World No. 2 Park In-bee earns 5th LPGA win of '15

South Korean Park In-bee captured her fifth LPGA Tour win of the season in Mexico on Sunday, putting herself in the thick of the race for a major season-ending individual award.Park, world No. 2, claimed the Lorena Ochoa Invitational at 18-under 270, following a bogey-free final round of eight-under 64 at Club de Golf Mexico in Mexico City.Park fended off a red-hot Carlota Ciganda, who came up three shots behind despite a blistering final round of 63.With the victory, Park moved to 270 points in

Nov. 16, 2015

Ahn Sun-ju picks up first LPGA Tour victory in Japan

Korean Ahn Sun-jun picked up her first LPGA Tour victory in Japan on Sunday.Ahn captured the Toto Japan Classic in a three-way playoff over fellow South Korean Lee Ji-hee and Angela Stanford of the United States, taking her US$225,000 in the winner's check.The event was co-sanctioned by the LPGA Tour and the LPGA of Japan Tour. Ahn has now won 20 times on the Japanese tour.Ahn, Lee and Stanford ended the regulation tied at 16-under 200 at Kintetsu Kashikojima Country Club. Then on the first play

Nov. 8, 2015

World No. 5 Thompson wins LPGA event in S. Korea

World No. 5 Lexi Thompson picked up her second LPGA Tour win of the season in South Korea on Sunday.Thompson shot a final round of three-under 69 to take the US$2 million LPGA KEB Hana Bank Championship at 15-under 273 in Incheon, west of Seoul.Former world No. 1 Yani Tseng and Korea LPGA Tour star Park Sung-hyun finished tied for second at 14-under 274 at the only LPGA event held in South Korea each year.Thompson, 20, took home $300,000 in winner's check at the par-72, 6,364-yard Ocean Course a

Oct. 18, 2015

Top two in women's golf to clash in S. Korea

The two best players in women's golf will clash in South Korea this week, as the LPGA Tour makes its annual stop in the country.  World No. 1 Park In-bee of South Korea and No. 2 Lydia Ko of New Zealand will headline the star-studded field in the LPGA KEB Hana Bank Championship at the Ocean Course of Sky 72 Golf and Resort in Incheon, west of Seoul. The 72-hole event will feature the top 59 players from the LPGA Tour, along with a dozen players from the Korea LPGA Tour.  On the current world ran

Oct. 13, 2015

U.S. wins ninth Presidents Cup in S. Korea

The United States won the Presidents Cup for the ninth time Sunday, defeating the International Team 15 1/2 to 14 1/2 after a nail-biting finish on a chilly afternoon by the Yellow Sea.The Americans grabbed six points out of 12 matches at the par-72, 7,380-yard Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea in Incheon, just west of Seoul, with five victories and two halves. This was the first Presidents Cup held in Asia.The United States has now won the biennial match play competition nine out of 11 times, with

Oct. 11, 2015

Incheon to host S. Korea's lone LPGA event for three more years

Incheon and KEB Hana Bank on Wednesday signed an agreement to stage the only LPGA Tour event in South Korea for three more years in the western metropolitan city.The LPGA KEB Hana Bank Championship started out in 2002 under a different corporate sponsor. It was earlier held on Jeju Island and in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, before settling in at Sky 72 Golf Club in Incheon, adjacent to Incheon International Airport, in 2008.This year's tournament is scheduled for Oct. 15-18 at Sky 72.Und

Sept. 30, 2015

S. Korean golfer Bae Sang-moon apologizes for conscription row

South Korean golfer Bae Sang-moon on Wednesday apologized to his fans for a recent conscription row, saying he will take proper steps to complete his mandatory military service after playing at the upcoming Presidents Cup on home soil.Bae arrived home early Wednesday to prepare for the biennial team competition, where he will be part of the International Team taking on the United States. Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea in Incheon, west of Seoul, will be Asia's first host of the Presidents Cup from

Sept. 30, 2015

S. Korean Park In-bee completes LPGA career grand slam with Women's British Open

South Korean golfer Park In-bee completed the career grand slam on the LPGA Tour here Sunday by capturing the Ricoh Women's British Open.Park rallied to win her seventh career major at 12-under 276, beating fellow South Korean Ko Jin-young by three, thanks to a strong final round of seven-under 65 at Trump Turnberry Resort.Park, who has now won 16 times on the tour and grabbed six of the past 14 majors, cashed in $450,000 in the winner's check.Park, ranked first in the world, became only the sev

