Golf: Fil-Am Allisen Corpuz wins US Women's Open for first LPGA triumph

SAN FRANCISCO -- Filipino-American Allisen Corpuz captured her first LPGA victory in dramatic fashion on Sunday, firing a three-under par 69 to win the US Women's Open by three strokes.

The 25-year-old from Honolulu finished 72 holes at Pebble Beach on nine-under 279 to defeat England's Charley Hull, who fired a final-round 66, and South Korean Shin Ji-yai, who shot 68.

"Unreal. This week has just felt like a dream come true," Corpuz said. "It has been just awesome to be out at Pebble this week."

Japan's Nasa Hataoka, the 54-hole leader, finished with a 76 to share fourth on 285 with American Bailey Tardy while Japan's Ayaka Furue and South Korean Kim Hyo-joo shared sixth on 286.

Corpuz had shared a major lead at the Chevron Championship earlier this year before settling for fourth, a hint of the promise she made real at the iconic California seaside course where such legends as Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus have hoisted trophies.

"I've played a little conservatively in the past and just went out there and told myself I had the game to do it today," Corpuz said. "Little nervous at times but pretty comfortable."

A turning point came at the par-3 12th when leader Corpuz blasted out of a bunker and made a 16-foot par putt while Hataoka missed a five-foot par putt moments later to fall two adrift of the American.

Hull sank a 30-foot birdie putt at the par-5 16th to pull within two on 6-under with Hataoka making bogey at 14 to fall back.

Corpuz responded moments later by sinking a seven-foot birdie putt at the par-5 14th and when she added another from four feet at 15, she reached 10-under and surged ahead of Hull by four shots.

Corpuz had a bogey at the par-3 17th but still finished as the only player to crack par in all four rounds.

"Every few holes I just looked out and said I'm at Pebble Beach, there's not many places that are better than this," Corpuz said. "So really just tried to stay grounded and keep playing my game."

Corpuz made a five-foot birdie putt on the opening hole, saved par with a 10-foot putt at the par-5 second, followed with a 12-foot birdie at the third, then missed a six-foot par putt to bogey the fourth after missing the green with her approach.

She sank a birdie putt from just outside 10 feet at the par-3 seventh, missed the green on her approach and took a bogey at the ninth, then answered at 10 with a birdie putt from just inside nine feet.

Hull had six birdies, two bogeys and an eagle in her 66, the day's low round.

"I just got off to a fast start," Hull said. "I've been so focused and working on my game hard and today it just all clicked."

World number 20 Hataoka fell short in her bid to become the third Japanese woman to win a major title. She had runner-up major finishes as the 2018 Women's PGA Championship and the 2021 US Women's Open at The Olympic Club in nearby San Francisco.

Agence France-Presse

Golf: China's Yin Ruoning edges Yuka Saso to win Women's PGA Championship

NEW YORK -- China's Yin Ruoning sank a 10-foot birdie putt on the final hole on Sunday to win the Women's PGA Championship for her first major title.

The 20-year-old from Shanghai fired a four-under par 67 to finish 72 holes at Baltusrol on eight-under 276 and defeat Japan's Yuka Saso by one stroke.

Yin took the $1.5 million top prize and became only the second woman from China to win a major title after Feng Shanshan, who captured the 2012 Women's PGA crown.

"It's amazing," Yin said. "It's just unreal."

Saso, a 22-year-old Philippine-born Japanese star who won the 2021 US Women's Open, birdied the par-5 18th to match Yin for the lead at 7-under on the rain-soaked layout at Springfield, New Jersey.

Yin answered by landing her approach 10 feet from the hole and rolled in the tension-packed birdie putt for the victory in the year's second women's major tournament.

"After the tee shot I saw Yuka make an incredible birdie here, I knew I had to make birdie at this hole to win the championship and I'm glad I did it," Yin said.

An early afternoon storm halted play for almost two hours, but after play resumed Yin birdied the 13th and 14th to grab a share of the lead, parred the next three holes as rivals faltered, and won at the last after hitting every green in regulation in the final two rounds.

"For last couple days, my ball striking was perfect," Yin said. "I only missed six greens in four days so I think my ball striking was pretty good.

"My goal for today, just no three-putts. And I did it too. I didn't think too much. Just no three-putts Because last few days I made five bogeys and four of them were three-putts."

A third-place pack on 278 included Spain's Carlota Ciganda, Sweden's Anna Nordqvist, China's Lin Xiyu, American Megan Khang and Northern Ireland's Stephanie Meadow.

Japan's Ayaka Furue, South Korean Jenny Shin and American Rose Zhang shared eighth on 279.

Yin had joined Feng as the only Chinese women to win an LPGA title when she captured the LA Open in April.

Among those unable to match Yin down the stretch was Lin, who shared the lead when the storm struck.

"It's pretty amazing," Lin said of Yin's victory. "She's young and she's so talented. She's definitely really good at dealing with pressure. It's great to see that."

Yin rents a house in Orlando from Lin and said she hadn't thought about how her rent might now get higher.

"Actually, I'm thinking about buying her house right now," Yin said.

- 'I've got goosebumps' -

Shin and Lin were deadlocked atop the leaderboard when play resumed after the storm but seven others were within two strokes.

Lin held the lead alone after Shin made a bogey at the eighth and kept it until Yin birdied the 13th and 14th and Saso made her fourth birdie in six holes at 15 to share the lead on 7-under, although Saso stumbled with a bogey at 16.

Lin found water off the tee at the par-5 18th and closed with a bogey to leave Yin alone in the lead.

Saso responded with a tap-in birdie at 18 to share the lead, setting the stage for Yin's closing heroics.

"I actually kind of felt that I was going to make it and I made it," Yin said. "It's a very weird feeling."

She joined a list of major winners at Baltusrol that includes Jack Nicklaus, Phil Mickelson and women's icon Mickey Wright.

"I've got goosebumps," Yin said. "They're all legends. I'm glad that I can be part of it."

