Anthony Kim has won the Kiwi Challenge golf tournament despite making a bogey in a playoff, beating fellow American Sean O’Hair to win the US$1 million check at Cape Kidnappers.
Kim shot a 5-under 66 yesterday and was leading over the back nine until O’Hair made a birdie on the 18th hole for a 3-under 69 to force a playoff in the 36-hole exhibition for players under 30.
O’Hair found trouble left of the 650-yard 15th hole and made a double bogey, allowing Kim to win by taking four shots to reach the green and two-putting for a bogey.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Hunter Mahan of the US shot 67 to finish three strokes behind, while Colombia’s Camilo Villegas (72) was another shot behind.
■HONG KONG OPEN
AFP, HONG KONG
Little-known Thai golfer Udorn Duangdecha hit a sensational eight-under par round of 62 to take the first-round lead at the Hong Kong Open yesterday.
Udorn leads by one shot from Robert-Jan Derksen, with a group of four players tied for third on six-under.
Defending champion Lin Wen-tang of Taiwan, who won last year’s title with a playoff victory over Rory McIlroy and Francesco Molinari, had a bogey-free round and is among those clustered together on six-under.
Taiwan’s Lu Wei-chih was in joint seventh place at five-under par, while Wang Ter-chang was in joint 16th place at four-under.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY STAFF WRITER
■AUSTRALIAN MASTERS
AFP, MELBOURNE
Tiger Woods brought the Australian Masters to a standstill with traffic jams, road closures and long queues as he made a memorable first Australian tournament appearance in 11 years yesterday.
The 14-time major winner fired seven birdies and just one bogey as he opened his Australian Masters challenge with a six-under 66 at Kingston Heath.
Woods was in a three-way share of the lead with young South African Branden Grace and Australian James Nitties.
Spectators climbed into trees to get a glimpse of Woods as thousands clamored to watch his every shot in his first Australian tournament since the 1998 Presidents Cup. Car parks were full soon after sunrise and all spectator vantage spots were snapped up as the world No. 1 teed off early in his opening round.
Access roads were closed and accessible only by car pass holders, taxis and local traffic in a bid to cope with the public crush to see Woods play.
Even Woods said he was caught up in the traffic jam from Melbourne to the outlying course, but the all-time golfing great was highly complimentary of the reception he received.
The world No. 1 was reportedly paid a US$3 million appearance fee, partly funded by the Victoria state government, to get him to Melbourne.
Industry sources said the week represented an 11 percent growth in hotel occupancy compared with the same week last year.
The lights dimmed and the crowd hushed as Karoline Kristensen entered for her performance. However, this was no ordinary Dutch theater: The temperature was 80°C and the audience naked apart from a towel. Dressed in a swimsuit and to the tune of emotional music, the 21-year-old Kristensen started her routine, performed inside a large sauna, with a bed of hot rocks in the middle. For a week this month, a group of wellness practitioners, called “sauna masters,” are gathering at a picturesque health resort in the Netherlands to compete in this year’s Aufguss world sauna championships. The practice takes its name from a
Roger Federer on Wednesday said that staying involved with tennis in retirement helped him avoid feeling “like an alien” ahead of this week’s Laver Cup in Berlin. Federer, who helped create the tournament, retired at the Laver Cup in London two years ago and has since stayed involved with the competition as an ambassador. “I’m happy I went back right away to some tournaments,” the 43-year-old told reporters. “I feel I ripped the Band-Aid off quite quickly and when I walk around the tennis sites I still feel I belong there,” he said. “I don’t feel like an alien, which is a
Japanese players are moving to English soccer in record numbers and more look set to follow with clubs attracted by their quality, strong work ethic and value for money. Kaoru Mitoma is the standout talent of five Japanese players in the English Premier League, with eight more in the Championship and two in League One. Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo, the captain of Japan, believes his compatriots are “being held in higher esteem” by English clubs compared with the past. “The staff at Liverpool ask me about lots of Japanese players, not necessarily with a view to a transfer, but just saying this or
Taiwan yesterday survived Bosnia and Herzegovina to win their Davis Cup World Group I tie at the Taipei Tennis Center. The tight series started on Saturday with world No. 123 Jason Tseng losing 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 to Mirza Basic in the opening singles matchup. However, teammate Tony Wu kept the tie even, dominating world No. 86 Damir Dzumhur 6-2, 6-1. Yesterday, 24-year-old Ray Ho and partner 25-year-old Hsu Yu-hsiou kept up the momentum, making short work of Basic and Nerman Fatic, winning 6-3, 6-4. Tseng then suffered another defeat, losing 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 to Dzumhur in a brutal match that lasted more than two