Korean Ko Jin-young wins LPGA's top rookie award

The LPGA Tour announced Wednesday South Korean golfer Ko Jin-young has clinched its Rookie of the Year award with four tournaments left in the 2018 season.Ko leads the race with 1,137 points, and Georgia Hall, who's 383 points behind in second place, will not catch Ko because she will only play in the season finale, the CME Group Tour Championship. (Yonhap)Rookies earn 150 points for tour victories, 80 points for runner-up finishes, 75 points for third place and so forth. Points are doubled at t

Oct. 24, 2018

Brooks Koepka earns No. 1 ranking with PGA win in Korea

SEOGWIPO, Jeju Island -- Brooks Koepka locked down the No. 1 spot in the men's world golf rankings with his first PGA Tour win of the season in South Korea on Sunday, aided by a thrilling chip-in birdie down the stretch.Koepka, the 2017-2018 PGA Tour Player of the Year, captured the CJ Cup @ Nine Bridges with a four-round total of 21-under 267, four strokes ahead of Gary Woodland, whose furious charge ultimately fell just short.Koepka shot a final round of eight-under 64 at the Club at Nine Brid

Oct. 21, 2018

Justin Thomas bracing for another windy week in Korea

SEOGWIPO, Jeju Province -- PGA Tour star Justin Thomas battled through windy conditions to win a tournament in South Korea last year. And he doesn't think Mother Nature will be any different this time around.Thomas is back as the defending champion at the $9.5 million CJ Cup @ Nine Bridges, which begins Thursday at the Club at Nine Bridges on the southern island of Jeju.The world No. 4 shot a blistering nine-under 63 in the first round a year ago, before ballooning to 74 and 70 over the next two

Oct. 17, 2018

Korean Chun In-gee wins 1st LPGA title in 2 years at home

INCHEON -- Crowd favorite Chun In-gee captured her first LPGA title in two years at home Sunday.Chun won the LPGA KEB Hana Bank Championship at 16-under 272 at Sky 72 Golf Club's Ocean Course, adjacent to Incheon International Airport. Chun finished three shots ahead of Charley Hull of England, who held the 54-hole lead at 12-under.Chun carded a 66 in the final round thanks to seven birdies and one bogey, and took home $300,000 in the winner's check. (Yonhap)The world's top two players, Park Sun

Oct. 14, 2018

World No. 1 Park Sung-hyun takes share of LPGA lead on home soil

INCHEON -- World No. 1 Park Sung-hyun grabbed a share of the second round lead at an LPGA tournament on home soil on Friday.Park reached eight-under after shooting her second straight round of four-under 68 at the LPGA KEB Hana Bank Championship at Sky 72 Golf Club's Ocean Course, adjacent to Incheon International Airport. Park had six birdies against two bogeys at the par-72 course, which played at 6,251 yards Friday.Park is joined at the top by three competitors: world No. 2 Ariya Jutanugarn o

Oct. 12, 2018

World's top LPGA golfer shakes off rare miscue in solid round at home

INCHEON -- Park Sung-hyun, world No. 1 in women's golf, was enjoying a strong opening round at the LPGA KEB Hana Bank Championship on Thursday, when she ran into trouble at the penultimate hole.The scenic par-three 17th at Sky 72 Club's Ocean Course in Incheon, 40 kilometers west of Seoul, is famous for a giant bunker that stretches from just in front of the tee to the mouth of the small green. But there was nothing scenic about Park's double bogey there, after a botched tee shot and what Park c

Oct. 11, 2018

Top 2 golfers paired in opening round of LPGA event in Korea

The world's top two female golfers will play together this week in the opening round of the only annual LPGA tournament in South Korea.Park Sung-hyun of South Korea and Ariya Jutanugarn of Thailand, ranked Nos. 1 and 2 in the world, will be in the final group in Thursday's first round of the LPGA KEB Hana Bank Championship at Sky 72 Golf Club's Ocean Course in Incheon, 40 kilometers west of Seoul, the tour announced Wednesday. Park Sung-hyun of South Korea speaks at a press conference ahead of t

Oct. 10, 2018

[Photo News] S. Korea wins LPGA's International Crown for 1st time

Host South Korea captured the LPGA's UL International Crown for the first time on Sunday, thanks to a strong finish down the stretch that ensured a comfortable victory.Much to the delight of tens of thousands of partisan fans at Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea in Incheon, 40 kilometers west of Seoul, South Korea clinched the title with two out of four singles matches still remaining. South Korea's golf players celebrate after they win the UL International Crown tournament at Jack Nicklaus Golf Clu

Oct. 7, 2018

Day 3 action at LPGA team event cancelled due to typhoon Kong-rey

Inclement weather caused by typhoon Kong-rey wiped out Saturday's action at an LPGA team competition in South Korea.The LPGA announced the cancellation of play on Saturday at the UL International Crown for 32 golfers in the field at rain-soaked Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea in Incheon, 40 kilometers west of Seoul. It said the course was inundated by heavy rain overnight and the forecast called for strong winds later in the day.The LPGA moved up tee times for the second round of four-ball action

Oct. 6, 2018

Lydia Ko wants to make ‘special memory’ in S. Korea with major win

New Zealand golf star Lydia Ko said Tuesday she wants to make a special memory in her country of birth by winning a major tournament on the South Korean tour. 　Ko will make her first Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association tour appearance in South Korea when she tees off at the 19th Hite Jinro Championship this week. The event, which is one of the five KLPGA major tournaments, will be held at Blue Heron Golf Club in Yeoju, Gyeonggi Province, from Thursday to Sunday. 　Ko did have one KLPGA win

