The Korea Herald

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

Reed holds on at Humana Challenge

LA QUINTA, California (AP) ― Patrick Reed lost his putting touch for a few hours in the final round of the Humana Challenge. He found it when things were getting interesting.After shooting three straight 9-under 63s to open a seven-stroke lead, Reed had a 1-under 71 on Sunday at PGA West’s Arnold Palmer Private Course to beat Ryan Palmer by two strokes.Finally resembling the guy who talked Saturday about being in a “putting coma,” Reed ran in an 18-footer for birdie on the par-3 15th to push his

Jan. 20, 2014

Kirk moves into the lead at Sony Open

HONOLULU (AP) ― Will Wilcox finally got around to making his debut as a PGA Tour rookie and was surprised as anyone to be in the final group at the Sony Open.As for Chris Kirk and Harris English, it’s no surprise at all.Kirk got up-and-down from a bunker on the par-5 18th by making a 10-foot birdie putt for a 5-under 65, giving him a one-shot lead going into the final round of a Sony Open that remains up for grabs among at least a dozen players.Cloudy conditions and only a gentle, Pacific breeze

Jan. 12, 2014

Bae grabs early lead at Sony Open

HONOLULU (AP) ― Bae Sang-moon made seven birdies in pristine conditions along the shores of Oahu for a bogey-free 63 and the early lead in the Sony Open on Thursday.Bae needed every one of them to stay ahead of Chris Kirk, who was in his group.Kirk rallied for a 29 on the back nine of Waialae Country Club and was one shot behind among the early starters in the U.S. PGA Tour’s first full-field event of the year. Bae and Kirk had a better-ball score of 56.Both opened 2014 on Maui last week in the

Jan. 10, 2014

Johnson wins opening PGA event of 2014

KAPALUA, Hawaii (AP) ― Zach Johnson started the new year the same way he ended the last one ― holding a trophy.Johnson pulled away with three straight birdies on the back nine at Kapalua and closed with a 7-under 66 for a one-shot victory over Jordan Spieth in the Tournament of Champions on Monday.Johnson didn’t need any heroics, like holing out from a drop zone on the last hole when he beat Tiger Woods in the World Challenge last month in California. This victory was mainly about chipping and p

Jan. 7, 2014

Park In-bee voted top female golfer of 2013 by U.S. golf writers

South Korean LPGA Tour star Park In-bee has been voted the top female golfer for 2013 by American golf journalists.The Golf Writers Association of America announced on Thursday, U.S. time, that Park received 91 percent of the vote to easily capture the Female Player of the Year honors.Park won the first three major championships of the LPGA Tour season in 2013 and led women's golf with six wins overall. The 25-year-old became the first LPGA golfer to win the first three majors of a season since

Jan. 3, 2014

European Tour chief cites Royal Trophy differences

SINGAPORE (AFP) ― European Tour chief executive George O’Grady has rebuffed calls to back the Royal Trophy team event, citing “fundamental differences of policy with the promoters.”The European Tour has launched a rival match play tournament between the players of Europe and Asia, despite the established “Ryder Cup-style” Royal Trophy having recently concluded its seventh edition.In the wake of Europe’s dramatic victory over Asia at China’s Dragon Lake Golf Club last weekend, triumphant captain

Dec. 30, 2013

FIFA sued for ticket irregularities

SAO PAULO (AP) ― Brazilian prosecutors want FIFA and local World Cup organizers to pay nearly $2 million in damages for alleged ticket irregularities at a Confederations Cup venue.Prosecutors in the northeastern state of Pernambuco say organizers did not provide the services that fans paid for at the Arena Pernambuco during the warm-up tournament this year, especially in relation to seating location.Many fans complained that their seats were not as good as shown when they made the purchases.

Dec. 23, 2013

Teen golfer Lydia Ko splits with coach of 11 years

Teenage golf star Lydia Ko has split with the only coach she has had since she took up the sport as a 5-year-old.Ko told Television New Zealand on Monday she was sad to have ended her partnership with Guy Wilson, who she called a great coach and friend. But she said she and her family had decided it would be impossible to continue the relationship because she will be based in the United States and he in New Zealand.“It doesn't really work, him being here and him coming on the weeks that I'm not

Dec. 23, 2013

Royal Trophy Final

The Seventh Edition of The Royal Trophy ended like last year’s Asia versus Europe golf championship in Brunei -- with a nail-biter Singles match on the final day -- at Dragon Lake Golf Club on Sunday.But in one huge respect the conclusion of this year’s event could not have been more different: Europe prevailed over Asia and recaptured the Royal Trophy. This year was different in one more crucial way. European Team Captain Jose Maria Olazabal finally won as captain, ending his two-time losing

