McIlroy, Lowry tied for lead in Zurich Classic; two Canadian combos one shot back - Golf (2024)

The Canadian Press - Apr 28, 2024 / 6:28 pm | Story: 484673

AVONDALE, La. (AP) — Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry won the Zurich Classic of New Orleans team event Sunday, beating Chad Ramey and Martin Trainer with a par on the first hole of a playoff.

Trainer pushed a 6-foot par putt to the right of the cup to end it, with Lowry and McIlroy sharing a smiling embrace on the green.

The 34-year-old McIlroy, playing in the event for the first time, won his 25th PGA Tour title and first of the season. Lowry claimed his third PGA Tour victory. The Irish tandem closed with a 4-under 68 in the alternate-shot final round to match Ramey and Trainer at 25-under 263.

Ramey and Trainer began the day tied for 27th and shot to the top of the leaderboard with nine birdies between the seventh and 18th holes. They tied the alternate-shot tournament record of 63, but then had to wait nearly three hours to see if their lead would stand up.

They struggled to execute on the playoff hole. Trainer pulled his drive into the left rough, Ramey also yanked his approach left off the cart path and into the wall below the suites around the 18th green. Trainer then chipped short before Ramey finally got onto the green.

Ryan Brehm and Mark Hubbard missed the playoff by one shot when Brehm's birdie putt from the fringe narrowly missed to the right. Former BYU teammates Patrick Fishburn and Zach Blair, the 54-hole leaders, were tied for the lead until failing to birdie the par-5 16th and taking double bogey on the par-3 17th.

LPGA TOUR

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Hannah Green closed with a 5-under 66 and won the LPGA Tour’s JM Eagle LA Championship for the second straight year, holing out twice from off the greens in a pivotal back-nine stretch at Wilshire Country Club.

A year after making a 25-foot birdie on the final hole of regulation and winning on the second hole of a playoff, Green took the drama out of this one for her fifth LPGA Tour victory and second of the year.

Green began the key run with a chip-in birdie on the par-3 12th and made a 6-foot birdie putt on the par-5 13th. Then, after Stark bogeyed the par-4 16th two groups ahead, Green ran in a 25-footer for eagle from the fringe on 15 to open a four-stroke lead, and she made it 5 under in five holes with a birdie on 16.

Stark birdied her last two holes for a 68. The 24-year-old Swede also finished second last week outside Houston in The Chevron Championship, two strokes behind top-ranked Nelly Korda in the first major of the year.

Grace Kim, four strokes ahead entering the weekend, closed 76-77 without making a birdie the last two days. She tied for 25th.

LIV GOLF LEAGUE

ADELAIDE, Australia (AP) — Brendan Steele closed with a 4-under 68 to hold off Louis Oosthuizen and win LIV Golf Adelaide by one shot at The Grange Golf Club.

The 41-year-old Steele finished with a 54-hole total of 18-under 198 for his first victory since he won his second Safeway Open in 2017 on the PGA Tour.

Steele had a streak of five consecutive birdies early in the round, before some putting jitters appeared in his back nine to open the door for a fast finishing pack of challenges including Oosthuizen (65) and former previous Masters champions Charl Schwartzel (64) and Jon Rahm (64).

Schwartzel and Rahm were among a group of five players at 16-under 200, with Joaquin Niemann (66), Andy Ogletree (65) and Dean Burmester (67) in a tie for third.

Defending champion Talor Gooch shot 70 and finished in a tie for 26th at 10-under.

Australia-based Ripper won the team title on the second playoff hole against South African-based Stingers.

EUROPEAN TOUR AND JAPAN GOLF TOUR

GOTEMBA, Japan (AP) — Yuto Katsuragawa began the back nine with five birdies in seven holes that carried him to a 7-under 63 and a three-shot victory in the ISPS Handa Championship, the third Japanese player this year to claim a European tour title.

The tournament was co-sanctioned with the Japan Golf Tour. Katsuragawa follows Rikuya Hoshino at the Commercial Qatar Masters and Keita Nakajima in the Hero Indian Open for Japanese winners. A year ago, Ryo Hisatsune won the French Open.

Katsuragawa started the final round three shots out of the lead, but got into the mix when 54-hole leader Casey Jarvis and Yannik Paul faltered on the front nine. The 25-year-old pulled away and won by three over Sebastian Soderberg, who had a 67.

Jarvis closed with a 74 to tie for 18th. Paul, who started one shot behind, shot 76. It was a missed opportunity for Paul, in the mix for the second and final spot for Germany in the Olympics.

PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS

DULUTH, Ga. (AP) — Stephen Ames celebrated his 60th birthday with a successful title defense in the Mitsubishi Electric Classic, closing with a 5-under 67 for his eighth PGA Tour Champions victory.

A stroke behind Paul Broadhurst after matching the tournament record Saturday with a 64, Ames had two eagles in the final round. He won by four strokes, finishing at 14-under 202 at TPC Sugarloaf for his record third victory in the event.

Broadhurst, the 58-year-old Englishman coming off a victory last week in the Invited Celebrity Classic, closed with a 72 to tie for second with Doug Barron (69). K.J. Choi (70) and Steven Alker (71) were 9 under.

Ames became the first multiple winner this year on the tour, also taking the Chubb Classic in February. He has six victories in his last 29 starts after winning twice in his first 175 — the first at TPC Sugarloaf in 2017 — on the 50-and-over tour.