Oct. 2, 2018

Former world No. 1 Adam Scott among golfers to play at lone PGA event in Korea

Former world No. 1 Adam Scott will play in the lone PGA Tour event in South Korea later this month, organizers said Monday.Scott, a 13-time PGA winner and the 2013 Masters champion, is among some big names to commit to the CJ Cup @ Nine Bridges, which is scheduled to run from Oct. 18-21 at the Club at Nine Bridges on the southern resort island of Jeju.This will be the second edition of the CJ Cup. Scott tied for 25th last year.The Australian finished the 2017-2018 season in good form, with a thi

Oct. 1, 2018

Happy times for Tiger Woods heading to a Ryder Cup

SAINT-QUENTIN-EN-YVELINES, France -- Tiger Woods paused on his walk toward the 18th green at Le Golf National and threw his head back in laughter. These are happy times for Woods, regardless of whatever Bryson DeChambeau said to cause such a reaction Tuesday.　 Now if he can get that to translate in the Ryder Cup.　 For all his amazing feats in golf -- 80 victories on the PGA Tour, the most recent on Sunday at the Tour Championship after returning following a fourth back surgery that threatened to

Sept. 26, 2018

Fujikawa becomes first openly gay male pro golfer

Tadd Fujikawa, the youngest American to make the cut in a US PGA Tour event, became the first openly gay male professional golfer, making the revelation in an Instagram post.The 27-year-old from Honolulu said he had been pondering about going public for some time before telling the world he is gay."I thought that I didn't need to come out because it doesn't matter if anyone knows," Fujikawa wrote. "But I remember how much other's stories have helped me in my darkest times to have hope. I spent w

Sept. 14, 2018

Park Sung-hyun returns to top of women's world golf rankings

South Korean golfer Park Sung-hyun has returned to the top of the women's world rankings.Park leapfrogged three players to reach No. 1 in the latest rankings unveiled Tuesday on the strength of her victory at the Indy Women in Tech Championship in Indianapolis, Indiana, over the weekend. It was Park's third LPGA win of 2018. (Yonhap)Park spent one week at No. 1 in November last year en route to capturing both the Rookie of the Year award and the money title while sharing Player of the Year honor

Aug. 21, 2018

Park Sung-hyun wins 3rd LPGA tourney of year to retake No. 1 ranking

South Korean golfer Park Sung-hyun will retake the No. 1 ranking after capturing her third LPGA title of the season in a playoff.Park rallied from a two-shot final round deficit against Lizette Salas and beat her on the first playoff hole at the Indy Women Tech Championship at Brickyard Crossing Golf Club in Indianapolis, Indiana, on Sunday (local time).Park is projected to return to the No. 1 spot in the women's rankings this week. She spent one week at the top in November last year, a historic

Aug. 20, 2018

Park has share of clubhouse lead at rain-hit Indy golf

Park Sung-hyun took advantage of an early tee time to shoot her best round of 2018 on Friday and grab a share of the clubhouse lead during the LPGA Tour's Indy Championship.The South Korean fired a nine-under 63 on Friday to finish in a tie with Lizette Salas at 13-under 131 as they completed their second rounds before heavy rains caused a four-hour delay.The second round will resume early Saturday at the Brickyard Crossing Golf Course in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Yonhap)Park said her superb perfo

Aug. 18, 2018

Tiger wakes up echoes with best major final round

ST. LOUIS (AFP) -- Now Tiger Woods is back.The 14-time major winner fired his lowest final round in a major, a six-under par-64, Sunday to finish second at the PGA Championship -- and a career once seen as over might just have some magic left in it after all.“He just kind of ho-hummed 64,” said playing partner Gary Woodland. “The putter was awesome. He had a lot of putts that didn’t go in as well -- 64 looked pretty easy, to be honest. Could have shot a lot (lower).”From grinding out pars and tu

Aug. 13, 2018

Ryu So-yeon moves to No. 2 in women's golf rankings after British Open

South Korean golfer Ryu So-yeon jumped two spots to reach No. 2 in the latest women's rankings Tuesday, following her third-place finish at the Ricoh Women's British Open.Ryu has now positioned herself right behind Ariya Jutanugarn, who has been No. 1 since last week. Ryu was the top-ranked golfer from June 26 to Oct. 30 in 2017. South Korean golfer Ryu So-yeon (AFP)Ryu finished alone in third place at the Women's British Open at the Royal Lytham & St. Annes Golf Club in Lancashire, England, on

Aug. 7, 2018

2 Koreans come up short of 1st win on PGA Tour

Two South Korean PGA Tour players have come up short of a breakthrough win in Canada after being in contention for the first three rounds.An Byeong-hun and Kim Meen-whee were each looking for their first PGA title at the RBC Canadian at Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ontario, on Sunday (local time) but finished tied for second at 20-under 268, three strokes behind the champion, Dustin Johnson.This was the third career runner-up finish for both Kim and An. Dustin Johnson celebrates his winning

July 30, 2018

[Newsmaker] Kim Sei-young shatters LPGA scoring records, wins by 9 shots

South Korea's Kim Sei-young has claimed her seventh career LPGA title with a 72-hole scoring record on the tour. Kim won the Thornberry Creek LPGA Classic by nine strokes over Spain's Carlota Ciganda at Thornberry Creek at Oneida in Oneida, Wisconsin, on Sunday (local time). She fired a 7-under 65 in the final round for a four-day total of 31-under 257. Kim broke the 72-hole scoring mark on the LPGA Tour that was previously held by her and Annika Sorenstam. Kim had a four-day score of 27-under a

July 9, 2018