Yin hopes her victory can boost golf in China.

"I think it means a lot," Yin said. "I think it's going to push a lot of kids to play golf."

Agence France-Presse

Golf: Humbled Aussie Day, inspired by NFL's Brady, back at Masters

AUGUSTA -- Former world number one Jason Day, humbled by poor results but inspired by age-defying NFL star Tom Brady, finds charging up the rankings more enjoyable the second time around.

The 35-year-old Australian, nagged by chronic back pain, missed the Masters last year for the first time since 2010, the year before sharing second in his Masters debut.

Now with a rebuilt swing and gritty determination, Day has five top-10 finishes in his past six PGA starts and after sinking to 175th in the world rankings has jumped back to 35th.

"To be back here this year is very special," Day said. "I didn't watch much (last year) out of the sheer disappointment that I wasn't able to compete. It hurt my confidence a lot, so I've been trying to work my way back."

Day, whose only major title came at the 2015 PGA Championship, has won 12 PGA events, most recently in 2018 at Quail Hollow. He recalls his heady days atop the rankings after his major triumph.

"You feel invincible, like it's never going to leave and you're going to be on top of the world for a long time," Day said. "All of a sudden you get injured and that mountain can be very jagged if you fall down it."

Day's mother, Dening, died last year of lung cancer, adding to his struggles.

"It has been an unbelievable learning experience, a very humbling experience," Day said. "To be able to go through this and try and reinvent yourself is unique and I've enjoyed that thoroughly."

Day also took motivation from Brady, who retired earlier this year at age 45 after winning a record seventh Super Bowl title in the 2020 season with Tampa Bay.

"For him to be at that young age of 45 and be competitive in the NFL, it's remarkable, a true testament to his ability," Day said. "And then the mental ability he has.

"For the longest time I said I'll get to 40 and think about retiring. I feel like I can play to 50 now, which is great, and would be nice to get another 15 years out of my career and see what this second half of my career could unfold."

Day hopes another major, and maybe another stint atop the rankings, aren't out of the question.

"I'm more excited by the journey and trying to get back there," Day said.

"When I got to number one, I thought I would feel a little bit different and didn't really change too much. It was sacrifice everything. It came from a very hard place. Forget about how your body feels, just kind of force it in there.

"This time around, I'm learning more about what I need to do to keep myself healthy... I'm enjoying the journey and I'm learning each and every day, and I've actually got a lot of love and passion for it."

Agence France-Presse

Golf: Rose wins Pebble Beach Pro-Am to end four-year drought

SAN FRANCISCO -- Justin Rose captured his first title in four years on Monday, making three morning birdies after a back-nine restart to win the US PGA Tour's Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

Rose made long birdie putts at the 11th and 13th holes and birdied 14 -- all in response to birdies by his closest rivals -- to secure the triumph.

Former world number one Rose grabbed his 11th career PGA victory and his first since 2019 at Torrey Pines, another California oceanside course.

"Time flies by, doesn't it?" Rose said. "It's amazing how long it has been.

"Sometimes you just do need a result. You can believe you're making progress but there's nothing like lifting some hardware to give you that peace of mind and that little bit of confidence."

The 42-year-old Englishman finished on 18-under par 269 after going three-under on Monday to complete a final round of six-under par 66.

"This is just a moment to say thanks to people who believe in me than probably more than I do," Rose said. "My team have been incredible. My family at home... this one is for you guys.

"What a place to win a tournament... waves crashing up. It was just an epic scene. It makes me emotional almost to win here at Pebble."

Rose closed with four pars to become the first European champion at the event over the famed Monterey Peninsula layout, defeating Americans Brendon Todd and Brandon Wu by three strokes with US players Keith Mitchell, Peter Malnati and Denny McCarthy another stroke adrift.

The victory earned Rose berths at the Masters in April and PGA Championship in May.

"Just had an unbelievable week," Rose said. "Incredible week from start to finish with so much happening in my favor."

A high wind delay on Saturday had ensured a Monday finish, one of many distractions Rose navigated, including playing alongside amateurs in earlier rounds, something Rose said helped keep him calm.

"That's the beauty of this tournament," Rose said. "There is a lot going on. There are the amateurs. There's the odd bounce on the greens or wobbly putts or forecast that doesn't make sense. There's a lot that can be thrown at you."

Rose, ranked 71st, was on 15-under par when the final round was halted by darkness on Sunday -- two strokes ahead of Malnati, McCarthy and Todd.

- Rose sinks clutch putts -

Rose, whose lone major triumph came at the 2013 US Open, returned to the course in the 10th fairway and went on to par the hole.

Todd opened his Monday with a birdie at the 13th, a putt from just inside eight feet pulling him within one of the lead.

Rose, the 2016 Rio Olympic champion, responded by sinking a birdie putt from just inside 27 feet at the 11th to reach 16-under and restore his two-stroke margin.

"I wanted to stay on the front foot. I knew some guys were going to make a run," Rose said.

"Making that first five-footer of the day I felt was huge and then rolling in a 30-footer right on top of it at number 11 was exatly what I was looking for.

"I was able to build on that and make another couple of nice putts for momentum."

Todd sank a 10-foot birdie putt at the par-5 14th, but Rose struck back again by rolling in a 19-foot birdie putt at the 13th to reclaim a two-shot edge, a fist pump showing his excitement.

Malnati, playing alongside Rose, holed a 31-foot birdie putt at the par-5 14th to grab third on 14-under.

But moments later, Rose again answered a challenge. The Englishman sank a seven-foot birdie putt at 14 -- his third birdie in four holes -- to reach 18-under and stretch his lead over Todd to three strokes, where it stayed to the finish.

"The birdies at 13 and 14 put me in great position. Then it was about keeping it clean," Rose said. "I got calmer and calmer."

