GALLOWAY TOWNSHIP, New Jersey (AP) ― Stacy Lewis is back on top.And this time, she’s ready to stay there for a while.Lewis won the ShopRite LPGA Classic on Sunday to take the top spot in the world ranking from Park In-bee, finishing with a 4-under 67 for a six-stroke victory.No. 1 for four weeks early last year, Lewis ended Park’s 59-week run in the top spot.“It feels great,” Lewis said. “I feel like I’ve played a lot of good, consistent golf over the last year and I felt like I deserve to be he

June 2, 2014

GALLOWAY TOWNSHIP, New Jersey (AP) ― Stacy Lewis moved into position to take the top spot in the world, shooting a bogey-free 8-under 63 on Saturday to match the 36-hole record in the ShopRite LPGA Classic.The second-ranked Lewis had a 12-under 130 total on the Bay Course at Stockton Seaview Hotel and Golf Club.A victory Sunday would guarantee Lewis the No. 1 ranking, which Park In-bee has held for 59 straight weeks after taking it from Lewis. Park, playing in the windier afternoon session, had

June 1, 2014

PARIS (AP) ― Much to her dismay, Li Na is familiar with this feeling. She earns a Grand Slam championship, is heralded at home, then shows up at subsequent major tournaments and seemingly forgets how to win.Happened in 2011, after her French Open triumph made her China’s first player with a Grand Slam singles title. Happened again Tuesday, when Li was seeded second at Roland Garros but lost to someone ranked 103rd in the first round, not quite four months removed from winning the Australian Open

May 28, 2014

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) ― Dustin Johnson had played Colonial only once before, six years ago when he didn’t even make it to the final round.In his return to Hogan’s Alley, Johnson took a one-stroke lead after the first round.Johnson shot a bogey-free 5-under 65 on Thursday, driving a lot of 3-irons off the tees into the fairways and hitting 16 of 18 greens in regulation.“I’ve got to keep doing what I’m doing,” Johnson said. “I’ve got a pretty good game plan for the golf course off the tee. So I’m

May 23, 2014

MOBILE, Alabama (AP) ― Park In-bee is back defending her No. 1 ranking, instead of watching others try to take it away from her.Second-ranked Stacy Lewis couldn’t take advantage of Park’s absence last week at the Kingsmill Championship in Virginia, but they’ll be competing head to head again at the Airbus LPGA Classic starting Thursday on The Crossings course at Magnolia.“It would be nice to get it the way Adam Scott did, but I want to win tournaments at the end of the day,” Lewis said Wednesday

May 22, 2014

Billy Payne wore a smile as wide as the Augusta National fairways as he watched eight kids file out of the room with their trophies from the inaugural Drive, Chip and Putt Championship on the Sunday before the Masters.“We’re going to be hearing from some of these kids again,” he said.Yes, but six weeks later?An 11-year-old girl who won her age group in the youth competition before the Masters has played her way into the U.S. Women’s Open next month at Pinehurst No. 2.Lucy Li, a sixth grader with

May 21, 2014

BETHESDA, Maryland (AP) ― Tiger Woods still doesn’t know when he’ll return. For a while, he didn’t know whether he would return at all.Woods said Monday his back injury became so debilitating this year it caused him to doubt his ability to play golf again.“Forget about playing golf at the highest level. I couldn’t get out of bed,” Woods said. “I was certainly doubtful at that point. What’s it going to feel like? Am I going to be pain free? Am I going to be able to actually do this again, where I

May 20, 2014

WILLIAMSBURG, Virginia (AP) ― Lizette Salas won the Kingsmill Championship on Sunday for her first LPGA Tour title, finishing with even-par 71 for a four-stroke victory.The 24-year-old former Southern California player was never really challenged in the final round on the River Course. She started the day with a three-shot lead and doubled it with birdies on the par-5 third and par-3 fifth. A bogey on the par-4 eighth was her only hiccup ― and only her third bogey in four rounds ― until she thre

May 19, 2014

WILLIAMSBURG, Virginia (AP) ― Lizette Salas moved into position for her first LPGA Tour victory, playing 25 holes Saturday in 6-under par to take a three-stroke lead in the Kingsmill Championship.The 24-year-old former Southern California player shot a 3-under 68 in the completion of the rain-delayed second round and birdied three of the last five holes in the afternoon for a season-best 65.“I took a different approach this week,” Salas said. “I only played the pro-am. I’ve seen the course sever

May 18, 2014

IRVING, Texas (AP) ― Peter Hanson made his only back-nine birdie with a 6-foot putt at the 18th hole Thursday, closing out a 5-under 65 for a one-stroke lead over David Duval and two others after the first round of the Byron Nelson Championship.Duval, ranked 890th in the world 15 years after being No. 1, birdied his last three holes ― Nos. 7-9 ― after pitching in from 57 feet for another birdie at the fifth hole.Marc Leishman and Tim Wilkinson matched Duval at 66.The 42-year-old Duval almost wit

May 16, 2014

Choi Kyung-ju (Yonhap)INCHEON (Yonhap) ― PGA Tour veteran Choi Kyung-ju on Wednesday was named a goodwill ambassador for the upcoming Asian Games to be held in the South Korean city of Incheon.“It’s a great personal honor to be named an honorary ambassador for the Asian Games at home,” Choi said at Sky72 Golf and Resort in Incheon, where he is scheduled to play at the SK Telecom Open, co-sanctioned by the Korea PGA and OneAsia Tour, starting Thursday.“I hope to play well at the upcoming tourname

May 14, 2014

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Florida (AP) ― Martin Kaymer produced one of the most unlikely pars on the 17th green at the TPC Sawgrass without ever going in the water. It carried him to a one-shot victory Sunday in The Players Championship that was emotional in so many ways.Kaymer nearly blew a three-shot lead after a 90-minute rain delay until he holed a 30-foot par putt on the famous island green. He got up-and-down with his putter from short of the 18th green for one last par and a 1-under 71. Martin K

May 12, 2014

Bae Sang-moon plays a shot on the fifth green on Thursday. ( EPA-Yonhap)PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Florida (AP) ― Martin Kaymer stopped thinking, started swinging and played his way into the record book Thursday in The Players Championship.Kaymer missed only two fairways. He putted for birdie on all but one hole. And the former PGA champion finished with four straight birdies to become only the fourth player to shoot 9-under 63 on the Stadium Course at the TPC Sawgrass, giving him a two-shot lead over R

May 9, 2014