Lee Kyoung-hoon captures 1st PGA Tour win in Texas

Powered by an early birdie barrage, South Korean Lee Kyoung-hoon has entered the winner's circle for the first time on the PGA Tour. Lee rallied to capture the AT&T Byron Nelson at TPC Craig Ranch in McKinney, Texas, on Sunday (local time), shooting a six-under 66 with eight birdies in the weather-interrupted final round. Lee finished at 25-under 263 at the 7,468-yard, par-72 course, beating Sam Burns by three strokes. It was Lee's 80th career start on the tour. Lee, 29, became the eighth

May 17, 2021

S. Korea's Kim Hyo-joo picks up 4th LPGA win in Singapore

South Korean Kim Hyo-joo earned her fourth LPGA victory in Singapore on Sunday, marking her first LPGA win in over five years. The 26-year-old golfer captured the HSBC Women's World Championship title at 17-under 271 to beat Hannah Green of Australia by one stroke, with an eight-under 64 in the final round at Sentosa Golf Club's New Tanjong Course. She takes home $240,000 in the first-place check. Kim last won an LPGA tournament in 2016 at the Pure Silk Bahamas LPGA Classic. Before that, she

May 2, 2021

Park In-bee earns 1st LPGA win of season in California

Park In-bee has added another line to her LPGA Hall of Fame resume. The South Korean veteran collected her first victory of the 2021 season at the Kia Classic in Carlsbad, California, on Sunday (local time). It was also Park's 21st career title. Park had finished second at the tournament three times -- in 2010, 2016 and 2019 -- before finally breaking through with a comfortable, five-stroke win over two Americans, Amy Olson and Lexi Thompson. Park shot a two-under 70 in the final round to fin

March 29, 2021

Why golf outside? Kakao ushers in AI-based swing experience

South Koreans’ love of golf has led to a flourishing culture of indoor golf, played on driving ranges that have been graphically or photographically simulated on screens. Now a gaming company has introduced an artificial intelligence-based service so that golfers can work on their skills at home. On Feb. 25 Kakao Games, the gaming unit of the country’s leading messenger app operator, launched a golf training app that allows newbie golfers to practice and correct their swings in

March 9, 2021

Tiger Woods suffers leg injuries after car rollover

The amazing golf career of Tiger Woods, from two-year-old prodigy to his epic comeback 2019 Masters victory, was in jeopardy Tuesday after injuries suffered in a serious solo car crash, the AFP reported. The 45-year-old American, among the world's most famous athletes for the past quarter-century, underwent surgery for multiple leg injuries following the early morning wreck near Los Angeles, according to the report. It could mean the end of a groundbreaking career that has seen Woods win 15

Feb. 24, 2021

[Newsmaker] Tiger Woods seriously injured in crash on steep LA-area road

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Tiger Woods was seriously injured Tuesday when his SUV crashed into a median, rolled over and ended up on its side on a steep roadway in suburban Los Angeles known for wrecks, authorities said. The golf superstar had to be pulled out through the windshield, and his agent said he was undergoing leg surgery. Woods was alone in the SUV when it crashed into a raised median shortly before 7:15 a.m., crossed two oncoming lanes and rolled several times, authorities said at a n

Feb. 24, 2021

Kim Si-woo captures 3rd PGA Tour victory

Kim Si-woo won the American Express and captured his third PGA Tour title, securing his first victory since 2017. Kim birdied two of the final three holes to card a bogey-free 8-under 64 in the final round to edge out late-storming Patrick Cantlay, who got 11 birdies in the final round alone, by a stroke on Sunday. “My heart was very firm in the last five holes and Patrick kept making birdies,” Kim said in the interview after winning the tournament. “But I was not trying

Jan. 25, 2021

S. Korean Kim Si-woo earns 3rd career PGA Tour title

South Korean Kim Si-woo has captured his third career PGA Tour title, ending a drought that had lasted nearly four years. Kim won the American Express by a stroke over Patrick Cantlay of the United States at 23-under 265 on the Stadium Course at PGA West in La Quinta, California, on Sunday (local time). The 25-year-old Korean carded a bogey-free final round of eight-under 64 to hold off Cantlay, who fired a blistering round of 11-under 61. Kim's previous victory had come at The Players Champio

Jan. 25, 2021

LPGA star Ko Jin-young goes wire-to-wire at top of world rankings

South Korean LPGA star Ko Jin-young will finish the year where she started in the women's golf rankings: at the very top. Ko stayed at No. 1 in the final rankings of 2020 released Tuesday. She climbed to No. 1 in July 2019 and was also at the top in the first rankings this year on Jan. 7.Ko, the 2019 LPGA Player of the Year, played only four tournaments this season, which was cut short by the coronavirus pandemic. But the 25-year-old made the most of the opportunity, as she won the season-endin

Dec. 29, 2020

Ko Jin-young captures LPGA season finale, 2nd straight money title

World No. 1 Ko Jin-young has won the LPGA season finale in Florida, capping off a truncated campaign in come-from-behind fashion against a rival countrywoman. Ko won the CME Group Tour Championship by five strokes over world No. 2 Kim Sei-young and Hannah Green of Australia in Naples, Florida, on Sunday (local time). Ko shot a six-under 66 at Tiburon Golf Club for a four-round total of 18-under 270. By earning $1.1 million in her first victory of 2020, Ko won her second consecutive money title