Agence France-Presse

Golf: Fitzpatrick leads McIlroy, Rai at Italian Open

ROME, Italy -- Matthew Fitzpatrick closed with a birdie in a third-round 69 on Saturday to open up a one-shot lead on Rory McIlroy and Aaron Rai at the Italian Open in Rome.

US Open champion Fitzpatrick bounced back from a front-nine bogey with birdies at the 10th, 12th and 18th in blustery conditions at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club.

World number two McIlroy and Englishman Rai are tied one shot behind Fitzpatrick in second at the venue which will host next year's Ryder Cup.

Halfway leader McIlroy had a mixed round with three birdies and three bogeys for 71, while Rai took a leap up the leaderboard with two eagles and two birdies in a six-under-par 65.

McIlroy, who like Fitzpatrick will be hoping to represent Team Europe in the 2023 Ryder Cup, faces a tough task on Sunday.

"I know it will be a tough day. Fitz is very solid. These are the sort of conditions that he relishes. He's going to be tough to beat," said the player from Northern Ireland.

"Thankfully I'm still in it. Still only one shot back. I'll be in the final group tomorrow. So that was a big putt on the 18th to hole so I can keep an eye on Fitz and what he's doing."

France's Victor Perez, American Kurt Kitayama and Australian Lucas Herbert were in a three-way tie for fourth on eight under.

Agence France-Presse

Golf: No.1 Scheffler seizes PGA Colonial lead with closing birdie

LOS ANGELES -- Top-ranked Masters champion Scottie Scheffler closed with a 30-foot birdie putt to seize a two-stroke lead after Saturday's wind-whipped third round of the US PGA Charles Schwab Challenge.

The 25-year-old American, chasing his fifth victory of the year, fired a two-under par 68 to stand on 11-under 199 after 54 holes at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas.

"The winds were up really high. The greens were actually pretty firm, and so it was challenging," said Scheffler. "The birdies were not coming easy to anybody out there late in the day."

Scheffler, among eight players sharing the 18-hole lead and four co-leaders after 36, had not made a bogey over the first 52 holes before stumbling at the 17th.

But he responded with a dramatic birdie at the 18th to stretch his lead back to two entering Sunday's final round.

"I was glad it was going toward the cup. I hit it a little bit too firm," Scheffler said of his final birdie. "I struggled a little bit with the speed of the greens today. It's tough when the wind gets blowing that hard.

"Like 18, I'm putting downhill but straight into the wind. That one I was just trying to make sure I got to the hole because putting downhill when the greens get iffy late in the day is very tough... fortunately that one hit the bottom of the cup."

An eagle-birdie start helped American Brendon Todd shoot 65, the day's low round, to share second on 201 with countryman Scott Stallings. American Harold Varner was in fourth on 202.

Patrick Reed, the 2018 Masters champion, was on 203 with fellow Americans John Huh and Chris Kirk and Australian Cam Davis.

Scheffler could become the first world number one to win the event since Australian Adam Scott in 2014.

With a victory, Scheffler would join South African Bobby Locke from 1947 and Australian Joe Kirkwood Sr. from 1923 as players winning their first five US PGA Tour titles in the same season. Locke took six in his debut campaign while Kirkwood won five.

After winning his first US PGA title at Phoenix in February, Scheffler won at Bay Hill and captured the WGC Match Play title in March then won his first major title at Augusta National in April to overtake Spain's Jon Rahm as world number one.

- 'It's very challenging' -

Patience was at a premium on a blustery day for Scheffler, who parred his way through the front nine to remain tied for the lead.

At the 10th, Scheffler found greenside rough but chipped in from 20 feet to seize the solo lead, then landed his approach at the par-5 11th inches from the cup and tapped in to reach 11-under and lead by two.

At 14, Scheffler chipped from 70 feet to inches from the cup for a tap-in par, but his bogey-free run ended with a five-foot par putt miss at the 17th, setting the stage for his dramatic birdie finish.

"This is a golf course you have to be pretty careful around. It's very challenging," Scheffler said.

Todd drove the green in two and sank an eight-foot eagle putt on the par-5 opening hole, then holed out from just over 33 feet at the second.

Todd dropped his approach to four feet to set up a birdie at the sixth and rolled in a 30-foot birdie putt at the par-3 eighth, then parred his way to the clubhouse.

Agence France-Presse

Golf: All eyes on Tiger's comeback and Jordan Slam quest at PGA

TULSA -- Tiger Woods and his incredible injury comeback and Jordan Spieth's quest for a career Grand Slam will seize the spotlight in Thursday's opening round of the 104th PGA Championship.

Woods, a 15-time major champion, and three-time major winner Spieth are grouped with four-time major winner Rory McIlroy in a marquee trio for the first two days at Southern Hills.

Top-ranked Masters champion Scottie Scheffler, 2021 British Open winner Collin Morikawa and second-ranked Spaniard Jon Rahm are among the most fancied players and are together as well, but might struggle to match the Woods group spectator count.

"Tiger's here, so nobody really remembers that I'm here," Scheffler said. "So it's all good."

Woods suffered severe leg injuries in a February 2021 car crash, spending weeks hospitalized and months unable to walk.

His emotional return at last month's Masters ended with a share of 47th and a stamina struggle, but he saw walking 72 holes as a major feat and says he's stronger as another endurance test looms.

"I've gotten stronger since then, but still it's going to be sore and walking is a challenge," Woods said.

Asked if he can win, Woods said, "I feel like I can, definitely. I just have to go out there and do it."

Among those trying to stop him will be Rahm, who comes off a victory two weeks ago at the US PGA Mexico Open.

"He's Tiger. He's a competitor," Rahm said. "He's going to try to win every single time and anytime he tees up, the world wants him to win.

"Yeah, totally expected for the attention to be on him, but it doesn't really change anything of what I want to be doing this week."

Like Rahm, Spieth wants to be having his name engraved on the Wanamaker Trophy. If he wins, Spieth will join Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Ben Hogan and Gene Sarazen as the only players to sweep all four major titles in their careers.

