Late miscue proves costly as Yang Hee-young misses out on fifth LPGA title

Done in by a late double bogey, South Korean Yang Hee-young has missed out on a chance to end her four-year LPGA title drought. Yang finished tied for third at the Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give at Blythefield Country Club in Belmont, Michigan, on Sunday. After shooting a three-under 69, which included a double bogey on the 16th, Yang ended at 18-under, three behind the champion, Leona Maguire of Ireland. Yang was looking for fifth career LPGA title and her first win since February 2019. Th

June 19, 2023

Ko Jin-young back as No. 1 in women's golf rankings

On the strength of her recent LPGA victory, South Korean star Ko Jin-young has returned to the top of the women's golf rankings. Ko climbed a spot to No. 1 in the latest rankings announced Monday, reclaiming the place she had last occupied on Oct. 24, 2022. Ko fell to as low as No. 5 in February this year but has since won twice on the LPGA Tour to claw her way back to the top spot. The women's world rankings evaluate players' performance over a rolling two-year period weighted in

May 23, 2023

Lone S. Korean left at PGA Championship struggles in 3rd round

Lee Kyoung-hoon, the only South Korean player remaining at the PGA Championship, has taken a few steps back with a bumpy third round at the season's second major tournament. Lee posted a round of five-over 75 on the East Course at Oak Hill Country Club in Pittsford, New York, on Saturday, dropping to six-over for the tournament. Lee fell from a tie for 19th to a tie for 42nd place. After an opening par, Lee picked up four bogeys over his next five holes, with a birdie on the par-5 fourth

May 21, 2023

One S. Korean player makes cut at PGA Championship

Only one out of five South Koreans in action has made the cut at the PGA Championship, the second major tournament of the men's golf season. Lee Kyoung-hoon, a two-time PGA Tour winner, will get to play on the weekend after shooting a two-under 68 to reach one-over for the tournament on the East Course at Oak Hill Country Club in Pittsford, New York, on Friday (local time). Lee made three birdies against one bogey to post an under-par score after starting his championship with a 73 on Thurs

May 20, 2023

S. Koreans well off pace after opening round at PGA Championship

South Korean golfers found themselves well out of contention after the opening round of the PGA Championship, the second major tournament of the season, with no one posting an under-par score. When the play was suspended due to darkness at the East Course of Oak Hill Country Club in Pittsford, New York, on Thursday, four of five South Koreans in the field were tied at three-over, with only three having managed to finish their 18 holes. Lee Kyoung-hoon finished his round at three-over 73. Lee rec

May 19, 2023

In-form S. Koreans chasing maiden major at PGA Championship

Two South Korean golfers fresh off strong performances will be in pursuit of their maiden major title this week in the state of New York. Im Sung-jae and Kim Si-woo will be among five South Koreans in action at the PGA Championship, which tees off at the East Course of Oak Hill Country Club in Pittsford, New York, on Thursday. A total of 156 players will go after the coveted Wanamaker Trophy. This will be the second major tournament of the PGA Tour season, following the Masters in April. Im won

May 17, 2023

Seoul to host MLB season-opening games in 2024: report

South Korea will likely host Major League Baseball regular season games for the first time at the start of the 2024 season, a US report claimed on Sunday, with a familiar face returning to his old stomping ground for the historic occasion. Citing sources, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported that the two-game series between the San Diego Padres, featuring South Korean infielder Kim Ha-seong, and the Los Angeles Dodgers to be played in Seoul in late March 2024 is in the works. If finalized, these

May 8, 2023

Landers reach 20-win plateau first in 2nd straight KBO season

By winning their fifth consecutive game on Sunday, the SSG Landers became the first team in South Korean baseball to reach the 20-win mark in 2023. That may seem to be an insignificant milestone in a 144-game season, but beating everyone to that mark has often translated into postseason success for teams. The Landers edged out the Kiwoom Heroes 7-6 in 11 innings to improve to 20-10 for the season. It was their fifth consecutive win, putting them two games ahead of the Lotte Giants (15-9) in firs

May 8, 2023

S. Korea salvages 2 wins to close out International Crown

With its fate long sealed, South Korea salvaged two wins against Japan on its final day at the International Crown, the biennial LPGA match play competition. In Day 3 of the four-ball play, Choi Hye-jin and Chun In-gee teamed up to defeat Nasa Hataoka and Ayaka Furue 3 & 1 at TPC Harding Park in San Francisco on Saturday. Ko Jin-young and Kim Hyo-joo, the other South Korean team in action, held off Yuka Saso and Hinako Shibuno 3 & 2. South Korea, the defending International Crown champio

May 7, 2023

Defending champion S. Korea eliminated early in International Crown

South Korea will not get to defend its title at the International Crown, the biennial LPGA match play competition. For the second straight day, South Korea lost both of its matches in the team competition at TPC Harding Park in San Francisco on Friday. In four-ball play in Pool B, Ko Jin-young and Kim Hyo-joo lost 3 & 2 to Patty Tavatanakit and Atthaya Thitikul of Thailand. Choi Hye-jin and Chun In-gee fell 2 & 1 against the sisters Ariya Jutanugarn and Moriya Jutanugarn. With a 0-4-0 re

