Grit of a champion

PITTSFORD, New York (AP) ― Park In-bee successfully defended her title in the LPGA Championship, beating Brittany Lincicome with a par on the first hole of a playoff Sunday to end the United States’ major streak at three.On the playoff hole on Monroe Golf Club’s par-4 18th, Park hit her second into the rough behind the hole. Lincicome hit her approach to the left fringe, nearly identical to her position on the final hole of regulation when she made a bogey to fall in the playoff.Lincicome chippe

Aug. 18, 2014

Pak Se-ri to have own tournament in Korea

Hall of Fame golfer Pak Se-ri will have a women’s tournament bearing her name open on her native soil this fall, officials announced Tuesday.The 36-year-old will be the host of the “Se Ri Pak Invitational” on the Korean LPGA Tour from Oct. 3-5 at Solmoro Country Club in Yeoju, about 100 kilometers south of Seoul. The tournament will be sponsored by OK Savings Bank.Pak Se-ri (File photo)Pak and the tournament organizers signed off on the naming agreement Tuesday. Pak joins the PGA Tour veteran Ch

Aug. 12, 2014

Winning formula

BELMONT, Michigan (AP) ― Lee Mi-rim won the Meijer LPGA Classic on Sunday for her first LPGA Tour victory, beating fellow South Korean player Park In-bee with a birdie on the second hole of a playoff.“I (was) nervous 100 percent,” Lee said. “First time in playoff. Park Inbee is like a hero in Korea and all the young girls want to be her now in Korea.”The long-hitting Lee drove into greenside bunker on the second extra hole ― the short par-4 17th ― and blasted out to 5 feet. After Park’s 15-foot

Aug. 11, 2014

Michelle Wie sidelined with finger injury

PITTSFORD, New York (AP) ― Michelle Wie has a finger injury that forced her to withdraw from the LPGA Championship next week at Monroe Golf Club and will sideline her at least three to five weeks.IMG Golf said Saturday that Wie has a stress reaction in a bone in her right index finger. The U.S. Women’s Open champion withdrew from the Meijer LPGA Classic on Thursday in Michigan after playing nine holes in the first round.IMG said she was examined by hand surgeon Dr. Tom Graham of the Cleveland Cl

Aug. 10, 2014

Woods ready to play

LOUISVILLE, Kentucky (AP) ― Barely able to tie his shoes three days ago, Tiger Woods is ready to play in the PGA Championship.Woods caused the biggest sensation of the week Wednesday afternoon simply by driving his silver SUV into the parking lot at Valhalla. He has never arrived so late for a major championship and had so little time to prepare ― just nine holes at Valhalla, which he had not seen since winning the PGA Championship in 2000.But at least he’s playing.That much was in doubt Sunday

Aug. 7, 2014

Woods’ fate a mystery as year’s last major looms

LOUISVILLE (AFP) ― Tiger Woods was nowhere to be seen Tuesday at the PGA Championship, except for his image on promotional banners, and his status for Thursday’s scheduled start at Valhalla remained uncertain.Former world number one Woods, a 14-time major champion chasing the record 18 majors won by Jack Nicklaus, suffered a back injury Sunday during his final round at the World Golf Championships event in Akron, Ohio.Woods, who underwent back surgery March 31 to ease a pinched nerve, returned i

Aug. 6, 2014

McIlroy seeks hat trick, Woods missing at PGA

LOUISVILLE (AFP) ― Top-ranked Rory McIlroy took his first look at the Valhalla layout Monday ahead of the 96th PGA Championship while Tiger Woods was in Florida having treatment on his aching back.Golf’s current and former superstars were on vastly different trajectories for the year’s final major tournament with McIlroy going for a hat trick of triumphs and Woods’ status in doubt a day after a painful exit at the World Golf Championships event in Akron, Ohio.McIlroy won his third major title la

Aug. 5, 2014

McIlroy back to No. 1

AKRON, Ohio (AP) ― From links of Britain to the parkland of America, Rory McIlroy is on top of the world again.In his first start since a wire-to-wire win at the British Open, McIlroy wiped out a three-shot deficit in only three holes and closed with a 4-under 66 on Sunday to win the Bridgestone Invitational and return to No. 1 in the world.And just like at Royal Liverpool two weeks ago, Boy Wonder made it look easy.Sergio Garcia had a three-shot lead going into the final round at Firestone. McI

Aug. 4, 2014

Another decent start for Tiger at Firestone

Korea’s Noh Seung-yul lines up a putt on the fifth green on Thursday. ( AFP-Yonhap)AKRON, Ohio (AP) ― Tiger Woods showed signs of a positive recovery Thursday at the Bridgestone Invitational.Not just from back surgery, but from making bogeys.Woods bounced back with birdies all three times that he made mistakes, opening with a 2-under 68 on a soft, gentle day for scoring at Firestone. It left him four shots behind Marc Leishman of Australia, and hopeful that this time he can build on a solid star

Aug. 1, 2014

A place of comfort

AKRON, Ohio (AP) ― Tiger Woods finds out over the next two weeks if his season is over or just getting started.The first stop is Firestone, where Woods is an eight-time winner and the defending champion. After that, he heads to Valhalla Golf Club for the PGA Championship, where he won in 2000 on his way to an unprecedented sweep of the majors.At stake is a chance to extend a season already cut short by back surgery.“I would like to win these two events and not have to worry about anything,” Wood

July 31, 2014

McIlroy ready to get back to work

AKRON, Ohio (AP) ― The claret jug is not out of sight. Rory McIlroy is just trying to get it out of his mind.McIlroy had plenty of fun with golf’s oldest trophy after his wire-to-wire win in the British Open. He celebrated with friends in England, took the jug out for a night on the town in Belfast with his buddies, and brought it with him when he returned home to Florida. And yes, it’s with him at Firestone this week at the Bridgestone Invitational.“I’ve sort of been taking pictures of it besid

July 30, 2014