GOLF
Yani Tseng wins Taifong
Taiwan’s top-ranked female golfer Yani Tseng claimed the title yesterday at the Taiwan LPGA Tour Taifong Ladies Open in Changhua County, winning the top prize of NT$2 million (US$66,000). Tseng, the former world No. 1 female golfer, who now ranks 39th in the world, climbed from being tied for fourth place in the second round to win the title. The three-round, 54-hole tournament drew 99 professional players from 10 countries with a total of NT$6,800,000 in prize money.
GOLF
Woodland leads, Tiger out
Gary Woodland made five birdies on another tough day of scoring on San Diego, California’s Torrey Pines’ South Course for a two-under 70 and a one-shot lead over 20-year-old Jordan Spieth and Marc Leishman of Australia in the Farmers Insurance Open on Saturday. The final round will not include defending champion Tiger Woods, an eight-time winner at Torrey Pines, as he went seven straight holes making bogey or worse on his way to a 79. That not only matched his highest score on US soil, but he failed to make the 54-hole cut. Woods had said at the start of the week that he has not seen Torrey this tough since the US Open he won in 2008. Spieth had a one-shot lead to start the third round and it was gone quickly. He missed a 30-inch par putt on the opening hole and took a double bogey on No. 5. His biggest putt might have been a 6-footer for par on the 14th, and Spieth looked confident the rest of the way to salvage a 75. Leishman had a relatively boring round of 72 on a gorgeous day along the Pacific — one birdie, one bogey, 16 pars.
GOLF
Choi leads in Bahamas
South Korea’s Choi Na-yeon birdied three of her last four holes on Saturday to seize a one-shot third-round lead at the season-opening Bahamas LPGA Classic. The seven-time LPGA Tour winner posted a seven-under-par 66 for a 15-under total of 204 and had a one-stroke lead over American Lizette Salas — whose own 66 put her on 205. “I think the last three rounds I had a really good swing,” Choi said. “I had so many solid shots out there. I missed two greens today. Only two, but I hit a putt from the fringe, so obviously I haven’t chipped the last two rounds. I was working really hard during the off-season with my coach. Seeing results this quickly, I’ve been feeling really good about it.” Overnight leader Jessica Korda and playing partner Paula Creamer both eagled the par-five 18th to grab a share of third place on 12-under 207. Korda carded a 72. Her eagle at the last, where she landed her second shot within two feet, helped counter a double-bogey at 13. Creamer’s closing eagle helped her overcome a triple bogey from the water at 15. She carded a 71. Stacy Lewis, the highest-ranked player in the field at number three in the world, carded a 68 and jumped into a share of fifth.
BASEBALL
Darvish to start for Rangers
Yu Darvish will be the opening day starter for the Texas Rangers. When asked by a fan on Saturday at the team’s Fan Fest who would start the March 31 opener against Philadelphia, manager Ron Washington said he thinks “it’s obvious. It’s Darvish.” Darvish was 13-9 with a 2.93 ERA in 32 starts last season. He led the majors with 277 strikeouts and was second in the AL Cy Young Award voting. He dealt with nerve inflammation in his lower back the last six weeks of last season, but his rehab has gone well. He is still home in Japan preparing for spring training. He started the second game last season, coming within one out of a perfect game against Houston.
Four-time NBA all-star DeMarcus Cousins arrived in Taiwan with his family early yesterday to finish his renewed contract with the Taiwan Beer Leopards in the T1 League. Cousins initially played a four-game contract with the Leopards in January. On March 18, the Taoyuan-based team announced that Cousins had renewed his contract. “Hi what’s up Leopard fans, I’m back. I’m excited to be back and can’t wait to join the team,” Cousins said in a video posted on the Leopard’s Facebook page. “Most of all, can’t wait to see you guys, the fans, next weekend. So make sure you come out and support the Beer
Revelations of positive doping tests for nearly two dozen Chinese swimmers that went unpunished sparked an intense flurry of accusations and legal threats between the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the head of the US drug-fighting organization, who has long been one of WADA’s fiercest critics. WADA on Saturday said it was turning to legal counsel to address a statement released by US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) CEO Travis Tygart, who said WADA and anti-doping authorities in China swept positive tests “under the carpet by failing to fairly and evenly follow the global rules that apply to everyone else in the world.” The
Taiwanese judoka Yang Yung-wei on Saturday won silver in the men’s under-60kg category at the Asian Judo Championships in Hong Kong. Nicknamed the “judo heartthrob” in Taiwan, the Olympic silver-medalist missed out on his first Asian Championships gold when he lost to Japanese judoka Taiki Nakamura in the finals. Yang defeated three opponents on Saturday to reach the final after receiving a bye through the round of 32. He first topped Laotian Soukphaxay Sithisane in the round of 16 with two seoi nage (over-the-shoulder throws), then ousted Indian Vijay Kumar Yadav in the quarter-finals with his signature ude hishigi sankaku gatame (triangular armlock). He
Rafael Nadal on Wednesday said the upcoming French Open would be the moment to “give everything and die” on the court after his comeback from injury in Barcelona was curtailed by Alex de Minaur. The 22-time Grand Slam title winner, back playing this week after three months on the sidelines, battled well, but eventually crumbled 7-5, 6-1 against the world No. 11 from Australia in the second round. Nadal, 37, who missed virtually all of last season, is hoping to compete at the French Open next month where he is the record 14-time champion. The Spaniard said the clash with De Minaur was