Monday, August 26, 2013

Teen star Lydia Ko wins again in Canada

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) -- Lydia Ko breezed through another perfect Sunday in the Canadian Women's Open - until a reporter pressed the amateur about missing out on another $300,000 payday.
''I don't care! I don't care!'' Ko said. ''I can say that a couple times more, if you want.''
The 16-year-old New Zealander successfully defend her title, closing with a 6-under 64 at Royal Mayfair for a five-stroke victory and her fourth win in professional events.
''I'm pretty surprised, but I played some really good golf out there, so I was really happy about that,'' Ko said. ''My goal today was to shoot 5 under and just play my own game. If somebody else shot better, then I can't do anything about it.''
Last year at Vancouver Golf Club in British Columbia, the South Korean-born Ko became the youngest winner in LPGA Tour history at 15 years, 4 months, 2 days. She also became the fifth amateur winner in tour history and the first since JoAnne Carner in the 1969 Burdine's Invitational.
''I never really thought about making history and all that,'' Ko said.
Ko's other victories in professional events came last year in the Australian tour's New South Wales Open and this year in the Ladies European Tour's New Zealand Women's Open. Projected to jump from 19th to seventh in the world ranking, she has played 14 LPGA Tour events the last two seasons, making the cut in everytournament. She also won the U.S. Women's Amateur last summer.
Ko was again asked about turning professional.
''I've got some people above me like my mom and dad, they're the boss,'' Ko said. ''They're going to help me to make the right decision and to turn pro at what time. I think as I'm only 16 still, it's quite hard to make huge decisions. When I turn pro it's like a job. Money is all about it and everything like that, every shot counts. Yeah, I think my parents and New Zealand golf they're all going to have a say, and hopefully we'll make a really good decision on when I will turn pro.''
Ko had a 15-under 265 total after opening with rounds of 65, 69 and 67.
A stroke behind Caroline Hedwall entering the final round, Ko birdied five of the first eight holes and reached 15 under with a birdie on the par-4 12th. She dropped a stroke on the par-4 13th, parred the next four and closed with a 15-foot birdie putt on the par-4 18th.
''I didn't have it coming,'' Ko said about her final putt. ''That's why I was like, 'Oh, my God.' I was pretty worried it would just go straight down because I knew it was a slippery putt. No, I just hit a little bit, and it trickled down in the hole.''
France's Karine Icher was second after a 67 - and ended up with the $300,000 check.
''I would like to play tomorrow,'' Icher said. ''It was a good day today. I'm very happy with my game.''
She marveled at Ko's performance.
''She's amazing,'' Icher said. ''Sixteen-years-old and to win twice. She has no fear, I guess. It's incredible. As an amateur and so young, it's great for women's golf, but not so great for us.''
Hedwall, the Swede coming off a record 5-0 Solheim Cup performance in Colorado in Europe's blowout victory over the United States, had a 71 to tie for third at 9 under with Brittany Lincicome(69).
''I was trying to keep up with (Ko), but at the same time I couldn't hit it as close and I couldn't make as many putts,'' Hedwall said. ''She was just really impressive today.''

Golf-World rankings

Aug 26 (Reuters) - World rankings on Monday (U.S. unless
stated, last week's positions in brackets):
 1. (1) Tiger Woods 14.38 average points
2. (4) Adam Scott (Australia) 9.44
3. (2) Phil Mickelson 8.62
 4. (3) Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland) 8.18
 5. (5) Justin Rose (England) 7.88
6. (6) Matt Kuchar 6.58
7. (7) Brandt Snedeker 6.32
 8. (8) Jason Dufner 5.99 
9. (9) Graeme McDowell (Northern Ireland) 5.82
 10. (10) Henrik Stenson (Sweden) 5.77 
11. (11) Luke Donald (England) 5.09
12. (12) Keegan Bradley 5.06
 13. (14) Lee Westwood (England) 4.93 
 14 (13) Steve Stricker 4.92
15. (19) Jim Furyk 4.70
 16. (17) Charl Schwartzel (South Africa) 4.53 
17. (15) Ian Poulter (England) 4.52
18. (18) Jason Day (Australia) 4.49
 19. (16) Ernie Els (South Africa) 4.44 
 20. (20) Sergio Garcia (Spain) 4.37
(Editing by Josh Reich)

Golf-PGA Tour money list

Aug 26 (Reuters) - Leading money winners on the 2013 PGA
Tour on Monday (U.S. unless stated):
 1. Tiger Woods $8,215,119
2. Phil Mickelson $5,224,727
3. Matt Kuchar $5,100,008
4. Brandt Snedeker $4,913,261
5. Adam Scott (Australia) $4,646,513
6. Justin Rose (England) $3,691,881
 7. Henrik Stenson (Sweden) $3,465,963
8. Bill Haas $3,281,963
9. Keegan Bradley $3,180,813
 10. Billy Horschel $3,117,543
11. Jason Day (Australia) $2,981,763
 12. Kevin Streelman $2,878,018
 13. Jordan Spieth $2,724,820
14. Jason Dufner $2,678,134
15. Boo Weekley $2,601,662
 16. Dustin Johnson $2,572,844
 17. Steve Stricker $2,553,532
18. D A Points $2,507,287
19. Webb Simpson $2,487,284
20. Jim Furyk $2,433,929
(Edited by Josh Reich)

Europe finally wins the Solheim Cup in America

Europe finally wins the Solheim Cup in America

CBSSports.com wire reports
Hedwall birdies on the 18th to become the first in Solheim Cup history to win all five of her matches. (USATSI)
Hedwall birdies on the 18th to become the first in Solheim Cup history to win all five of her matches. (USATSI)

