AUGUSTA, Georgia (AFP) ― Asia’s history-maker Yang Yong-eun believes he has the game to win the Masters this week as he seeks to land a second major victory.The Korean star, who became the first Asian male golfer to win a major title when he beat Tiger Woods in a head-to-head duel at the 2009 PGA Championship, has flown under the radar in recent times following a quiet spell of form. But the Asian Tour player insists that the Masters is “winnable” as he prepares to take his place alongside the w

April 10, 2013

AUGUSTA, Georgia (AP) ― Around every corner at Augusta National is another reminder that Tiger Woods isn’t getting any younger.He played a practice round with a teenager from China who wasn’t even born when Woods won his first Masters. He was introduced at his news conference Tuesday as playing the Masters for the 19th time, which caused Woods to bow his head and cover his eyes.Among dozens of photographs on the walls of the club is one of defending champion Phil Mickelson helping Woods ― with a

April 10, 2013

AUGUSTA, Georgia (AP) ― Guan Tianlang is in good company this week at Augusta National.He played a practice round Monday with two-time Masters champion Ben Crenshaw, then headed out in the afternoon with Tiger Woods. He has a game lined up Tuesday with Tom Watson, an eight-time major champion. On Wednesday, he plans to play the Par 3 Tournament with Nick Faldo, winner of six majors.Can’t he play with someone his own age?Not at this Masters.Guan is the 14-year-old from China, the youngest to ever

April 9, 2013

South Korea’s Park In-bee is building up momentum as an ace pro golfer. The 24-year-old finished with a 15-under-par 273 to beat runner-up compatriot Ryu So-yeon to win the Kraft Nabisco Championship by four strokes on Sunday. It was Park’s first major title of the season and also her second career major title in addition to her 2008 U.S. Women’s Open. The 24-year-old is also the second successive Korean to win the Kraft Nabisco after Yoo Sun-young last year. Park took home $300,000 for her win.

April 8, 2013

SAN ANTONIO (AP) ― Martin Laird tied the course record with a 9-under 63 to hold off Rory McIlroy to earn his first win in more than two years at the Texas Open.Laird began Sunday four shots behind leader Billy Horschel, but posted a bogey-free round to finish 14 under overall and earn the third win of his career, his first since the Arnold Palmer Invitational in 2011. The Scottish golfer entered the week having missed four of eight cuts this year.McIlroy, the world’s No. 2, began the day at 6 u

April 8, 2013

RANCHO MIRAGE, California (AP) ― Park In-bee opened a three-stroke lead in the Kraft Nabisco Championship, twice hitting to 2 1/2 feet to set up back-nine birdies in a bogey-free round.The 24-year-old South Korean shot a 5-under 67 on Saturday to reach 12 under at Mission Hills, putting her in position for her second major title and second victory of the year. She won the 2008 U.S. Women’s Open and added her fourth LPGA Tour title in February in Thailand.Lizette Salas, a stroke behind Park enter

April 7, 2013

RANCHO MIRAGE, California (AP) ― Suzann Pettersen and Choi Na-yeon pushed each other to the top of the leaderboard in perfect morning conditions in the Kraft Nabisco Championship.Jodi Ewart Shadoff matched them late Thursday afternoon with a scrambling par on the par-5 18th after her drive went to the right and found the deep rough behind a tall tree.“There were two options,” said Ewart Shadoff, the 25-year-old Englishwoman in her second full year on the LPGA Tour. “Punch fade it around the tree

April 5, 2013

RANCHO MIRAGE, California (AP) ― Yani Tseng lost the No. 1 spot in the world to Stacy Lewis three weeks ago in Phoenix, then was booted out of the Kia Classic a few days later when she overslept and missed her pro-am tee time.Winless in more than a year, the 24-year-old Taiwanese star enters the Kraft Nabisco Championship in a far different position and frame of mind than she did last season.“I’m totally fine,” Tseng said Wednesday, a day before the start of play at Mission Hills. “It takes a lo

April 4, 2013

South Korean PGA Tour veteran Choi Kyung-ju will enter the Asia Pacific Golf Hall of Fame, his agency said on Monday.In a press release, IMG Korea said Choi, 42, will enter the Hall in a special induction ceremony in Jakarta, Indonesia in November, during the 2013 Asia Pacific Golf Summit.According to IMG Korea and the Asia Pacific Golf Group, which operates the Hall, Choi is the first South Korean to enter the Asia Pacific Hall of Fame. It was founded in 1998.Mike Sebastian, the CEO of the Asia

April 1, 2013

HUMBLE, Texas (AP) ― D.A. Points came back from a long rain delay and made four pars, the last one giving him a one-shot victory in the Houston Open and a trip to the Masters.With a putter he once borrowed from his mother and never returned, Points rolled in a putt from just outside 12 feet on the final hole to polish off a 6-under 66 and avoid a sudden-death playoff with Masters-bound Henrik Stenson and Billy Horschel.It was quite a turnaround for Points, whose only other PGA Tour win was at Pe

April 1, 2013

HUMBLE, Texas (AP) ― Seven players within four shots of the lead at the Houston Open have never won on the PGA Tour. Twelve of them still aren’t in the Masters. One of them includes a journeyman who had to qualify Monday just to get a tee time at Redstone Golf Club.In a tournament loaded with so many possibilities, one of the big surprises is a major champion.Stewart Cink has not been heard from very much since that summer day at Turnberry in 2009 when he beat Tom Watson to win the British Open.

March 31, 2013

ORLANDO, Florida (AP) ― The moment was vintage Tiger Woods, and so was his reaction.Seconds after Rickie Fowler made a 40-foot birdie putt on the 12th hole to pull within two shots of the lead, Woods posed over his 25-foot birdie putt until he swept the putter upward in his left hand and marched toward the cup as it dropped for a birdie.Fowler, standing on the edge of the green, turned with a slight smile as if to say, “What else can I do?”Woods won the Arnold Palmer Invitational on Monday and r

March 26, 2013