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

Korea finishes 3rd at International Crown

Spain’s Belen Mozo lifts Beatriz Recari after making a birdie on the 16th hole on Sunday. (AP-Yonhap)South Korea finished in third place at the inaugural International Crown on the LPGA Tour on Sunday in Maryland.At Caves Valley Golf Club in Owings Mills, a suburb of Baltimore, South Korea picked up four points in the singles matches on the final day of the competition, for a four-day total of 10 points. South Korea won two singles and lost two others.Spain, which won all four of its singles mat

July 28, 2014

Korea eliminates U.S. in Crown

Korea’s Ryu So-yeon celebrates after sinking a putt on the 16th green to defeat the United States on Saturday. (AFP-Yonhap)OWINGS MILLS, Maryland (AP) ― Park In-bee and Ryu So-yeon both birdied the first playoff hole Saturday as South Korea eliminated the top-seeded United States and earned a wild-card berth in the final round of the International Crown.The Koreans will join Spain, Thailand, Japan and Sweden on Sunday in a duel for title.After the American team of Cristie Kerr and Lexi Thompson

July 27, 2014

Korea splits matches with Australia

South Korea split its two first-day matches with Australia on the opening day of the inaugural international competition on the LPGA Tour on Thursday in Maryland.The team of Park In-bee and Ryu So-yeon defeated the duo of Katherine Kirk and Lindsey Wright 3 & 2 in their four-ball match at the International Crown on Caves Valley Golf Club in Owings Mills, a suburb of Baltimore.In the next match, Australia’s Karrie Webb and Lee Min-jee edged past Choi Na-yeon and Kim In-kyung 2-up.The first editio

July 25, 2014