Golfer Park In-bee retains world's top spot for 46th week

South Korea's Park In-bee has held the top post in the women's world golf rankings for the 46th consecutive week.In the latest Rolex Rankings announced Tuesday, the 26-year-old solidified her top spot after getting an average of 10.3 ranking points.Suzann Pettersen of Norway, who competed for the money title against Park in the Honda LPGA Thailand of 2014 on Sunday, ranked second with 9.54 points, followed by Stacy Lewis of the United States with 8.70.Anna Nordqvist, who had claimed the latest L

Feb. 25, 2014

Els reaches semifinals

MARANA, Arizona (AP) ― The love-hate relationship Ernie Els has with the Match Play Championship is taking a major turn for the better.Els made a birdie from the desert on the par-5 eighth hole to take the lead for good Saturday against 20-year-old Jordan Spieth, reaching the semifinals in this fickle tournament for the first time in 13 years.It was the first time all week that Els made more birdies than bogeys, yet he somehow has survived.“At times I haven’t played my best, as you guys have wel

Feb. 23, 2014

Lee Min-jee wins Women’s Victorian Open

MELBOURNE (AP) ― Seventeen-year-old amateur Lee Min-jee shot a final-round 68 Sunday to win the Women’s Victorian Open by six shots, claiming her first victory in a professional event.Lee, who started the day three shots clear of fellow Australian Sarah-Jane Smith, had eight birdies to finish at 16-under 279 at the Thirteenth Beach links course. Scotland’s Vicky Laing shot a 66 to finish second at 10-under 285 and Smith was third at 8-under 287.Lee, the reigning Australian amateur champion, has

Feb. 23, 2014

McDowell makes another escape in Match Play

MARANA, Arizona (AP) ― Getting to the round of 16 in the Match Play Championship was all that mattered Thursday. Jordan Spieth made it look like child‘s play. Graeme McDowell aged another 10 years with another stunning escape. And it proved too difficult for Henrik Stenson, Justin Rose and Rory McIlroy, who lost in extra holes on another wild day at Dove Mountain. “I thought I was dead and buried both days,” McDowell said. One day after he rallied from 3 down with three holes to play to win in o

Feb. 21, 2014

Park faces battle to stay world No. 1

PATTAYA, Thailand (AFP) ― World No. 1 Park In-bee is under severe threat of losing the top ranking as she makes a delayed start to the season with her LPGA Thailand title defense from Thursday.The South Korean has held the top spot for 45 weeks, but her formerly healthy lead has been whittled away by Norway’s Suzann Pettersen and could disappear altogether in Pattaya.Pettersen missed a great opportunity to overhaul Park last week when, needing a strong finish at the Women’s Australian Open, she

Feb. 19, 2014

Veteran Couples still relevant at Riviera

LOS ANGELES (AP) ― Fred Couples doesn’t talk in circles, but that’s generally the path of his conversation.He can talk about Justin Bieber and Blake Griffin one minute, switch over to the redo of the fifth green at Riviera the next minute, and then wonder why the Champions Tour gets to play Pebble Beach during the prime part of the season.The 54-year-old Couples went silent when talking about his 32nd appearance at the Northern Trust Open, where he will play the opening two rounds with Webb Simp

Feb. 13, 2014

Watson focused on games, not names in Ryder Cup

LOS ANGELES (AP) ― This is what Tom Watson knows about the American with a big lead in the Ryder Cup standings.Jimmy Walker is 35.He already has three PGA Tour wins this year. And his hobby is creating photographs of the galaxy.“The first book I read was, ‘All About Astronomy,’” Watson said. “If he makes the Ryder Cup team, maybe we’ll have some common things to talk about.”Watson was at Riviera on Tuesday, even though he is playing this week on the other side of the country in a Champions Tour

Feb. 12, 2014

Coetzee claims first Euro title

JOHANNESBURG (AP) ― George Coetzee came from four shots back to win the Joburg Open, his first European Tour title, and a place at the British Open on a profitable Sunday for the South African.Coetzee’s final-round 6-under 66, with six birdies and no bogeys, took him to 19-under 268 overall and past compatriots Thomas Aiken and Justin Walters, the overnight co-leaders.The 27-year-old Coetzee was flawless on the East Course at Royal Johannesburg and Kensington Golf Club to clinch his maiden title

Feb. 10, 2014

Woods to skip WGC Match Play

LOS ANGELES (AFP) ― Tiger Woods made it official on Thursday, confirming on his website that he’ll skip the WGC Match Play Championship this month.The world number one announced that his next tournament will be the U.S. PGA Tour‘s Honda Classic in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, Feb. 27-March 2.After that he’ll play the World Golf Championships Cadillac Championship at Doral near Miami, and the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill in Orlando ― in both of which he is the defending champion.The WGC

Feb. 7, 2014

Molinari in 4-way tie for early lead at Joburg Open

JOHANNESBURG (AP) ― Edoardo Molinari was in a four-way tie for the first-round lead at the European Tour’s Joburg Open with his 7-under-par 64 on Thursday. The Italian, chasing a British Open place as well as his first title in four years, was joined by Scottish pair Alastair Forsyth and Craig Lee and South African Justin Walters. A 2010 Ryder Cup winner, Molinari opened with three straight birdies at Royal Johannesburg and Kensington and collected eight in all on the par-71 West Course. “The fr

Feb. 7, 2014

Choi leads in Bahamas

PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas (AP) ― Choi Na-yeon shot a 7-under 66 on Saturday to take a one-stroke lead in the season-opening Bahamas LPGA Classic, chipping to a foot to set up a birdie on the par-5 18th hole.The seventh-ranked Choi, a seven-time winner on the LPGA Tour, birdied three of the last four holes in her bogey-free round to reach 15 under on Atlantis Resort’s Ocean Club course.“I think the last three rounds I had a really good swing,” Choi said. “I had so many good shots. But I still have

Jan. 26, 2014

Lydia Ko tied for lead in Bahamas Classic

PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas (AP) ― New Zealand teen Lydia Ko took a share of the lead in her first start as a U.S. LPGA Tour member, matching Meena Lee with a 5-under 68 in the season-opening Bahamas LPGA Classic on Thursday. The 16-year-old Ko turned pro late last year. She won the Canadian Women’s Open in the last two years as an amateur and closed last season with a victory in a non-tour event in Taiwan in her second pro start. Ranked No. 4 in the world, she had six birdies and a bogey on Atlant

Jan. 24, 2014