Spieth won last month's Heritage title and was second at last week's hometown Byron Nelson event. He expects Southern Hills will be formidable.

"I think it's going to be one of the higher scoring PGAs that we've seen," Spieth said. "It's a great test."

World number four Cameron Smith of Australia, a top-five Masters finisher in three of the past five years, is ready for the struggle of playing in the group just ahead of Woods.

"There can be a lot of external noise with crowds and just a lot more moving parts," Smith said. "Just another thing to really think about. Just make sure to spend a little bit more time worrying about what's happening outside to make sure when you're inside that shot, everything's perfect."

Tricky winds are expected, with the strongest breezes on the first two days.

"The forecast is different every day in this wind," Woods said. "It's supposed to be all different directions. We're going to see a different course almost every day."

That, warns Rahm, also comes with tee boxes made for adjustable distances, changing the holes each day no matter the weather.

"They can truly make it as difficult as they want to be," Rahm said. "They can really, truly manipulate the score out here very easily, even if the conditions are benign and we don't get too much wind."

- Scheffler No.1 swagger -

Scheffler, happy to hide in Woods's shadow, will try to become the first player to win the green jacket and PGA Championship in the same year since Nicklaus in 1975.

"It's right in front of you. It's just really hard," Scheffler said of the course. "You know what to do. It's just hard to actually do it."

Four-time major winner Brooks Koepka sees Scheffler as the man to beat.

"He's number one in the world. That usually has something to do with it," Koepka said. "I think confidence, too. Number one in the world, you've got that swagger when you walk on the range. I know I did.

"I'm pretty sure everybody else that has been number one, you've got a little extra strut. You've got a little something and I think it's noticeable."

Agence France-Presse

Tiger Woods fires 1-under par 71 in Masters first round

Tiger Woods, making an incredible comeback 14 months after suffering severe leg injuries in a car crash, fired a one-under par 71 on Thursday for a solid start at the Masters.

The 15-time major champion, seeking his record-tying sixth green jacket, made three birdies and two bogeys at Augusta National to stand three strokes behind early clubhouse leader Cameron Smith of Australia.

Woods sank a 29-foot birdie putt at the par-3 16th and closed with a clutch 10-foot birdie putt at the par-4 18th.

The 46-year-old superstar, who has slid to 973rd in the world rankings, walked slower and apart from his playing partners much of the round and used a club as a walking stick on hills at times.

Woods was hospitalized for weeks and unable to walk for months after an auto accident in February 21 and says he still plays through pain but he made an astonishing recovery to return at the Masters, where he won his first major title 25 years ago and made his most recent prior start 17 months ago.

With a victory, Woods would become the eldest Masters champion, three weeks older than Jack Nicklaus in 1986, and the third-oldest major winner after Phil Mickelson (50) and Julius Boros (48).

Agence France-Presse

Golf: Garcia shakes off Ryder woe for title defense

MIAMI -- Sergio Garcia hopes to put the disappointment of Europe's Ryder Cup defeat behind him when he launches the defense of his PGA Tour Sanderson Farms Championship title in Mississippi on Thursday.

The 41-year-old Spaniard is the only player involved in last week's Ryder Cup in the field for the tournament in Jackson, and says that despite a grueling week in Wisconsin, his energy levels is good.

Garcia was one of the lone bright spots in Europe's 19-9 mauling by the US at Whistling Straits, winning three of his four games.

Despite the traumatic scale of the Europe loss, Garcia said Wednesday he has already been able to put the defeat into perspective.

"I've been fortunate to play many Ryder Cups and win many and also lose some," Garcia said. "We just got outplayed. It's as simple as that."

"They played better than us and we gave it everything we had. So we can't really ask ourselves for more.

"Obviously we would have loved to do a little bit better and probably be a little bit sharper on those key moments where they were sharp and we were just a little bit off and they took advantage of that.

"But other than that it's fine. I think the way I look at it there were so many positive things coming out of it, even though we lost, that you just got to look at those things."

Garcia said he had not slept much on Sunday after the defeat, but had managed to rest at his home in Austin.

"I feel pretty good at the moment," he said. "Obviously you all know how much I love the Ryder Cup and there's a lot of energy involved in it and that you put on it and stuff. I still love it every time I play it.

"At the moment I feel quite good. I don't think it has hit me yet and hopefully it won't hit me until I get back to Austin next week so I can have a good solid week here."

While other players involved at Whistling Straits have opted for a break this week, Garcia said he was determined to tee it up in Mississippi to defend his title.

"I try to defend my titles every time I can. I haven't been able to do it every single time, but I love to do it every possibility I have," he said.

Agence France-Presse

Golf: Jin Young Ko wins Portland Classic by four strokes

South Korea's Jin Young Ko shot a 3-under 69 on Sunday to win the rain-shortened Cambia Portland Classic by four shots.

Ko finished at 11-under 205, comfortably ahead of South Korea's Jeongeun Lee and Australia's Su Oh. Both golfers shot 69 Sunday.

The event was shortened to 54 holes after Saturday's third round at Oregon Golf Club at West Linn, Ore., was washed out due to heavy rain.

The 26-year-old Ko shot a bogey-free round on Sunday to win her ninth career LPGA event. It was her first tour appearance since the Tokyo Olympics.

"I had a lot of practice with my coach and had a lot of workouts," Ko said of spending approximately six weeks in South Korea. "I had a great week this week and I'm so happy for the name on the trophy. It's a great win."

Ko carded three birdies while winning for the second time this season. She also won the Volunteers of American Classic in early July.

"I tried to make a no bogey-free round today, (and) I made it," Ko said. "I had a lot of missed shots and I had a lot of missed chipping or something, so I had to make great par saves, but I made it."

Lee shot eagle-3 on the 18th hole to move into the tie for second. She recorded three birdies and two bogeys.

Oh registered four birdies and one bogey in her round.