Aug. 3, 2015

U.S. Women's Open champ enjoying near perfect season

Fresh off her first career LPGA major victory, South Korean golfer Chun In-gee said Tuesday she's enjoying a near perfect season for herself.  At a press conference in Seoul ahead of a Korean LPGA Tour event, Chun, who captured the U.S. Women's Open earlier this month, said she's already accomplished four of the five goals she'd set before the start of the season.  "I've won three times on the KLPGA Tour, matching my win total from last year, and I've won the match play tournament here, defended

July 21, 2015

Newest LPGA major champ remains non-committal about U.S. tour

South Korean golfer Chun In-gee, who became the newest LPGA major champ here Sunday, remained non-committal about playing full-time on the U.S. circuit next season.Chun captured the U.S. Women's Open at Lancaster Country Club in Pennsylvania, rallying from a four-shot deficit to beat countrywoman Amy Yang by one stroke at eight-under 272.It was Chun's first LPGA major title and came in her U.S. Women's Open debut. Chun, still a member of the Korean LPGA Tour, has earned full-time playing privile

July 13, 2015

Minjee Lee wins LPGA Tour's Kingsmill Championship

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. (AP) -- Minjee Lee shook off a three-putt bogey on her first hole with two finishing pars and won the Kingsmill Championship by two shots Monday, her first victory on the LPGA Tour.Lee, an 18-year-old Australian, finished at 15-under 269. She surged into the lead on Sunday with a round highlighted by a five-hole stretch that she played in 5 under and returned to the Kingsmill Resort's River Course on Monday morning with a four-stroke lead. She three-putted her first hole, the 1

May 18, 2015

World No. 2 Park In-bee earns LPGA win in Texas

World No. 2 Park In-bee captured her 14th career LPGA Tour victory on Sunday in Texas.Park claimed the Volunteers of America North Texas Shootout in Irving, Texas, for her second win of 2015. She shot a four-round total of 15-under 269 to beat fellow South Korean Park Hee-young and American Cristie Kerr by three strokes at Las Colinas Country Club. Park In-bee, who shot a bogey-free final round of six-under 65, joins South Korean rookie sensation Kim Sei-young and world No. 1 Lydia Ko of New Zea

May 4, 2015

S. Koreans struggle to move up leaderboard at Masters

The two South Koreans left standing at the Masters struggled to move up the leaderboard at the first major championship of the men's golf season on Saturday.   Noh Seung-yul and Bae Sang-moon both shot an even-par round of 72 at Augusta National Golf Club. Noh, playing in his first Masters, started his day with a double bogey before making three birdies against one bogey, and is sitting at even par for the tournament, good for a six-way tie for 30th.   Bae, playing at Augusta for the third time,

April 12, 2015

Kim extends lead, Thai sisters lurking at ANA event

RANCHO MIRAGE (AFP) - South Korean rookie Kim Sei-Young birdied two of her final three holes to extend her lead at the LPGA Tour's ANA Inspiration event to three shots on Saturday.Kim fired a three-under 69 to finish 54 holes with a 10-under 206 in the first major championship of the season. American Stacy Lewis (68) is second while Thailand's Ariya Jutanugarn and former winners Morgan Pressel and Brittany Lincicome are tied for third at six-under par.Ariya's older sister Moriya shot her second

April 5, 2015

Park In-bee picks up 13th LPGA win in Singapore

World No. 2 Park In-bee picked up her 13th career LPGA Tour victory in Singapore on Sunday, prevailing in a battle of the world's three highest-ranked female golfers.Park enjoyed a wire-to-wire victory at the HSBC Women's Champions with a four-round total of 15-under 273 on the Serapong Course at Sentosa Golf Club in Singapore. World No. 1 Lydia Ko finished two shots back in second place, while No. 3-ranked Stacy Lewis finished third at 11-under.Park, who didn't make a bogey all week for her fir

March 8, 2015

Golf: Ko beats Yang for Australian Open crown

MELBOURNE (AFP) - Teenage world No.1 Lydia Ko added the Australian Open to her growing list of achievements with a two-stroke win at Royal Melbourne on Sunday.The 17-year-old New Zealander became the youngest-ever world No.1 earlier this month and is now the youngest player to win the Australian Open crown.It was her first tournament victory since moving to the top of the world rankings.Despite the hot and steamy conditions, Ko finished at nine under 283 after a closing two-under 71 to claim the

Feb. 22, 2015

17-year-old golfer Lydia Ko already looking to retirement

Only 17, top-ranked Lydia Ko says she's already planning to retire from golf by the time she's 30, and become a psychologist.Ko makes her second start at No. 1 in Thursday's first round of the Women's Australian Open at Royal Melbourne along with Karrie Webb and Australia's Su Oh, who won the Australian Ladies Masters last week in her second start as a professional.The South Korean-born Ko says she will soon start an on-line psychology degree to prepare for life after golf."I say my plan is to r

Feb. 18, 2015