Dec. 21, 2020

S. Korean golfer Kim A-lim wins US Women's Open

South Korean professional golfer Kim A-lim on Monday won the Women's US Open in her debut in the major. The 25-year-old shot a 4-under par 67 in the final round to win the 75th US Women's Open at the Champions Golf Club in Houston. Kim shot a four-round total of 3-under 281 to win the title by one stroke. "I'm very honored to win the 75th US Women's Open. Still can't really soak in that I'm the champion, but it feels different winning the tournament here," she said in a post-match p

Dec. 15, 2020

Amid retirement speculation, Ryu So-yeon set for belated LPGA season debut

Though she only turned 30 this year, LPGA golfer Ryu So-yeon has been fielding questions about retirement. Considering that Ryu has yet to play on the LPGA Tour this year -- the South Korean star will make her season debut this week in Texas -- and that she chose to stay home even after the US competition resumed, perhaps questions about Ryu's future were understandable. Ryu said Thursday she wasn't thinking about quitting the sport during her time away from LPGA; rather, she only wanted an ex

Dec. 3, 2020

World No. 1 in women's golf has 'no regrets' over missing 3 LPGA majors

ICHEON -- South Korean LPGA star Ko Jin-young has managed to stay at the top of the world rankings despite skipping all three major championships so far in the coronavirus-interrupted season. The two-time major winner says, though, she doesn't regret her decision to stay home during the pandemic and not play in those big events. "Given that health and safety are the most important things, this was an unavoidable choice," Ko said Thursday before her first round at the KB Financial Gro

Oct. 15, 2020

S. Korean Im Sung-jae eyeing top-5 finish at relocated PGA tournament

Im Sung-jae has been the biggest South Korean name on the PGA Tour for the past couple of years, but he hasn't played like one in the tour's only event held on his home soil during that time. Now that the tournament, the CJ Cup, has been relocated to the United States for this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, perhaps the pressure to deliver in front of home fans will be off the shoulders of the 22-year-old. The fourth edition of the CJ Cup will start at Shadow Creek Golf Course in Las Veg

Oct. 14, 2020

S. Korean Kim Sei-young captures 1st career LPGA major title

With a ruthlessly dominant performance, South Korean LPGA star Kim Sei-young has finally broken through with her maiden major title. Kim captured the KPMG Women's PGA Championship by five strokes Sunday (local time) at Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, for her 11th career title and first at one of LPGA's five major tournaments. Kim, world No. 7, carded a bogey-free round of seven-under 63 in the final round at the par-70, 6,577-yard track, for a four-round total of 14-under

Oct. 12, 2020

Surprise LPGA major champion working on long game in pursuit of 2nd big win

South Korean LPGA player Lee Mi-rim chipped and putted her way to a stunning major title last month, and ahead of another major tournament this week, she has been working on her long game. Lee is entering the KPGA Women's PGA Championship, set to open at Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, on Thursday (local time), as a player to watch. She won the ANA Inspiration in a playoff last month for her first career LPGA major title, and she chipped in for two birdies and an eagle in

Oct. 7, 2020

'Nervous' Park Sung-hyun among dozen S. Koreans in field for LPGA season's 2nd major

World No. 4 Park Sung-hyun will headline a contingent of 12 South Korean players at the second major championship of the 2020 LPGA season this week. Park will make her season debut at the ANA Inspiration at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, California, starting Thursday. She will tee off with Nasa Hataoka at 1:18 p.m. Thursday local time, or 5:18 a.m. Friday in Seoul. The 2020 season began in January with two tournaments in Florida. The tour moved to Australia for two more events,

Sept. 9, 2020

Im Sung-jae barely misses top 10 in PGA Tour season finale

South Korean youngster Im Sung-jae has wrapped up his second PGA Tour season with an up-and-down round. Im shot an even-par 70 for a four-round total of 10-under 274 at the Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta on Sunday (local time). He had been in second place halfway through the tournament before fading away over the final two rounds with 72-70. Im recorded six birdies against four bogeys and a double bogey Sunday. He started the round in sixth place and came up just a strok

Sept. 8, 2020

World No. 1 Ko Jin-young decides not to defend LPGA major title in California

Citing concerns over the coronavirus pandemic, Ko Jin-young, the world No. 1 in women's golf from South Korea, has decided not to defend an LPGA major championship in California this month. SEMA Sports Marketing, Ko's Seoul-based agency, announced Friday that Ko will not compete at the ANA Inspiration, which opens Sept. 10 at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, California. The tournament is usually held in late March or early April but has been pushed back this year because of the CO

Sept. 4, 2020

S. Korea's Kim nearly makes two aces in grabbing PGA lead

WASHINGTON (AFP) -- South Korea's Kim Si-woo aced one hole and lipped out on another hole-in-one bid Saturday on his way to grabbing a two-stroke lead at the US PGA Wyndham Championship. Sparkling on the same course where he won his first PGA title four years ago, Kim fired an eight-under par 62 to stand on 18-under 192 after 54 holes at Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, North Carolina. Americans Rob Oppenheim, who shot 62, and Doc Redman, who fired a 63, shared second on 194 in search of

Aug. 16, 2020