"A few more putts drop then I would have been closer," said Oh, "but still pretty happy with how I played this whole week."

Perrine Delacour of France shot 69 to finish fourth with a 5-under 211. She had four birdies and one bogey.

"We got lucky for sure with the weather," Delacour said. "I played really solid all week long. I like the track of this course, it's really good. It's a challenging course."

Thailand's Patty Tavatanakit (69 on Sunday), Germany's Esther Henseleit (70) and Spain's Carlota Ciganda (73) tied for fifth at 4 under.

Americans Jennifer Kupcho (68) and Jennifer Song (68), South Africa's Ashleigh Buhai (69), Netherland's Anne van Dam (71), South Korea's Jeongeun Lee6 (73), Thailand's Pajaree Anannarukarn (73) and Scotland's Gemma Dryburgh (76) tied for eighth at 3-under 213.

Dryburgh was in second place after 36 holes, one shot behind Ko.

-reuters-

Golf: Tiger Woods trying 'to play golf again,' says Steve Stricker

Ryder Cup captain Steve Stricker said Wednesday that Tiger Woods is continuing his rehabilitation from a February accident "to get better and try to play golf again."

Stricker made the comments in a SiriusXM Radio interview at Whistling Straits, Wis., site of the upcoming Ryder Cup. Stricker said he has talked to Woods "a lot," acknowledging that the 15-time major champion would not be joining Team USA as an assistant.

"He's a part of this Ryder Cup family; he won't be able to be a captain's assistant this time around just because of his ongoing rehabilitation to try to get better and try to play golf again, and that is going well," Stricker said in the interview. "He's progressing, he's doing well, things are moving in the right direction."

The last words from Woods publicly about his recovery came in late May when he said he was focused on "walking on my own."

Woods, 45, sustained serious injuries after crashing an SUV on Feb. 23 in the Los Angeles County city of Rancho Palos Verdes. He is recovering from open fractures to his tibia and fibula, which needed a rod inserted to aid healing, and also foot and ankle injuries that needed screws and pins placed to aid in stabilization.

He was hospitalized for almost a month after the crash.

Woods played three events in the 2020-21 PGA Tour season, most recently the 2020 Masters that was delayed until November, as he was recovering from back surgery. His career earnings are listed at more than $120 million.

The Ryder Cup begins Sept. 24.

-reuters-

Golf: Cantlay edges Rahm for US Tour Championship, $15-M playoffs payout

WASHINGTON -- Patrick Cantlay held off top-ranked Jon Rahm to win the US PGA Tour Championship Sunday and claim the $15 million FedEx Cup playoffs top prize.

Cantlay two-putted for birdie at the par-five 18th to cap a one-under-par 69 that gave him a 21-under-par total and a one-shot victory over Spain's Rahm, who made the second birdie of his two-under 68 at the final hole to finish on 20-under.

"I played great today. It hasn't even sunk in yet," Cantlay said. 

"I just kept telling myself to focus and lock in and I did a great job of that today."

While Cantlay had said throughout that he was trying to approach each round as usual and tune out the prospect of a monster payday, he admitted that it wasn't just another week.

"It was tough," he said. "It was definitely different than any other week.

"It was the longest lead I've ever held. But I just tried to stay, day after day in the present, and I did an amazing job of that this week because the last couple days I made some mistakes I don't usually make and I was able to really center myself and hit a lot of good shots when I needed to."

Cantlay came into the tournament staked to a two-shot lead -- and a four-stroke advantage over Rahm -- under the staggered scoring system that awarded the 30 starters strokes based on their place in the playoff standings.

He led every day, with Rahm pushing hard but unable to get past him.

Cantlay's third bogey of the day at the par-four 17th saw his lead shrink to one, the American doing well to limit the damage after going right off the tee from where his second shot bounced through the green.

He responded with a booming drive up the middle of the fairway at the par-five 18th, where he two-putted for birdie from 11 feet.

Rahm pushed to the bitter end, his second shot at 18 tracking the pin only to bounce through the green and into the greenside rough from where he got up and down for birdie.

Rahm's only other birdie was a tap-in at the fifth hole.

"A couple shots I keep going back, that stretch of 10, 11, 12, I was in position to put a little bit of pressure and I just didn't," Rahm said.

"But at the same time, I shot my lowest score ever for four days on this golf course, which has usually been a challenge for me."

In fact, Rahm's 72-hole total of 266 was actually three shots lower than Cantlay's 269.

But the Spaniard went into the event four adrift in the staggered start system.

Asked if he felt "in his heart of hearts" that he had won the tournament, Rahm said "No.

"Because I didn't," he said. "That's the reason why we have this system we have. In scoring when they show you the sheets and points, it felt really weird to have this feeling of disappointment of not winning on a day you are making $5 million.

"Then I'm thinking, you know, yeah, I gave it my all. It wasn't enough."

- Amazing golf -

And Rahm said Cantlay -- who was atop the FedEx Cup standings after an epic playoff win over Bryson DeChambeau at last week's BMW Championship -- had earned the victory.

"Patrick played great golf, and he was four shots ahead of me, and even though I might have been the better man over the week, he earned it.

"He played amazing," Rahm said. "That up-and-down after missing from 17, the second shot from 18 to almost make it is even more impressive.

"I think you can say he won this. He played amazing golf."

American Kevin Na finished alone in third after a closing 67 that put him at 16-under par.

Former FedEx Cup champion Justin Thomas fired a two-under 70 to finish fourth on 15-under.

Agence France-Presse

  

Golf: Nelly Korda wins Women's PGA title to become World No.1

WASHINGTON -- Nelly Korda won the Women's PGA Championship on Sunday to capture her first major title and become the first American since 2014 to seize the world number one ranking.

The 22-year-old daughter of retired Czech tennis star Petr Korda made two eagles in outdueling compatriot Lizette Salas down the stretch for a three-stroke triumph.

