “I made a lot of putts toda

March 21, 2014

Park fights to stay on top at LPGA Founders Cup

PHOENIX (AFP) ― World number one Park In-bee of South Korea takes 49-week run atop the rankings into the LPGA Founders Cup with Suzann Pettersen and defending champion Stacy Lewis in close pursuit.Four-time major winner Park, coming off a victory at a Ladies European Tour event in China, was second in Thailand last month and shared fourth at Singapore earlier this month in LPGA events.“I actually feel quite fresh coming here and it’s the first tournament in America in a while for me, so it actua

March 20, 2014

Senden rallies late to win at Innisbrook

PALM HARBOR, Florida (AP) ― More than seven years without a victory. A trip to Augusta National riding on the outcome. A three-way tie for the lead going into a daunting three-hole closing stretch called “The Snake Pit” on the Copperhead course of Innisbrook.John Senden was trying to keep his mind off all of that Sunday in the Valspar Championship.The finish will be hard for him to forget.Senden chipped in for birdie from 70 feet on the 16th hole, one of only two birdies in the final round at th

March 17, 2014

Garrigus’ lead down to one at Innisbrook

PALM HARBOR, Florida (AP) ― Robert Garrigus missed two short par putts over the last seven holes Saturday, and just like that, his four-shot lead dwindled to one in the Valspar Championship.That’s about the only thing that went quickly.On a gorgeous afternoon at Innisbrook, pace of play on the PGA Tour reared its ugly head again.Garrigus had to settle for a 1-under 70 when he missed short par putts on the 12th and 18th holes, giving him a one-shot lead over Kevin Na, who labored and fidgeted his

March 16, 2014

Lee among leaders at Innisbrook

PALM HARBOR, Florida (AP) ― Matt Every made the best of the worst conditions Thursday at Innisbrook. Danny Lee, finally, seems to be playing good golf in any weather.They were among a four-way tie for the lead after the opening round of the Valspar Championship, a day so challenging that 3-under 68 was the highest score to lead after the first round in the 14-year history of this event.Pat Perez and Greg Chalmers also had 68s to share the lead.Every was the only one among the leaders to play in

March 14, 2014

Golfer Lee sets sights on Olympics

HAIKOU, China (AFP) ― Teenage sensation Lee Min-jee said she is in no rush to follow New Zealand’s Lydia Ko by turning professional as she plots a path to the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.The 17-year-old Australian has assumed Ko’s former crown by becoming the world’s top-ranked amateur and making waves with her performances at professional events. Last month, Lee won the Victorian Open by six strokes and was runner-up to Tiger Woods’ niece Cheyenne at the Australian Ladies Masters.She tied f

March 13, 2014

Torrey Pines picked to host 2021 U.S. Open

SAN DIEGO (AFP) ― Torrey Pines, where Tiger Woods won the most recent of his 14 major titles, has been selected to host the 2021 U.S. Open golf championship pending city approval, according to reports Tuesday.The San Diego Union-Tribune newspaper’s website and Golf Channel reported that the course, which hosts the U.S. PGA Tour’s $6.1 million Farmers Insurance Open each January, has been invited by the U.S. Golf Association to host the 2021 event, the next U.S. Open without a named host course.B

March 12, 2014

Tiger Woods has lost his intimidation factor, ex-caddy says

SYDNEY (AFP) ― Outspoken caddy Steve Williams says former employer Tiger Woods has lost his intimidation factor, as the New Zealander revealed he will quit full-time golf this year.Williams, who was sacked by Woods in 2011 after helping him win all but one of his 14 major titles, added that he had yet to reconcile with the world number one, but hopes to one day.“There’s just personal things and differences of opinion about how things went down. He thinks one thing and I think another,” Williams,

March 12, 2014

Newcomers crowding PGA landscape

DORAL, Florida (AP) ― The road to the Masters is just getting started, and already two players have combined to win five times on the PGA Tour.They’re not Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson.How many would have guessed Jimmy Walker (three wins) and Patrick Reed (two wins) when the wraparound season began in October?Reed might have had his hand up.In a moment of bravado on national television after he went wire to wire (with ties) to win the Cadillac Championship, the 23-year-old Reed said, “I’m one o

March 11, 2014

LPGA ready for Bay Area return in Swinging Skirts

DALY CITY, California (AP) ― When Yani Tseng found out the Swinging Skirts Golf Team from her native Taiwan planned to host an LPGA event on U.S. soil, she had her initial doubts.Then, the top Taiwanese women’s golfer changed her tune as she realized just how determined this group ― a private, Taiwanese nonprofit of amateur golfers ― is to promote its countrywomen on the world stage and boost the women’s game globally.“It’s pretty easy to talk about crazy people out here,” Tseng joked Monday in

March 11, 2014

Golfer Park In-bee retains world's top spot for 48th week

South Korea's Park In-bee has held the top spot in the women's world golf rankings for the 48th consecutive week.In the latest Rolex Rankings announced Tuesday, the 26-year-old solidified her position after picking up her first victory of 2014 at a Ladies European Tour tournament in China last week.Park got an average of 10.28 ranking points, followed by Suzann Pettersen of Norway with 9.36 points and Stacy Lewis of the United States with 8.25.There was no change in the top tier of the rankings

March 11, 2014

Reed captures win at Doral

DORAL, Florida (AP) ― Patrick Reed felt he belongs among the best in the world. He beat them all Sunday in the Cadillac Championship.Dressed in a red shirt that he always wears in the final round ― with Tiger Woods in the group ahead of him ― Reed made back-to-back birdies early on the front nine to build a big lead and showed off a great short game when the pressure was building on the new Blue Monster at Doral.Equipped with a two-shot lead, the 23-year-old Texan wisely played the final hole co

March 10, 2014

Tiger in the mix at Doral

DORAL, Florida (AP) ― In only his second year on the PGA Tour, Patrick Reed already is used to playing in the final group on Sunday ― and winning.But not against a field of stars at a World Golf Championship.And not looking at a familiar figure in a red shirt playing in the group ahead of him.Reed turned his game around in four holes Saturday at the Cadillac Championship and wound up with a 3-under 69 in much tamer conditions at Doral. It gave him a two-shot lead going into a final round that wi

March 9, 2014

Hadley leads in Puerto Rico

RIO GRANDE, Puerto Rico (AP) ― Chesson Hadley took the third-round lead Saturday in the Puerto Rico Open, shooting a 5-under 67 in windy conditions at Trump International.Making his 13th PGA Tour start, the 26-year-old Hadley had four birdies in an early five-hole stretch and also birdied the par-4 14th in wind gusting to 40 kph.“It was frustrating, to be honest with you, even though I was playing well, just because I hit it so well today and I missed quite a few putts, a lot of putts the last 1

March 9, 2014