S. Korea's Kim Sei-young wins LPGA Marathon Classic

South Korean golfer Kim Sei-young has captured her ninth LPGA title, winning the Marathon Classic tournament in Sylvania, Ohio.The 26-year-old shot a 22-under 262 to win the four-round tournament on Sunday (local time). She shot a six-under 65 on the last day to edge out Lexi Thompson of the United States by two strokes at the par-71 Highland Meadows Golf Club.The win marked Kim's ninth career title on the LPGA Tour and her second of the year. The 26-year-old, who picked up a check of $262,500,

July 15, 2019

S. Korean Park Sung-hyun captures 7th career LPGA title, set to reclaim No. 1 ranking

South Korean star Park Sung-hyun has reached lucky No. 7 in her LPGA career win total and will reclaim the No. 1 spot in the world rankings.Park won the 54-hole Walmart NW Arkansas Championship in Rogers, Arkansas, on Sunday (local time), at 18-under 195, beating three golfers by one shot and earning $300,000.Park fired a final round of five-under 66 at the Pinnacle Country Club for her second victory of 2019. Two fellow South Koreans -- Park In-bee and Kim Hyo-joo -- were among the runners-up.

July 1, 2019

[Newsmaker] Haney boasts prediction of Lee’s victory -- while misspelling her name

Golf professional and former coach of Tiger Woods, Hank Haney defended his earlier controversial remark on Korean golfers, saying Lee Jeong-eun’s LPGA victory proved his earlier prediction, which he described as “based on statistics and facts.”In tweets that have drawn wide coverage in Korea, Haney referred to Lee, who captured the US Women’s Open for her maiden LPGA victory Sunday, as proof that his comments were not entirely sarcastic.  “My prediction that a

June 3, 2019

S. Korean Lee Jeong-eun wins US Women's Open for 1st LPGA title

South Korean rookie Lee Jeong-eun has captured the US Women's Open for her maiden LPGA victory.Lee rallied to take the oldest major championship in women's golf on Sunday at Country Club of Charleston in Charleston, South Carolina, becoming the 19th player in history to win her first LPGA title at the American national tournament. Lee finished at six-under 278 to beat three golfers, including fellow South Korean Ryu So-yeon, by two strokes and took home US$1 million, the largest winner's check i

June 3, 2019

S. Korea's Kim Sei-young earns 1st LPGA win of '19 in San Francisco

Kim Sei-young has joined a growing list of South Korean champions on the LPGA Tour this season.Kim captured the LPGA Mediheal Championship at Lake Merced Golf Club in Daly City, California, on Sunday (local time) in a three-way playoff for her first title of 2019 and eighth of her career. (Yonhap)Kim beat out fellow South Korean Lee Jeong-eun and England's Bronte Law, after they all finished 72 holes at seven-under 281, and improved to 4-0 in career playoffs.Kim is the fifth South Korean to win

May 6, 2019

S. Korean Ko Jin-young captures 1st career LPGA major

In just her second season on the LPGA Tour, Ko Jin-young can call herself a major champion.The South Korean won the ANA Inspiration in Rancho Mirage, California, on Sunday (local time), at 10-under 278, three shots over fellow South Korean Lee Mi-hyang at Dinah Shore Tournament Course at Mission Hills Country Club.Ko carded a 70 in the final round, mixing five birdies with three bogeys. She led comfortably for most of the day, though a pair of bogeys on the back nine saw her lead trimmed to one

April 8, 2019

Ko Jin-young rallies for 3rd career LPGA victory

South Korean Ko Jin-young has pulled off an impressive comeback for her third career LPGA victory.Ko rallied from a four-shot deficit to take the Bank of Hope Founders Cup at Wildfire Golf Club at JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort & Spa in Phoenix on Sunday (local time). Ko carded a bogey-free final round of seven-under 65 to finish at 22-under 266, beating Liu Yu of China and three others by one stroke.Ko is the third straight South Korean to win on the tour in 2019 and fourth in six tour

March 25, 2019

Korean golfer known for unorthodox swing misses cut in PGA debut

South Korean golfer Choi Ho-sung, a viral Internet sensation thanks to an eccentric swing, has missed the cut at his first PGA Tour event.The 45-year-old shot a nine-over 224 after three rounds at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am at the Pebble Beach Golf Links in Pebble Beach, California, on Saturday (local time). The cut was at two-under 213. (Yonhap)Choi opened his tournament with a 72 but followed that up with a 75 and then a 77. During the third round, Choi had two birdies and a double bogey on

Feb. 10, 2019

Korean Ji Eun-hee wins LPGA season opener

South Korean LPGA veteran Ji Eun-hee is off to a winning start in 2019.Ji captured the Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, on Sunday (local time) by two shots over fellow South Korean Lee Mi-rim. After a final round of 1-under 71, Ji finished at 14-under 270 for her fifth career LPGA win, worth $180,000.Ji Eun-hee (Yonhap)Ji shared the 54-hole lead at Tranquilo Golf Course at Four Seasons Golf & Sports Club Orlando with Lydia Ko at 13-under.Brooke Henderson was

Jan. 21, 2019

S. Korean golfer eyes LPGA's top rookie award in '19

South Korea has produced the past four LPGA Rookie of the Year Award winners. And Lee Jeong-eun wants to extend the streak to five in 2019.After dominating the Korea LPGA Tour over the past two seasons, Lee, 22, will take her talent to the US competition this year. She won the revamped LPGA qualifying tournament, named Q-Series, in Nov. and will now try to prove that her talent can translate to the world's premier circuit. (Yonhap)At a press conference in Seoul on Thursday discussing her goals f