"I've put in a lot of work," Korda said. "And to finally get three wins under my belt this year and a major championship, I don't even have words, honestly."

Korda fired a four-under-par 68 to finish 72 holes on 19-under 269 at Atlanta Athletic Club with Salas on 272 after a closing 71.

She will jump from third to first in Monday's new rankings, overtaking South Korea's number one Ko Jin-young and second-ranked Park In-bee.

Korda will become the first American atop the rankings since Stacy Lewis in October 2014 and only the third US player atop the list since it began in 2006 after Lewis and Cristie Kerr.

Korda became the first American to win a major women's golf title since Angela Stafford at the 2018 Evian.

"This is something I've worked for since I was 14," Korda said. "I wanted to win a major since I played in my first one.

"To finally get it done here in Atlanta with such an amazing crowd, it was something special."

South Korea's Kim Hyo-joo and Italy's Giulia Molinaro shared a distant third on 278 with Thailand's Patty Tavatanakit and American Danielle Kang sharing fifth on 280.

Korda claimed her third LPGA victory of the year after Boca Rio in February and last week at the LPGA Meijer Classic.

"I had a great week last week and carried the momentum into this week," Korda said. "I just played really well this week."

Salas, whose only LPGA victory came in 2014 at Kingsmill, matched her best major showing, a runner-up effort at the 2019 Women's British Open.

Korda birdied the par-4 third to grab a one-stroke lead over Salas, then hit a 7-wood 243 yards to within inches of the cup for a tap-in eagle at the par-5 fifth to reach 18-under.

Salas opened with a pair of par saves before adding an eight-foot birdie putt at the fifth and a tap-in birdie at six to pull within one of Korda, who was battling nerves.

"I wanted to keep a level head and tell myself there was a lot of golf to be played and take it one shot at a time," Korda said.

- Turning point at 12th -

The turning point came at the par-5 12th, when Korda dropped her second shot within five feet of the cup and Salas sent her third into a bunker.

Salas blasted out 15 feet beyond the hole and missed her par putt while Korda rolled in her eagle putt to reach 20-under par, the three-shot swing giving Korda a four-stroke edge.

Korda sank a long birdie putt at the 14th to reach 21-under, stretching her lead to five strokes with four holes remaining.

Korda was a threat to break the record for the lowest 72-hole score in women's major golf history, the 21-under 263 by South Korea's Chun In-gee at the 2016 Evian Championship.

But after a lengthy wait at the par-3 15th, Korda hit her tee shot into water and went on to make double bogey, ending her run of 49 consecutive holes without a bogey and trimming her lead to three.

Korda responded with three closing pars, the last on a long putt when the victory was secure.

Agence France-Presse

Golf: McIlroy in the dark about late birdies at U.S. Open

SAN DIEGO - Rory McIlroy might want to consider putting with his eyes closed after the way he finished the opening round at the U.S. Open on Thursday.

McIlroy banged in putts of 20 and seven feet respectively at the final two holes in near darkness at Torrey Pines to boost his chances of at least having a chance to end a seven-year major championship winning drought.

Never mind that he could barely see the hole, he struck his uphill birdie putt at the 18th with such conviction that it banged against the back of the cup at speed and fell in.

"The birdie is awesome," said a delighted Northern Irishman of his effort at the last.

"I mean, that putt was pretty, I was sort of like, I think it's straight, I'll hit it straight and we'll see.

"But, yeah, it was nice to get in, get an extra hour of sleep tonight and it was a bonus to birdie in as well."

He was one of the last players to finish the round, with 36 others having to return early on Friday to complete the final few holes, a result of a morning fog delay of minutes that backed up the afternoon tee times.

McIlroy badly needed a solid start after shooting himself out of contention before he had barely started at the year's previous two majors.

He shot an opening 76 and subsequently missed the cut at the Masters, while at the PGA Championship he opened with 75 and never in the hunt en route to a tie for 49th. (Reporting by Andrew Both; Editing by Kim Coghill)

-reuters-

Golf: Rory McIlroy commits to return to Irish Open

Four-time major champion Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland has committed to play in the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open in July, along with three fellow golfing stars of the Emerald Isle -- Shane Lowry, Padraig Harrington and Graeme McDowell.

"I am really excited to get back and play the Irish Open," McIlroy told the BBC. 

"I have so many incredible memories of this event down the years, not least my victory in 2016, and I think it is going to be a pretty special week this July with the fans returning. I'm really excited to play in front of them again."

McIlroy won the Irish Open in 2016 and served as the event's host from 2015-18, but hasn't played it since 2018. 

In 2019 he upset some in his native land by skipping the Irish Open because it was one week before the Open Championship, and he wanted a week's rest to prepare for the major.

He committed to return to the event in 2020 before the COVID-19 pandemic paused all sports and forced golf tours to reshuffle their calendars. The Irish Open was moved to late September, and McIlroy backed out after playing a partial season entirely in North America.

This year's Irish Open takes place July 1-4 -- two weeks before the Open Championship -- at Mount Juliet Hotel & Golf Course in County Kilkenny.

With McIlroy (No. 10 in the Official World Golf Ranking), Ireland's Lowry (No. 40) and Harrington (No. 148), and McDowell of Northern Ireland (No. 154), the event secured the four highest-ranked golfers from the two nations.

-reuters-

Father's tough love sets Yuka Saso up for US Women's Open success

TOKYO -- Nineteen-year-old Filipino-Japanese golfer Yuka Saso, who is back in the spotlight with her dramatic first career major victory at the US Women's Open, was driven to success by her father's tough love.

Saso became an overnight sensation at the Asian Games in 2018, when the then 17-year-old represented the Philippines and got two gold medals. Her playoff victory Sunday proved the double gold was no fluke and is a testament to her connection with her Japanese father Masakazu, who helped set and enforce the grueling schedule that drove her to the top.When she decided at the age of 8 she wanted to become a top-ranked player like now-retired Japanese golf star Ai Miyazato, her father relocated the family to the Philippines where the cost of living was a lot cheaper. Saso's mother is a Filipina.

