Taiwan’s Yani Tseng, surprise winner of the LPGA Championship in June, was named the LPGA Tour’s Rookie of the Year on Friday.
At the age of 19, she became the second-youngest woman to win a major championship with a playoff victory over Sweden’s Maria Hjorth at the Bulle Rock course in Havre de Grace, Maryland.
“It’s my honor to win the Rookie of the Year,” Tseng told reporters after missing the cut after the second round of the season-ending ADT Championship in West Palm Beach. “It can happen only one time in my life and I got my goal this year.”
PHOTO: AFP
Mexican world No. 1 Lorena Ochoa was named the Player of the Year for the third season in a row.
Ochoa won seven titles this year, including her second successive major at the Kraft Nabisco Championship in April. She launched the season with a red-hot run of six victories in nine events.
The Guadalajara native also won the Vare Trophy for the lowest scoring average on the LPGA Tour (68.58).
“Lorena has had yet another incredible season,” LPGA commissioner Carolyn Bivens said in a statement. “Her work off the course has been equally impressive. Once only a national hero, Lorena is now a global hero. The world is grateful to have her and we are more than proud to call her our own.”
Ochoa has opened elementary schools in her native Mexico through her Lorena Ochoa Foundation and donated US$100,000 to flood victims in Tabasco after winning last year’s ADT Championship.
Meanwhile, Swedish superstar Annika Sorenstam also missed the cut at her final event, ending a 15-year glorious career on the Tour.
A teary-eyed Sorenstam said she was able to pack more joy and memories into her storied career that she ever imagined.
“It’s almost that a tear wants to come out, but it’s not really coming out,” said Sorenstam, who shot a three-over 75 to finish in a tie for 18th. “I think it’s because I’m very happy with what I’ve done. You know, I’m content. I’ve said it all along, I feel good.”
The field was cut to 16 players after the second round, with Aussie Katherine Hull atop the leaderboard.
“I had really two good chances there [on holes 14 and 15] and when you don’t make those, you know it’s going to be very hard,” Sorenstam said.
While Friday’s round wraps up her US career, the 38-year-old Swede is scheduled to play her final tournament in Dubai next month.
The owner of 72 LPGA wins and 10 major championships, Sorenstam announced in May that she had decided to end her Hall of Fame career and pursue other interests.
“It’s been a wonderful career,” Sorenstam said. “I’ve enjoyed it immensely. I don’t think just a few words would summarize how I feel or what I’ve achieved or what I’ve gone through in experiences.”
■ HONG KONG OPEN
AFP, HONG KONG
German legend Bernhard Langer said becoming the European Tour’s oldest winner would rank near his greatest achievements after he stormed into contention at the UBS Hong Kong Open yesterday.
Langer, 51, shot a stunning day’s best 63 to lie two shots off English leader Oliver Wilson and a shot behind Taiwan’s second-placed Lin Wen-tang with 11-under 199 and raise his hopes of a first top-level victory since 2002.
The former world No. 1 and two-time US Masters winner is now vying to topple Irishman Des Smyth’s record of winning the 2001 Madeira Islands Open aged 48.
Langer has also played 10 Ryder Cups, one off Nick Faldo’s record, and captained Europe to victory in 2004 during a glittering career stretched over four decades.
“I’ve had such a long and wonderful, successful career in the sense that there’s been so many good things happening to me over the 33 years I’ve been playing golf as a pro,” he said. “Obviously the two Masters wins and the Ryder Cups and the captaincy stands out, and winning my own tournament four times is pretty special to me. Those kind of things probably take a higher priority than winning at 51. But it would certainly be very special, that’s for sure.”
■ VIETNAM MASTERS
AFP, HANOI
Thai youngsters Pravee Visalkit and Kwanchai Tannin share the lead after the third round of the Mercedes-Benz Masters Vietnam yesterday.
Pravee, the overnight leader, carded a 71 and was joined on six-under 210 at the US$50,000 tournament by Kwanchai, who fired a 67 at the Van Tri Golf Club.
The pair lead by two strokes from compatriot Pavit Tangkamolprasert and Filipino Marvin Dumandan in the penultimate event of the season on the Tour.
Pavit and Dumandan came in with rounds of 70 and 71 respectively, while a stroke further back was Filipino Jay Bayron. Taiwan’s Tseng Shih-hsin shot a 72 and was five shots off the leaders.
■ DUNLOP PHOENIX
AFP, MIYAZAKI, JAPAN
Thailand’s Prayad Marksaeng birdied the 18th hole for a four-under 67 to take a two-stroke lead after the third round at the Dunlop Phoenix tournament yesterday.
Going into the final hole, Prayad was tied with overnight leader Tomohiro Kondo, but the Japanese failed from 2m, while the Thai calmly sank a closing birdie putt.
Overall, Prayad carded five birdies against one bogey for a three-round total of eight-under 205, while Kondo ended with two birdies against one bogey for a 207.
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