Christina Kim leads Ochoa Invitational

MEXICO CITY (AFP) ― Christina Kim, who is seeking her first LPGA win in almost a decade, posted a 4-under 68 to take a five-shot lead into the final round of the Lorena Ochoa Invitational.The 30-year-old American has one of the longest winless droughts on the tour ― her last victory came in 2005 at the Tournament of Champions.Kim, who began the day just one shot ahead of Paula Creamer, finished 54 holes at 14-under-par 202.“I’m just here to enjoy myself and really just go out and try and play so

GolfNov. 16, 2014

Federer beats Murray at ATP Finals

LONDON (AP) ― Roger Federer blew away Andy Murray 6-0, 6-1 to finish the ATP Finals round-robin unbeaten, and hand Murray his worst defeat in seven years in front of his home crowd on Thursday. Federer, the most successful player at the year-end championship with six titles, equaled Ivan Lendl’s record of 12 semifinal appearances in winning his group ahead of Japanese debutant Kei Nishikori.“I knew I was qualified, so maybe I went in a bit more relaxed,” Federer said. “It’s not the way I thought

More SportsNov. 14, 2014

FIFA under fire after report on Qatar, Russia

FIFA President Joseph Blatter speaks during a ceremony held at the Saudi Football Federation on the night of the 22nd Gulf Cup football tournament in Riyadh on Thursday. (AFP-Yonhap)GENEVA (AP) ― A long-awaited day of judgment on World Cup hosts Russia and Qatar turned into another day of FIFA disarray. Nearly four years after FIFA chose Russia and Qatar to host the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, the football body’s ethics judge exonerated the two countries of any corruption in their winning bids and

SoccerNov. 14, 2014

Park hopeful of Korean chances in Asian Cup

Park Ji-sung. (Yonhap)Park Ji-sung, former captain of the South Korean men’s football team, on Thursday expressed hopes that the national team will deliver the goods at an upcoming continental tournament, saying the country has enough talent to end its long title drought.Park was visiting Seoul as a new ambassador for Manchester United, the English Premier League club for which he played from 2005 to 2012. He retired from football in May and last played a match for South Korea in 2011.His final

SoccerNov. 13, 2014

Korea to kick off Middle East trip with friendly against Jordan

AMMAN (Yonhap) ― The South Korean men’s national football team will seek to end its final road trip of the year on a winning note, when it faces Jordan in Amman on Friday.The kickoff will be 4:30 p.m. local time, or 11:30 p.m. Korean time, at King Abdulla Stadium in Jordan’s capital.South Korea is ranked 66th in the world, eight spots above Jordan, and holds an edge in all-time meetings with two wins and two draws.After Jordan, South Korea, coached by former German international Uli Stielike sin

SoccerNov. 13, 2014

Lydia Ko becomes youngest LPGA Rookie of the Year

Lydia Ko. (AP-Yonhap)DAYTONA BEACH, Florida (AFP) ― New Zealand teen Lydia Ko was named the LPGA Rookie of the Year on Wednesday, the two-time 2014 winner becoming the youngest player to ever claim the award at 17.The South Korean-born star won the 2012 and 2013 LPGA Canadian Women’s Open titles, becoming the youngest winner of an LPGA event at age 15 and then defending that crown, although both wins came as an amateur.Ko was given a special exemption in October of last year to join the LPGA, th

GolfNov. 13, 2014

New appointees of troubled baseball club vow fresh start

BUSAN (Yonhap) ― New appointees of the Lotte Giants, the troubled South Korean baseball club, vowed Thursday to get the team off to a fresh start, apologizing for a series of unsavory incidents centered on the previous regime and players.Lee Chang-won has been named the new president of the Busan-based Korea Baseball Organization club, while former Lotte player Lee Jong-woon has been appointed the new manager.They’re taking over a team mired in trouble on and off the field.Lee Chang-won succeeds

BaseballNov. 13, 2014

A true dynasty

Samsung’s Lee Seung-yeop is in the twilight of his great career. (Yonhap)The Samsung Lions, crowned the South Korean pro baseball champs for the fourth consecutive year, proved once and for all that they can win ball games in many different ways.The Lions defeated the Nexen Heroes 11-1 to take the best-of-seven Korean Series in six games at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul. More so than in the previous three seasons, the Lions had to fight hard for each victory.In the end, it was their never-say-die atti

BaseballNov. 12, 2014

Nexen makes memorable run at championship

In December 2009, Lee Jang-seok, president of the Nexen Heroes, said in a media interview that he was building his Korea Baseball Organization club in a way that they could win a championship by 2014.The prediction drew snickers around the league. After all, Lee was running a team so cash-strapped that it was trading players for cash.The Heroes, which joined the KBO in 2008, were coming off a season in which they placed sixth among eight teams. In 2010, they fell to seventh. The next year, they

BaseballNov. 12, 2014

Rivera says door open to aspiring big leaguers

Mariano Rivera takes part in a press conference on Wednesday. (Yonhap)Mariano Rivera, the former New York Yankees closer and the all-time saves leader in Major League Baseball history, on Wednesday offered this message to aspiring big leaguers from South Korea: The door to the ultimate baseball competition is open.“The opportunities are there, and you just have to go for it,” Rivera said at a press conference in Seoul, during his five-day visit. “You have to have the desire to play the game at t

BaseballNov. 12, 2014

Samsung pounds Nexen for fourth straight Korean baseball championship

The Samsung Lions are the champions of South Korean baseball for the fourth straight year.The Lions pounded the Nexen Heroes 11-1 on Tuesday to capture the Korean Series in six games at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul. The Lions became only the second team to win four consecutive Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) titles in the league's 32-year history.Samsung Lion's players celebrate their win of the Korean Series on Tuesday. (Yonhap)Yamaico Navarro, voted the Korean Series MVP, belted a three-run home

BaseballNov. 11, 2014