May 6, 2023

S. Korean LPGA star thinks team 'can win again' at International Crown

The highest-ranked female golfer from South Korea believes the country "can win again" at this week's LPGA match play competition. South Korea is the defending champion at the International Crown, whose fourth edition will tee off at TPC Harding Park in San Francisco on Thursday. At the pre-competition press conference on the eve of the event, Ko Jin-young, world No. 3 and one of four South Korean players in the field, said she likes her team's chances of repeating. "Def

May 4, 2023

S. Korea goes for 2nd straight title at LPGA match play competition

Led by a resurgent star, South Korea will chase its second consecutive title at an LPGA team match play competition this week in San Francisco. South Korea will be the No. 2 seed at the eight-country International Crown, scheduled to tee off Thursday at TPC Harding Park in San Francisco. This is the fourth edition of the International Crown. The $2 million biennial competition began in 2014, with Spain being crowned the inaugural champion. The United States won the next event in 2016, and South

May 2, 2023

Two S. Koreans tie for 4th at LPGA season's 1st major

South Korean golfers Kim A-lim and Yang Hee-young have fallen short of winning the first major championship of the 2023 LPGA season. Kim and Yang finished tied for fourth place at the Chevron Championship near Houston, Texas, on Sunday, at eight-under 280. Kim shot an even 72 with three birdies against three bogeys at the par-72 Jack Nicklaus Signature Course at The Club at Carlton Woods, while Yang carded a 73 with three birdies and four bogeys. They finished two strokes out of the playoff be

April 24, 2023

Ko Jin-young says 'everything is perfect' ahead of LPGA season's 1st major

Having put a nagging wrist injury behind her, South Korean LPGA star Ko Jin-young thinks she couldn't be in a better spot as she gears up for the first major championship of the season. "Mentally and physically, everything is perfect," Ko said at a press conference ahead of the Chevron Championship at The Club at Carlton Woods, just outside Houston, Texas, on Wednesday. The competition tees off Thursday at the par-72 Jack Nicklaus Signature Course. "This course is not easy, b

April 20, 2023

Ko Jin-young to continue LPGA Hall of Fame pursuit at season's 1st major

With her career back on track thanks to a long-awaited victory in March, South Korean LPGA star Ko Jin-young will continue her pursuit of a place in the Hall of Fame at the season's first major championship this week. The Chevron Championship tees off on the Jack Nicklaus Signature Course at The Club at Carlton Woods, just outside Houston, Texas, on Thursday. For its first five decades, the tournament, while undergoing several sponsorship changes, had been played at the Mission Hills Countr

April 19, 2023

Bromance brewing between teammates after reunion

Born three years apart, Doosan Bears catcher Yang Eui-ji and third baseman Heo Kyoung-min played baseball on the same elementary school team. Then as teammates in the Korea Baseball Organization, they enjoyed massive success together, winning Korean Series titles for the Bears in 2015 and 2016. Yang bolted for another club, the NC Dinos, in free agency after the 2018 season. Heo won his third Korean Series ring without Yang in 2019, while Yang took the Dinos to their first title the very next ye

April 12, 2023

Pirates' Choi Ji-man goes deep for 2nd straight game

After going six games without a home run, Choi Ji-man of the Pittsburgh Pirates has now homered in back-to-back games. Batting third as designated hitter, Choi blasted a solo home run off Houston Astros starter Cristian Javier during the bottom of the sixth inning at PNC Park in Pittsburgh on Tuesday. Choi's dinger broke a 2-2 tie, and the Pirates took a 4-2 lead after the sixth inning. At full count, Choi got a 92.2 mph four-seam fastball at the top of the strike zone and drove it 418 feet into

April 12, 2023

S. Korea makes roster change for LPGA intl. team event

South Korea has made a roster change ahead of an eight-country match play competition in women's golf scheduled for May. The LPGA announced Tuesday that South Korea is one of three nations to bring in new players, along with Japan and China, for the 2023 International Crown, which will run from May 4 to 7 at TPC Harding Park in San Francisco. Each of the eight countries will be represented by its top four players on the world rankings. And the countries' seedings and their four qualifi

April 12, 2023

Kim Joo-hyung, Im Sung-jae post top-20 finishes at Masters

AUGUSTA -- Two of the four South Korean players in action at the Masters finished inside the top 20 in Augusta, Georgia, on Sunday. Kim Joo-hyung and Im Sung-jae tied for 16th at two-under 286 at Augusta National Golf Club in the season's first major championship. Kim, making his Masters debut, shot a two-under 70 in the final round, with four birdies, one eagle and four bogeys. He did not break 70 in any of his four rounds here. Despite a solid showing, Kim Joo-hyung said he would not ev

April 10, 2023

4 S. Koreans make cut at weather-interrupted Masters

AUGUSTA, United States -- A record four South Korean players made the cut at the Masters, the first major of the men's golf season interrupted by inclement weather. The second round of the tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, was only completed Saturday, after play was halted due to rain and thunderstorms. That forced 39 players to hit the course at 8 a.m. Saturday to finish their second round. When 36 holes were in the books, all four South Koreans in the field s

April 9, 2023