Jan. 3, 2019

Top Korean tour star to join LPGA in 2019

Lee Jeong-eun, one of the best players on the South Korean women's golf tour over the past two years, decided on Wednesday to take her talent to the United States.In a statement released by her agency, Crowning, the 22-year-old winner of the LPGA qualifying tournament said she will play on the U.S. tour full-time starting in 2019. (KLPGA)Lee, the 2017 Korea LPGA Player of the Year, won the LPGA Q-Series earlier this month, earning a full-fledged card for the world's premier women's golf tour for

Nov. 28, 2018

Local favorite Nasa Hataoka fires 67 to win Japan Classic

Local favorite Nasa Hataoka shot a 5-under 67 on Sunday to win the Japan Classic for her second LPGA title of the season.Hataoka offset a pair of bogeys with seven birdies at the Seta Golf Club to finish at 14-under 202, two strokes ahead of compatriots Momoka Ueda, Saki Nagamine and Spain's Carlota Ciganda, who all shot 68. (AP-Yonhap)Hataoka, who also won the Arkansas Championship in June, started the final round four strokes behind second-round leader Minjee Lee. Lee quickly faded, playing th

Nov. 4, 2018

Korean golfer wins LPGA qualifying event, undecided on future

South Korean golfer Lee Jeong-eun has won the qualifying event for the LPGA Tour for next season, though she isn't yet sure if she'll take her talent to the top competition right away.Lee, the reigning Korea LPGA Tour Player of the Year and world No. 19, won the inaugural LPGA Q-Series with an eight-round total of 18-under 558 at Pinehurst Course in Pinehurst, North Carolina, on Saturday (local time). (Yonhap)The Q-Series replaced the three-step qualifying tournament, more commonly known as Q-Sc

Nov. 4, 2018

Park Sung-hyun falls from No. 1 in women's golf rankings

South Korea's Park Sung-hyun has slipped from the No. 1 ranking in the women's world golf rankings.Park fell a spot to No. 2 in the latest rankings announced Tuesday, with Ariya Jutanugarn of Thailand taking her place at the top. South Korea`s Park Sung-hyun, left, and Ariya Jutanugarn of Thailand (Yonhap)Park, the 2017 LPGA Player of the Year, had been No. 1 since Aug. 20.Jutanugarn has 8.06 ranking points, while Park has 7.90 points.There were three other South Koreans inside the top 10: Ryu S

Oct. 30, 2018

Korean Ko Jin-young wins LPGA's top rookie award

The LPGA Tour announced Wednesday South Korean golfer Ko Jin-young has clinched its Rookie of the Year award with four tournaments left in the 2018 season.Ko leads the race with 1,137 points, and Georgia Hall, who's 383 points behind in second place, will not catch Ko because she will only play in the season finale, the CME Group Tour Championship. (Yonhap)Rookies earn 150 points for tour victories, 80 points for runner-up finishes, 75 points for third place and so forth. Points are doubled at t

Oct. 24, 2018

Brooks Koepka earns No. 1 ranking with PGA win in Korea

SEOGWIPO, Jeju Island -- Brooks Koepka locked down the No. 1 spot in the men's world golf rankings with his first PGA Tour win of the season in South Korea on Sunday, aided by a thrilling chip-in birdie down the stretch.Koepka, the 2017-2018 PGA Tour Player of the Year, captured the CJ Cup @ Nine Bridges with a four-round total of 21-under 267, four strokes ahead of Gary Woodland, whose furious charge ultimately fell just short.Koepka shot a final round of eight-under 64 at the Club at Nine Brid

Oct. 21, 2018

Justin Thomas bracing for another windy week in Korea

SEOGWIPO, Jeju Province -- PGA Tour star Justin Thomas battled through windy conditions to win a tournament in South Korea last year. And he doesn't think Mother Nature will be any different this time around.Thomas is back as the defending champion at the $9.5 million CJ Cup @ Nine Bridges, which begins Thursday at the Club at Nine Bridges on the southern island of Jeju.The world No. 4 shot a blistering nine-under 63 in the first round a year ago, before ballooning to 74 and 70 over the next two

Oct. 17, 2018

Korean Chun In-gee wins 1st LPGA title in 2 years at home

INCHEON -- Crowd favorite Chun In-gee captured her first LPGA title in two years at home Sunday.Chun won the LPGA KEB Hana Bank Championship at 16-under 272 at Sky 72 Golf Club's Ocean Course, adjacent to Incheon International Airport. Chun finished three shots ahead of Charley Hull of England, who held the 54-hole lead at 12-under.Chun carded a 66 in the final round thanks to seven birdies and one bogey, and took home $300,000 in the winner's check. (Yonhap)The world's top two players, Park Sun

Oct. 14, 2018

World No. 1 Park Sung-hyun takes share of LPGA lead on home soil

INCHEON -- World No. 1 Park Sung-hyun grabbed a share of the second round lead at an LPGA tournament on home soil on Friday.Park reached eight-under after shooting her second straight round of four-under 68 at the LPGA KEB Hana Bank Championship at Sky 72 Golf Club's Ocean Course, adjacent to Incheon International Airport. Park had six birdies against two bogeys at the par-72 course, which played at 6,251 yards Friday.Park is joined at the top by three competitors: world No. 2 Ariya Jutanugarn o

Oct. 12, 2018

World's top LPGA golfer shakes off rare miscue in solid round at home

INCHEON -- Park Sung-hyun, world No. 1 in women's golf, was enjoying a strong opening round at the LPGA KEB Hana Bank Championship on Thursday, when she ran into trouble at the penultimate hole.The scenic par-three 17th at Sky 72 Club's Ocean Course in Incheon, 40 kilometers west of Seoul, is famous for a giant bunker that stretches from just in front of the tee to the mouth of the small green. But there was nothing scenic about Park's double bogey there, after a botched tee shot and what Park c

Oct. 11, 2018