The Korea Herald

Euro tourney in Korea moves to Singapore

Without corporate sponsors, the lone European Tour golf tournament in South Korea will move to Singapore this spring, officials said Thursday.The European Tour and the Asian Tour jointly announced that the tournament tentatively titled The Championship, originally scheduled to be played in South Korea in May, will be held in Singapore instead.Laguna National Golf and Country Club was unveiled as the new venue. (Yonhap)

April 10, 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

Mickelson among leaders in opening round at Houston

HUMBLE, Texas (AP) ― Phil Mickelson is among the leaders after shooting a bogey-free 4-under par 68 in his opening round of the Houston Open, showing no effects of the muscle pull that forced him to withdraw from last week’s Texas Open. The five-time major winner, who practiced at Augusta National for two days this week in advance of the Masters, is three shots back of leaders Bill Haas and Charley Hoffman ― both who shot 7-under 65.Keegan Bradley and Matt Kuchar lead a group of five golfers at

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

Tiger will miss the Masters

Tiger Woods chose surgery to heal his ailing back over a quest for another green jacket, announcing Tuesday that he will miss the Masters for the first time in his career.Woods said on his website that he had surgery Monday in Utah for a pinched nerve that had been hurting him for several months, knowing the surgery would keep him from Augusta National next week for the first time since he was a senior in high school.The No. 1 player in the world is a four-time Masters champion.“After attempting

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

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