Dec. 22, 2013

Asia keeps Europe at bay on Day 2 of Royal Trophy

GUANGZHOU, China - Yang Yong-eun’s Team Asia stopped a comeback by Europe led by Jose Maria Olazabal of Spain with split scores in Four-Ball on Day 2 of the Royal Trophy golf championship at Dragon Lake Golf Club in on Saturday.Day 2 on the Asian Games Course ended with a split score 2-2 in Fourball, with Thai pair Kiradech Aphibarnrat and Thongchai Jaidee proving they could be Team Asia’s most indispensable players.Kim Hyoung-sung and Kim Kyung-tae faced a pulsating contest from Belgium’s Nicol

Dec. 22, 2013

Asia keeps Europe at bay on Day 2 of Royal Trophy

Asia routs Europe on Day 1 of Royal Trophy

GUANGZHOU, China — Asia dominated Europe in an aggressive start on the first day of the three-day Royal Trophy golf championship on the Asian Games Course of the Dragon Lake Golf Club on Friday.South Korean duo Kim Hyoung-sung and Kim Kyung-tae shut down their European opponents Nicolas Colsaerts of Belgium and Bernd Wiesberger of Austria with a hand full of birdies and an impressive eagle on the Par-4 Hole Four. But the Scottish-English twosome of Marc Warren and David Howell saved face for th

Dec. 20, 2013

Asia routs Europe on Day 1 of Royal Trophy

[Photo News] Royal trophy

Dec. 20, 2013

Royal Trophy team captains enjoy being ‘kings’ for a day

GUANGZHOU, China ― Double Masters champion Jose Maria Olazabal has played hundreds of different golf courses around the world, but he said the newly opened King Course at Dragon Lake Golf Club is “truly unique.”Europe’s Royal Trophy Captain was partnered with his Asian counterpart, Asia team captain Yang Yong-eun, in a practice round earlier, becoming the first professionals to sample the spectacular layout which winds through the mountain range overlooking Dragon Lake in Guangzhou. And Olazabal

Dec. 19, 2013

Royal Trophy team captains enjoy being ‘kings’ for a day

Yang Yong-eun not to play at Royal Trophy

GUANGZHOU, China ― During the presentation of the European and Asian teams on Wednesday, Asia Team captain Yang Yong-eun revealed he will not be playing this time around at the Seventh Edition of the Royal Trophy at China’s Dragon Lake Golf Club.Yang said the Royal Trophy’s massive impact in raising the standard of golf throughout Asia meant he had to leave himself off the team as a player for this week’s event.Yang, Asia’s first majors champion, was due to appear in the seventh edition of the R

Dec. 18, 2013

Yang Yong-eun not to play at Royal Trophy

Asia confident ahead of Royal Trophy

GUANGZHOU, China ― Korean star Kim Hyung-sung joins two other South Korean golf stars to make the strongest Asian Team yet going into the seventh edition of the Royal Trophy at the Dragon Lake Golf Club in Guangzhou, China, on Dec. 20-22. His selection is a reward for a strong performance this year. He grabbed his second victory on the Japan Golf Tour and posted three runner-up finishes, resulting with second place on the Order of Merit. If it had not been for Hideko Matsuyama, who has become th

Dec. 17, 2013

14 added to Masters field through ranking

Augusta National added 14 players to the field for the Masters when the final world ranking of the year was published Monday.That brings the field to 90 players who are expected to compete April 10-13, and again raises the possibility of the Masters exceeding 100 players for the first time in nearly 50 years. Augusta National has the smallest field of the four majors and prefers to keep it under 100 to enhance the overall experience at its tournament.This is the third time in the last four years

Dec. 17, 2013

Johnson rallies to stifle Tiger

THOUSAND OAKS, California (AP) ― Zach Johnson put together the storybook finish at Sherwood on Sunday that for the longest time belonged to Tiger Woods.Johnson rallied from four shots behind with eight holes to play, holed out from a drop area for par on the last hole to force a playoff, and beat the No. 1 player in golf at the World Challenge when Woods missed a 5-foot par putt on the first extra hole.“Pretty impressive what he did,” Woods said. “He got me.”It was an extraordinary sendoff at Sh

Dec. 9, 2013

Dyson handed suspended golf ban

VIRGINIA WATER, England (AP) ―English golfer Simon Dyson was handed a suspended two-month ban from the European Tour and fined 30,000 pounds ($49,000) on Thursday following his rules violation at the BMW Masters in Shanghai in October. Dyson attended a hearing on Thursday where he was found guilty of a serious breach of the tour’s code of behavior for using his ball to press down a spike mark on the green in direct line of a short par putt. His ban will become effective only if he commits anothe

Dec. 6, 2013

Donald leads, lightning ends play in Sun City

SUN CITY, South Africa (AP) ― Luke Donald’s rapid start at the Nedbank Golf Challenge was halted by lightning Thursday, leaving the former top-ranked Englishman ahead by two shots on 5 under through 11 holes of an incomplete opening round. No one was able to play more than 12 holes on the first day at Sun City because of lightning and a thunderstorm. Donald began the 30-man invitational with a birdie and an eagle and was 5 under when the day’s second interruption for lightning forced players off

Dec. 6, 2013