Candie Kung overcame a late bogey to shoot a 69 in the final round to win the US$1.6 million USLPGA Hana Bank Kolon Championship yesterday.
Kung finished at six-under, one ahead of Australian Katherine Hull, to grab her fourth USLPGA win and first since 2003. Since the tournament began in 2002, the Taiwan-born American is only the second non-Korean champion.
Kung began the day two shots off the leader Kim In-kyung, who was at five-under. But Kung opened with a birdie on the first hole and jumped to the lead with an eagle on the par-five ninth.
She parred the next six holes to stay in front. A birdie on the par-five 16th got her to seven-under but a bogey on the following hole dropped her back to six-under.
But Kung closed out with a par on the 18th and pointed to the eagle, the only one on the ninth during the entire tournament, as the turning point of her day.
“I didn’t think I hit it hard enough,” Kung said. “But it dropped in for an eagle.”
First-round leader Hull recorded four birdies on the back nine to shoot a 69. Playing a group ahead of Kung, Hull only managed a par on the closing hole and failed to put pressure on the eventual champion.
Four golfers finished tied for third at four-under.
Among them, Sophie Gustafson of Sweden reached five-under with a birdie on the 14th but lost a stroke right away on the 15th.
Jang Jeong scored back-to-back birdies on the ninth and 10th to reach five-under but her charge was halted by a bogey on the 13th.
Second-round leader Kim In-kyung committed two bogeys on the front nine to fall out of contention early. She had three more bogeys in shooting a 76.
Karen Stupples, who was one shot off Kim’s lead at the start of the day, had a double bogey on the par-three 12th and shot 75.
■SUZHOU TAIHU LADIES OPEN
AFP, SUZHOU, CHINA
World No. 3 Annika Sorenstam won her 89th career title when she clinched the Suzhou Taihu Ladies Open in a tense play-off with China’s Ye Liying yesterday.
Sorenstam shot a seven-under 65 at the Suzhou Taihu International Golf Club for a three-round total of 13-under 203 to tie with Ye at the end of regulation play.
Both Ye and Sorenstam birdied the first play-off hole but the Swede prevailed at the second play-off hole when Ye missed a close putt.
Tied in third place were Thailand’s Porani Chutichai, Amanda Moltke-Leth of Denmark and Australia’s Karen Lunn.
After letting another big lead slip with an error-strewn performance at the French Open on Wednesday, top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka felt like getting as far away from the courts as possible. “Just want to quit tennis right now,” Sabalenka said after wasting a lead of a set and two breaks in a 3-6, 7-5, 6-0 loss to Diana Shnaider in the women’s singles quarter-finals. “We’ll see in few days. Hopefully I’ll get back on track mentally.” Sabalenka’s wait for a first French Open title continues despite the four-time major winner leading 4-1 in the second set and being two points from victory while
BIG NAMES GONE: Zverev is the clear favorite for a maiden Grand Slam title, reaching semi-finals for the fifth time in six years and finishing second on three occasions Alexander Zverev on Tuesday breezed past Rafael Jodar to stay on course for an elusive Grand Slam title at the French Open, while Jakub Mensik halted Joao Fonseca’s scintillating run in the quarter-finals. Zverev, the highest-ranked player left in the men’s draw, put an end to Spanish teenager Jodar’s impressive Roland Garros debut, easing into the semi-finals with a 7-6, (7/3), 6-1, 6-3 win. The 29-year-old Zverev is the clear favorite for a maiden Grand Slam title. He has finished runner-up on three occasions, including at the 2024 French Open. “I want to win the matches that are ahead of
Liverpool are in advanced talks with former AFC Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola as they seek a replacement for Arne Slot, reports said on Tuesday. Iraola has emerged as Liverpool’s top target to replace Slot, who was sacked on Saturday last week after a turbulent second season in charge. Liverpool have reportedly agreed a deal in principle to bring the Spaniard, who left Bournemouth at the end of this season, to Anfield. Sporting director Richard Hughes was heavily involved in hiring Iraola during his time at Bournemouth and is again spearheading the recruitment of the highly rated coach. The Reds are
US President Donald Trump said he would attend Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Monday at Madison Square Garden, but said he does not have much sympathy for ordinary basketball fans who cannot afford sky-high ticket prices to do the same. “They can watch it on television,” Trump said aboard Air Force One on Friday as he flew to Wisconsin for an event with farmers, after he was asked about tickets that have climbed as high as US$8,000 each when the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs square off in Manhattan for the first time in the series. “It’s sorta
RSS