"We are not rich. It was impossible for us to keep playing golf in Japan," the 63-year-old Masakazu said in an interview the father-daughter pair gave Kyodo News earlier this year.

They said the turning point in Saso's golf career came when she was 13 and competing in a tournament in the United States, and she saw a significant difference -- about 50 yards -- between the distances she was achieving with the golf ball and a 17-year-old player.

"It was frustrating. I told myself I would learn to swing as hard as her by the following year," Saso said, reflecting on a time that had made her cry out of anger.

Despite her plea, Masakazu was conflicted over whether he should force his daughter to keep up with a demanding training structure, so much so that he made her sign a pledge promising not to hold a grudge against him.

"I will commit myself to rigorous training but I will not hate my parents for it. I will not dislike them. I will never forget to show a daughter's smile," the pledge read.

From then on, Saso's mornings began with a 5:30 a.m. run, followed by 10 sets of 50- and 100-meter sprints wearing 2-kilogram weights and 30 minutes of repetitive side step jumping before taking actual golf swings.

Then, she would do 30-kg barbell squats, and sometimes even include dry swing training with a baseball bat while using ankle weights or shadow boxing to add variety to her workouts.

But Saso stayed calm, disciplined and in control regardless of the pressure and stress she was under.

She has learned that if she wants to move forward, it takes hard work and dedication on her part. She says she also wants to enjoy the process on her journey to the top.

"I want to remember to have fun while I play. I want to rank No. 1 in the world," she said.

On Monday, she jumped from 40th to ninth in the Rolex Rankings after beating Japanese golfer Nasa Hataoka in a playoff to give the Philippines its first major champion in golf and Japan its third major winner in women's golf.

After her historic conquest of the US Women's Open at the Olympic Club in San Francisco on Sunday, Saso credited her success to her father's love and parental support.

"(I was able to win because) my family supported me and was always there for me," Saso said.

Her father was moved to tears and could only manage a few words.

"(She did it) so soon...Good for her," he said.

-Kyodo News

Japan rejoices at teenage golfer Yuka Saso's US Women's Open win

Teenage golfer Yuka Saso's triumph at the US Women's Open was met with jubilation from her Japanese supporters Monday, with her father crying tears of joy as he watched her hoist the trophy.

"I didn't think she would win it this quickly. I'm so happy," Masakazu Saso said as he looked on at San Francisco's Olympic Club after her victory.

Born to a Filipino mother and Japanese father, Saso became only the third woman with Japanese citizenship to win a major title and tied the record for the youngest champion at the tournament at 19 years, 11 months, 17 days.

Saso holds dual Filipino and Japanese citizenship and represents the former on tour and in international competitions.

Masakazu said his confidence faltered when his daughter carded two double bogeys early in her final round, but his worry was proven unfounded when his daughter managed two par-5 birdies on the 16th and 17th holes to move into a playoff with Japanese player Nasa Hataoka.

"After the double bogeys on the second and third holes, I thought she was done for. She was lucky."

Asked how he plans to celebrate the victory with his daughter, Masakazu replied, "She's not the type to ask for things. That cup is what she wanted most."

were ecstatic at her victory.

"It's been less than a year since we met. I'm very surprised and overjoyed she has accomplished such a great feat," said Jiro Teramura, an executive at the small company.

At the Fuso Country Club in Kasama, Ibaraki Prefecture, about an hour and a half by car from central Tokyo, where Saso enrolled as a junior member in 2016, deputy manager Tatsuya Karibe said her physical strength is a boon when competing abroad.

"Her physique is her strong point. She's a long hitter, which allows her to be competitive in the US Women's Open."

The government's top spokesman, Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato, also offered his congratulations, saying the playoff holes were "a fierce battle" but that Saso's perseverance led to her win.

Also praising Hataoka, Kato said he looks forward to the 22-year-old's future performances.

Hiroaki Owa, who heads Ibaraki's athlete development program for golf and has worked closely with Hataoka, said she can hold her head high in defeat.

"It's very rare to have a playoff (on the US tour) between two Japanese. Hataoka may be dejected but this is good experience for the next time."

-Kyodo News-

Golf: Saso starts strong at US Women's Open; American high-schooler leads

Yuka Saso of the Philippines carded a 2-under 69 for a strong Round 1 at the US Women's Open on Thursday (US time).

Saso, who finished sixth at the Lotte Championship in April, was 2 shots behind co-leaders Mel Reid of England and 17-year-old high-school student Megha Ganne at San Francisco's Olympic Club.

The reigning Asian Games champion, who notched 4 birdies and a pair of bogeys, was joint sixth with Shanshan Feng of China and American Lexi Thompson.

Reid and American amateur Ganne kept their putters hot amid chilly conditions to card matching 67 and sit tied for the lead.

Reid, who went out as part of the morning wave amid dense coastal fog, carded 5 birdies and a bogey to take a 1-stroke clubhouse lead at 4-under early on at the major.

Her lead appeared safe until Ganne came out of nowhere in the sunnier afternoon to put on a putting clinic of her own.

Ganne pulled into a share of the lead with a birdie on the par-3 15th and took the lead on the next hole with her sixth birdie of the day on the par-five 16th.

But an errant tee shot on her final hole found the rough and the ensuing bogey dropped her back into a share of the lead.

Ganne, who played in the tournament 2 years ago as a 15-year-old, said taming her nerves was key to her success.

"I think the first time is nerve-racking for anybody — meeting your idols and being on the stage for the first time," she said.

"But the second time around, even the practice rounds, I wasn't as nervous."

Brooke Henderson (68) looked set to finish tied for the lead but three-putted the last for a bogey, dropping into a share of third with Angel Yin and Megan Khang at 3 under.

Defending champion Kim A-lim was not so lucky, the South Korean limping home with an eight-over 79.

