Monday, September 16, 2013

Perry ends heartbreak with Senior Players title


Perry ends heartbreak with Senior Players title










June 30, 2013 6:49 PM



(Reuters) - Kenny Perry seized his long awaited first seniors major title with a stellar final round at the Senior Players Championship on Sunday.

Perry shot a six-under 64 to vault past overnight leaderFred Couples and finish at 19-under 261 as he claimed a two-shot victory at the Fox Chapel Golf Club in Pittsburgh.

Perry, 52, had suffered playoff losses at the 1996 PGA Championship and 2009 Masters before losing last month'sSenior PGA Championship despite a two-stroke lead.

This time, he trailed Couples by two heading into the last round but forged a comeback with a bogey-free round.

After Couples three-putted at No. 15 to give Perry a one-stroke lead, the eventual winner hit consecutive approach shots to tap-in range on the 16th and 17th holes.

Couples had a final chance to tie on the par-5 18th, but after he reaching the green in two shots his 45-foot putt slid past the hole.

Couples finished at 17-under 263, tied with Duffy Waldorffor second.

Michael Allen and John Huston shared fourth at 12-under 268.

(Writing by Jahmal Corner in Los Angeles, Editing by Gene Cherry)

Park wins U.S. Open for third major of 2013


Park wins U.S. Open for third major of 2013









Joe Pantorno, The Sports Xchange June 30, 2013 7:00 PMThe SportsXchange


SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. - Inbee Park was just a few holes from making history, and she appeared to be playing a practice round on Sunday. Park seldom shows emotion during a round of golf, but she finally cracked a smile walking toward the 18th green, with the U.S. Women's Open Trophy waiting for her.



In what became a two-player race, Park, the world's top-ranked golfer, beat out I.K. Kim by four strokes to win the 68th U.S. Women's Open at Sebonack.



The others who won three majors in a year were Babe Zaharias (1950), Mickey Wright (1961) and Pat Bradley (1986). Park joined Zaharias as the only players to win the first three majors.



It was Park's second U.S. Women's Open win of her career, the first coming in 2008. It also was Park's sixth straight LPGA Tour victory.



Park shot a 2-over-par 74 in the final round to finish at 8-under for the tournament.




Paired with Kim for the final round, Park parred her first five holes while Kim birdied two and bogeyed four in her first six holes.



"I had a really good chance out there," Kim said. "If I putted a little better this week I think I could've pushed it a little bit more."



Park merely limited her mistakes the rest of the way. She made par on six of the last eight holes. She also had bogeys on 14 and 15, but the cushion she had was more than enough.



Park finished with a par to a standing ovation on the 18th hole followed by a champagne bath from So Yeon Ryu and Na Yeon Choi.



"I started off well, had good up and downs. I had a good opportunity, but I made her [Park] comfortable," Kim said. "It was hard to make mistakes. It's disappointing but I was still pleased with how I played."



A consistent outing from Paula Creamer enabled her to tie Angela Stanford and Jodi Ewart Shadoff at 1-over for fourth place. Creamer, like Ryu, managed to stay even on on the final round, but Stanford shot 2-over and Shadoff 4-over.



"It's a top-10 [finish], so I'm not going to complain about that," Korda said after finishing tied for seventh. "This is my sixth U.S. Open, so I would say this one had, by far, the toughest greens and was the windiest."

Golf-South Korean Park wins third consecutive major


Golf-South Korean Park wins third consecutive major










June 30, 2013 8:09 PM


(Adds details, quotes)

* She joins Zaharias with three majors in row

* Park will try for fourth at Women's British Open

* Kim never challenges, finishes four back

June 30 (Reuters) - South Korean Park Inbee became only the second LPGA player to win the first three majors in a season when she roared to a four-stroke victory at the U.S. Women's Open on Sunday.

The world number one held steady with a final-round two-over-par 74 to finish at eight-under 280 at Sebonack Golf Club in New York.

"I just hope this is not a dream," Park, who earlier this year won the Kraft Nabisco and LPGA championships, told reporters. "I don't want to wake up tomorrow and play the final round again."


Only Mildred (Babe) Didrikson Zaharias has previously won the first three women's majors in a season. She did it in 1950, winning the Titleholders Championship, the Women's Western Open and the U.S. Women's Open.

Fellow South Korean I.K. Kim matched Parks' 74 and took second at four-under 284 but was never able to really challenge Park.

Ryu So-Yeon was third at one-under 287 with Americans Paula Creamer and Angela Stanford and England's Jodi Ewart-Shadoff tied for fourth at one-over 289.

Entering the day with a four-stroke advantage, Park's lead was briefly trimmed to three when Kim birdied the second hole but the runner-up gave a shot right back with a bogey on No. 4.

After bogeying holes No. 6 and No. 7, Park ran off birdies at the ninth and 10th holes to swell her cushion to six shots.

Park has won five times overall this year and three in a row. She took over the top ranking after claiming the Kraft Nabisco Championship in April, then added the LPGA Championship earlier this month.

She will attempt to make it four majors in four tries at the at the Women's British Open in August before competing in September's Evian Masters, which has become the women's fifth major.

"I'm glad that I can give it a try at St. Andrews (for the British Open)," Park said. "That's going to be a great experience. Whether or not I (win it), I'm just a very lucky person." (Reporting by Jahmal Corner in Los Angeles, Editing by Gene Cherry)