PARKER, Colo. -- Even with six rookies on her team, captain Liselotte Neumann told the Europeans this was their time to make history in the Solheim Cup.
All she wanted was for them to prove they could win in America.
They gave her so much more.
Caroline Hedwall became the first player in Solheim Cup history to win five matches, and the final point was for more than the 24-year-old Swede. She stuck her approach on the 435-yard 18th hole into 4 feet for a birdie that gave her a 1-up win over Michelle Wie and assured Europe of keeping the cup.
"I'm still shaking," Hedwall said. "It's just amazing."
Moments later, Catriona Matthew holed a 5-foot par putt to halve her match and give Europe the outright win on the seventh try in America.
And it only got better.
Even as the celebration played out across Colorado Golf Club, tears rushing over the European stickers on their cheeks, Neumann's crew kept battling for half-points until the very end. The Solheim Cup ended when Cristie Kerr and Karine Icher reached the 18th green -- the scene of this great outdoor party -- and conceding each other birdies to get on with the celebration.
That final half-point put Europe in the record books again -- 18-10, the biggest blowout since this competition began in 1990.
"It was really fun to see Caroline get her fifth point this week, making some history on the team," Neumann said. "Winning here for the first time, making more history. ... I'm sure we'll go have a drink or two and do some dancing and singing tonight."
The Americans have an 8-5 lead in the series, though this is the first time they have lost back-to-back in the Solheim Cup. The Americans are without the Solheim Cup, the Ryder Cup, the Walker Cup and the Curtis Cup, the four biggest team events between both sides of the Atlantic.
U.S. captain Meg Mallon, gracious to the end, could only point to a poor performances on the slick greens -- and her team's inability to close. Over the final three-hole stretch, Europe had a 17-10 advantage in holes won.
"The way we played 16, 17 and 18 I think is what really made the difference," Mallon said. "It wasn't for lack of preparation because we played this golf course quite a bit. So it wasn't like a surprise for us. It was just a matter of who dropped the putts on those holes. And unfortunately, it was the Europeans."
And she didn't get much help from her best players.
Stacy Lewis, the highest-ranked American coming off a Women's British Open title at St. Andrews, went 1-2-1 for the week. Paula Creamer was 1-3 and was blown out by a 17-year-old Charley Hull in Sunday singles. Angela Stanford was the other player without a point this week, going 0-4. Cristie Kerr, the most experienced American on the team, went 1-2-1.
Europe's rookies were 12-5-2, with Hull stealing the show. The English teenager showed no fear, at one point asking Neumann, "When am I supposed to be nervous?"
"I didn't really feel that nervous, to be honest," Hull said. "Because this is how I always look at golf -- I'm not going to die if I miss it. Just hit it, and find it, and hit it again."
It really was that simple.
"It's a fantastic feeling right now," Neumann said. "I'm so proud of them. They played such good golf this week. They just played tremendous golf."
Hull, the youngest player in Solheim Cup history, capped off her amazing week by demolishing Creamer in a match that set the tone for Europe. Another rookie, Carlota Ciganda, handed Morgan Pressel her first lost in singles in four appearances to go 3-0 for the week.
Not even a one-hour delay due to lightning in the area could damper this European celebration. Suzann Pettersen was lining up her putt on the 16th hole when she heard the cheers from the 18th, got the news that Hedwall won her match and began pumping her fist.
Matthew holed the winning the putt, but the Europeans really won Saturday afternoon when they swept the fourballs matches to build a 10-5 lead, matching the largest margin going into Sunday.
Raucous cheering on the first tee raised American hopes of the greatest comeback in Solheim Cup history.
Once they got on the golf course, it was a hopeless cause.
Mallon stacked some of her best players at the top of the lineup with hopes of filling the leaderboard with red scores and building momentum. Europe was ahead early four of the opening five matches.
Brittany Lang delivered a point, though she had a tussle with Azahara Munoz until winning on the 17th.
Lewis, in the opening match, didn't take her first lead against Anna Nordqvist until driving the green on the par-4 14th for a birdie. But the closing stretch belonged to Europe, as it had all week. Lewis missed an 8-foot birdie on the 16th for a chance to go 2 up, and the Swede found more magic on the 17th. One day after her hole-in-one, she holed a 20-foot birdie putt to square the match, and Lewis had to make a 7-foot par to get a half-point.
Ciganda, the Spanish rookie who couldn't break 80 in her opening fourballs match, finished with five straight birdies to pull away from Pressel.
Europe's biggest boost came from its youngest star.
Hull, playing as if she had been here many times before, dropped in a 45-foot birdie putt on No. 6 to take her first lead, and she demoralized Creamer from there, 5 and 4. Creamer has not made it beyond the 14th hole in singles losses the last two Solheim Cups.
Hull only showed her age at the end. She took a marker from her bag and asked Creamer if she could sign a golf ball for a friend back home.
"He's a big fan, so I thought I might as well get one," Hull said.
By the end of the week, the Americans had reasons to ask for the autographs.

Malnati wins first Web.com Tour title

Malnati wins first Web.com Tour title

CBSSports.com wire reports
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Peter Malnati won the News Sentinel Open on Sunday for his first Web.com Tour title, birdieing five of the last seven holes for a one-stroke victory.
Malnati, a former University of Missouri player from Dandridge, Tenn., closed with a 5-under 65 for a 16-under 268 total at Fox Den Country Club. He earned $99,000 to jump from 80th to 16th on the money list with $155,917 in seven starts, assuring him of PGA Tour playing privileges in the 2013-14 season.
"I've worked really hard and I love doing this," Malnati said. "The only thing that stresses me out is wondering am I going to have to play mini tours next year? And the answer to that is no."
James White, Miguel Angel Carballo, Matt Bettencourt and Blayne Barber tied for second. White had a 66, Carballo and Bettencourt shot 67, and Barber finished with a 68.