Prepping for Open unlike other majors

GULLANE, Scotland (AP) ― The practice round schedule posted each day at Muirfield is not the only way to determine how players are getting ready for the British Open.Johnson Wagner’s name was on the tee sheet at St. Andrews over the weekend.Geoff Ogilvy could be found on the other side of the country, on links courses like Turnberry, Royal Troon and Western Gailes. Justin Rose was at North Berwick. So were Bubba Watson and Luke Donald, who got in plenty of golf along the Firth of Forth the week

July 18, 2013

Park, top field set for Marathon LPGA

SYLVANIA, Ohio (AP) ― Gone is the Jamie Farr name atop the marquee.Even though it’s now the Marathon Classic for the first time in its 28 years ― and the actor who played the cross-dressing Corporal Klinger from MASH has stepped into the background ― a major drawing card for some of the LPGA’s finest players remains unchanged.“When I first came here to Highland Meadows, I thought this was a tough golf course,” Park In-bee said. “But it seemed like everybody was scoring so low out here that I cou

July 18, 2013

Park Hee-young claims second LPGA win in Canada

South Korean golfer Park Hee-young claimed her second career LPGA Tour win in Canada on Sunday, defeating Angela Stanford of the United States in a sudden death playoff.Park captured the Manulife Financial LPGA Classic at Grey Silo Golf Course in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. She beat Stanford with a birdie on the third playoff hole. The two played the par-5 18th three times in the playoff. They both birdied the hole on their first two trips, but Stanford blinked first by missing the fairway off th

July 15, 2013

Park In-bee sits two shots back

WATERLOO, Ontario (AP) ― Angela Stanford and Catriona Matthew shot eight-under 63s to share the first-round lead at the Manulife Financial LPGA Classic on Thursday, two strokes ahead of top-ranked Park In-bee.Park is trying to become the first golfer to win four straight LPGA Tour events since Lorena Ochoa in 2008.Park was joined by American Irene Cho, Spain’s Belen Mozo and South Korea’s Park Hee-young and Lee Mee-na at 65. American Ryann O’Toole and South Koreans Jenny Shin, Amy Yang and Oh Ji

July 12, 2013

McDowell bags French Open

SAINT-QUENTIN-EN-YVELINES, France (AP) ― Tied with Richard Sterne of South Africa in the final round of the French Open, Graeme McDowell didn’t wilt on the back nine.The Northern Irishman made two of his five birdies on the way home to shoot a 4-under 67 Sunday and capture his ninth European Tour title by four strokes.Sterne, by contrast, made three birdies on the front nine before faltering after the turn with three bogeys to hit a 71 and finish runner-up.“Thankfully I’ve managed to learn how t

July 8, 2013

Wagner leads Greenbrier by two shots

WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, West Virginia (AP) ― Amid a disappointing season, Johnson Wagner has found a comfort zone not far from his college stomping grounds.Wagner shot a 6-under 64 Saturday to take a two-stroke lead after the third round of the Greenbrier Classic.Wagner was at 14 under on the Old White TPC course. Jimmy Walker also shot 64 and was second at 12 under.Wagner has yet to post a top 10 finish this year. At the Greenbrier, he broke a string of seven consecutive early exits.In his two p

July 7, 2013

Gainey, Wagner set the pace at Greenbrier Classic

WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, West Virginia (AP) ― Tommy Gainey and Johnson Wagner turned around their disappointing seasons by each shooting an 8-under 62 on Thursday to share the lead after the first round of the Greenbrier Classic. Gainey and Wagner played bogey-free rounds. Wagner was 8 under after 12 holes but finished with six straight pars. Wagner doesn’t have a top 10 finish this year, while Gainey’s best showing is sixth, but like Wagner has missed more cuts than he’s made. Webb Simpson and Ji

July 5, 2013

Park In-bee to chase fourth straight major at British Open

SOUTHAMPTON, New York (AP) ― Park In-bee hoped to win a Grand Slam.A career Grand Slam, that is. The single-season variety was just too outlandish.Yet she’ll head to St. Andrews next month for the Women’s British Open with a chance to become the first player to go 4 for 4 in majors ― whatever that may be called, now that there are five majors in a year.“Whether I do it or not, I’m just a very lucky person,” Park said Sunday after winning the U.S. Women’s Open for the second time.Park’s four-shot

July 2, 2013

Park In-bee wins U.S. Women's Open for third straight LPGA major

Park In-bee of South Korea captured the U.S. Women's Open on the LPGA Tour in New York for her third straight major championship on Sunday, a historic victory that adds more luster to an already sparkling season.On Sebonack Golf Club in Southampton, New York, Park, world's No. 1-ranked female golfer, cruised to the title at 8-under 280, four shots better than fellow South Korean Kim In-kyung. In the final round on the 6,821-yard, par-72 layout, Park shot 2-over 74 en route to her second career U

July 1, 2013

Four-way tie for lead at Congressional

BETHESDA, Maryland (AP) ― A triple bogey for Bill Haas. Double bogeys for Andres Romero and Roberto Castro. They still wound up in a four-way tie for the lead in the AT&T National with James Driscoll, whose third round was pleasantly dull by comparison.Castro put the perfect finishing touch on this most wild day at Congressional when he hit his approach into the water left of the 18th green, and then chipped in for par from 80 feet to salvage an even-par 71.Haas made nine birdies and had to sett

June 30, 2013

Park In-bee stretches lead

SOUTHAMPTON, New York (AP) ― Park In-bee was mad, even if it didn’t show in her always placid demeanor.She had made bogey, her third straight, on a hole she thought she should have birdied, and the world’s top-ranked player was looking a bit shaky.Time for a clutch putt.Park is now one round away from history, leading the U.S. Women’s Open by four strokes. She shot 1-under 71 on Saturday in harsh conditions at Sebonack and was 10 under for the tournament.Fellow South Korean Kim In-kyung had a 73

June 30, 2013

Kim Ha-neul leads Women’s Open

SOUTHAMPTON, New York (AP) ― South Korea’s Kim Ha-neul upstaged friend Park In-bee to take the first-round lead at her first U.S. Women’s Open.Kim shot a bogey-free 6-under 66 on Thursday at Sebonack to lead Park by a stroke. The top-ranked Park is trying to make history by winning the first three majors of the year.“I’m enjoying myself,” Kim said through a translator. “I’m just happy to be here and to be playing in this big event. I’m not really thinking about winning or results but enjoying th

June 28, 2013

Park In-bee looks to win three straight majors to start out season

The toughest test in women’s golf would figure to be a piece of cake for the No. 1 player in the world.She already had six wins, and the LPGA Tour season was barely at the halfway point. She stamped her dominance by winning the first two majors of the year. The gap between her and the next best player was even larger than what Tiger Woods enjoyed in men’s golf. Her swing was reliable. And she had the experience as a past U.S. Women’s Open champion. If she had a weakness, it wasn’t apparent.A thi

June 26, 2013

[Newsmaker] Park on way to golf milestone

Park In-bee is poised to write a new chapter in South Korean golf history on the LPGA Tour. On Sunday, she defeated fellow South Korean Ryu So-yeon in the first playoff hole at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship at Pinnacle Country Club in Rogers, Arkansas. It was her fifth LPGA Tour victory of the season. With the victory, the world’s No. 1-ranked golfer tied the record for most wins by a South Korean LPGA professional in a season. Of the 14 tournaments held so far this year, she has taken fi

June 24, 2013