Leading scores after Round 1 on Thursday (USA unless noted, a-denotes amateur, par-71):

67 - Mel Reid (ENG), a-Megha Ganne

68 - Angel Yin, Megan Khang, Brooke Henderson (CAN)

69 - YUKA SASO (PHILIPPINES), Feng Shanshan (CHN), Lexi Thompson

70 - Ko Jin-young (KOR) Marina Alex, Austin Ernst, Jennifer Kupcho, Lee6 Jeong-eun (KOR), Wichanee Meechai (THA), Lauren Stephenson

71 - Mina Harigae, a-Gurleen Kaur, Luna Sobron Galmes (ESP), Ariya Jutanugarn (THA), Ally Ewing, Madelene Sagstrom (SWE), a-Maja Stark (SWE), Lydia Ko (NZL), Park In-bee (KOR), Emily Kristine Pedersen (DEN)

Agence France-Presse

Golf: Yuka Saso finishes joint sixth, Lydia Ko claims Lotte Championship

LOS ANGELES -- Lydia Ko ended her three-year LPGA title drought in impressive style Saturday, firing a final-round 65 to win the Lotte Championship by seven strokes.

Former world number one Ko, a two-time major champion, didn't put a foot wrong as she notched her 16th LPGA title but her first since the 2018 Mediheal Championship.

Her 28-under par total of 260 at Kapolei Golf Club in Oahu, Hawaii, put her seven in front of South Korean's Park In-bee and Kim Sei-young, Ireland's Leona Maguire and American Nelly Korda.

Ko took a one-shot lead over Korda into the final round, but as the American struggled on the greens Ko marched relentlessly to victory.

She pushed her lead to two with a four-foot birdie at the third hole, then saved par from the front fringe at the fourth before taking firm control with four birdies in a row at the ninth, 10th, 11th and 12th.

She added birdies at 14 and 17 for good measure, admitting that there had been times during her long, highly scrutinized dry spell that she wondered if the victories would come again.

Yuka Saso of the Philippines, who led after the first two rounds, finished with a two-under 70 to join a group on 269 alongside South Korean Jenny Shin (63), Taiwan's Hsu Wei-Ling (66) and American Sarah Schmelzel (66).

"There were times that I would think 'Hey, I don't know if I'll ever be back in the winner's circle," said Ko, the former teen phenomenon who is still a week shy of her 24th birthday.

Near misses at the Gainbridge LPGA and the ANA Inspiration didn't necessarily ease her concerns, Ko said, noting that "when you're in that position and it doesn't happen, you do doubt."

Relaxed and smiling throughout much of the round, Ko was clearly emotional after her final putt dropped on 18.

"I just continued to stick to my game plan, and I think this kind of proves it to myself and that's the biggest thing," she said.

Korda, seeking a second victory of the season after beating Ko by three strokes at the Gainbridge LPGA, couldn't apply the same pressure on Ko that she did on Friday.

With the putts not falling, she was one-over on the front nine after a bogey at the eighth and trailing by four at the turn.

She followed a birdie at the 11th with back-to-back bogeys at 12 and 13, birdies at 14, 15 and 17 pushing her back into a share of second.

Park had roared to 21-under with a nine-under 63 that featured an eagle and seven birdies -- including three to cap her round.

Kim joined the group at 21-under with a bogey-free seven-under 65 that included an eagle and five birdies.

Maguire grabbed her share of second with an eagle at the par-five 17th, to go with four birdies and a bogey.

Agence France-Presse

Golf: Yuka Saso sizzles in 2nd round of Hawaii LPGA tournament

Yuka Saso of the Philippines produced a second consecutive stellar round Friday for a 2-shot lead at the midpoint of the Lotte Championship in Kapolei, Hawaii.

Saso, who shared first place after the opening round, carded a second consecutive 8-under-par 64 at Kapolei Golf Club on the island of Oahu.

Her 16-under 128 total has her in front of New Zealand's Lydia Ko, who recorded the best score of the tournament on Friday, a 9-under 63 that leaves her 14 under overall.

Spain's Luna Sobron Galmes (second-round 64), South Korea's Hyo Joo Kim (65), South Korea's So Yeon Ryu (68) and Nelly Korda (68) share third place at 11 under.

Brianna Do (66), Ally Ewing (69) and South Korea's A Lim Kim (64) are tied for tied for seventh place at 10 under.

Six players, including first-round co-leader Brittany Altomare (71) and amateur Rose Zhang (68), are seven strokes behind Saso, tied for 10th.

Saso, 19, is a regular on the LPGA of Japan Tour, but she finished in the top 15 at last year's US Women's Open. She is looking for her first victory on the US-based LPGA Tour.

Her scorecard Friday featured nine birdies, including four in a row around the turn, and just one bogey.

"Two more days, I'm trying to get used to it," said Saso, who admitted she was playing this course for the first time this week. "It's like Philippines but colder than Philippines and windier than Philippines. I made some good putts, had good up and downs, my driving was very consistent today."

Ko, 23, already has 15 LPGA wins, including two majors, but she hasn't been victorious since April 2018. Her bogey-free round Friday included three different streaks of back-to-back birdies.

"I started off well birdieing my first two holes, and then I think I just continuously gave myself opportunities," Ko said. "Especially around a golf course like this, the more times you're putting for birdie or having chances to putt for birdie the better. ...

"Especially when the winds come, I think it's a course where some players can go really low, so feel like I was able to do a pretty good job at that, and nice finishing off with a birdie on the last (hole)."

Zhang, who started on the back nine, had a run of three consecutive birdies before making the turn after consecutive bogeys. The 17-year-old from Southern California closed her round by birdieing three of her last four holes.

"Everything was going pretty well in that birdie stretch, then I did kind of falter on 17 and 18," Zhang said. "It was just like minor mistakes, and then I also pulled it into the water. But I think I lessened the mistakes out here today and just came back on the back nine."

-reuters-