KORN FERRY TOUR

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Tim Widing of Sweden won for the second straight week on the Korn Ferry Tour, closing with an 8-under 63 to cap off a week of low scoring with a four-shot victory in the Veritex Bank Championship.

The week began with Frankie Capan III posting a 58 for the third sub-60 round on the Korn Ferry Tour this year. It ended with Widing's worst score of the week a 65 on Saturday.

He finished at 31-under 253 to boost his position atop the Korn Ferry Tour points list as he closes in on a PGA Tour card.

Myles Creighton of Canada closed with a 62 to finish second, followed by Trent Phillips (65). Capan wound up seven shots behind in fourth place. None of the Korn Ferry Tour players who broke 60 this year have gone on to win.

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OTHER TOURS

Juliana Hung of Taiwan closed with a 5-under 67 for a nine-shot victory in the IOA Championship on the Epson Tour. ... Rasmus Neergaard-Peterson won his second Challenge Tour of the year, closing with a 5-under 67 for a one-shot victory over Wilco Nienaber in the UAE Challenge in Abu Dhabi. ... Manon De Roey of Belgium capped off a four-shot victory with an even-par 72 in the Investec South African Women's Open on the Ladies European Tour. ... Stuart MacDonald of Canada closed with a 1-under 71 for a two-shot victory over Samuel Anderson in the Diners Club Peru Open on the Tour de Americas. ... Haruka Amamoto closed with a 6-under 66 for a two-shot victory in the Panasonic Open on the Japan LPGA. ... Jungmin Lee won the KLPGA Championship by closing with a 6-under 66 for a four-shot victory on the Korea LPGA.

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The Canadian Press - Apr 28, 2024 / 5:58 pm | Story: 484670

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Hannah Green won the LPGA Tour’s JM Eagle LA Championship for the second straight year Sunday, holing out twice from off the greens in a pivotal back-nine stretch at challenging Wilshire Country Club.

A year after making a 25-foot birdie on the final hole of regulation and winning on the second hole of a playoff, Green — with help from Maja Stark — took the late drama out of this one for her fifth LPGA Tour victory and second of the year.

“It wasn’t as a eventful as the last couple days. I was nervous,” Green said. “And I’ve never been able to win having a lead into the last hole like that, so it is nice to be able to get it done earlier in the round.”

Green closed with a 5-under 66 to beat Stark by three strokes. The 27-year-old Australian, also the winner early last month in Singapore, finished at 12-under 272 on the tree-lined layout with poa annua greens that become bumpy late in the day.

“It’s really kind to me,” Green said about the course. “I felt like a couple times today almost got like a member bounce. I, obviously, really am fond of the golf club and joked that they didn’t approve it with me that they were making alterations. I love it here.”

Green began the key run with a chip-in birdie on the par-3 12th and made a 6-foot birdie putt on the par-5 13th. Then, after Stark bogeyed the par-4 16th two groups ahead, Green ran in a 25-footer for eagle from the fringe on 15 to open a four-stroke lead, and made it 5 under in five holes with a birdie on 16.

“When I chipped in on 12 I kind of felt like I really snagged one there,” Green said. “I really like the 13th hole and also played the 15th really well. When I made eagle on 15 that kind of sealed the deal. I did see Maja got it to 9 under so I know what I needed to do. Usually, I make it really tricky on myself and only win by a shot.”

Stark finished with a 68, rebounding from the bogey on 16 to birdie the final two holes. The 24-year-old Swede also finished second last week outside Houston in The Chevron Championship, two strokes behind top-ranked Nelly Korda in the first major of the year.

“I’m really proud of the way I’ve played,” Stark said. “I feel like I’ve hit a lot of good shots and I feel like my nerves kind of took over for a little while, but I was always able to get back to the normal — my normal state of mind.”

Haeran Ryu (69) was third at 6 under, followed by fellow South Korean players Jin Young Ko (67) and Jin Hee Im (72) at 5 under.

Grace Kim, four strokes ahead entering weekend after opening rounds of 64 and 66 and tied with Green for the lead after a third-round 76, finished with a 77 to tie for 25th at 1 under. She failed to make a birdie the final two days.

Korda withdrew from the Los Angeles event Monday, a day after her record-tying fifth straight victory.

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The Canadian Press - Apr 28, 2024 / 5:42 pm | Story: 484671

DULUTH, Ga. (AP) — Stephen Ames celebrated his 60th birthday with a successful title defense in the Mitsubishi Electric Classic, closing with a 5-under 67 on Sunday for his eighth PGA Tour Champions victory.

A stroke behind Paul Broadhurst after matching the tournament record Saturday with a 64, Ames had two eagles in the final round. He won by four strokes, finishing at 14-under 202 at TPC Sugarloaf for his record third victory in the event.

Broadhurst, the 58-year-old Englishman coming off a victory last week in the Invited Celebrity Classic, closed with a 72 to tie for second with Doug Barron (69). K.J. Choi (70) and Steven Alker (71) were 9 under.

Ames became the first multiple winner this year on the tour, also taking the Chubb Classic in February. He has six victories in his last 29 starts after winning twice in his first 175 — the first at TPC Sugarloaf in 2017 — on the 50-and-over tour. A naturalized Canadian citizen from Trinidad and Tobago, Ames won four times on the PGA Tour.

Ames opened with a birdie on the par-4 first, eagled the par-5 sixth and par-4 13th and birdied the par-4 14th. He bogeyed the par-4 15th and 17th and birdied the par-5 18th.

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The Canadian Press - Apr 28, 2024 / 4:34 pm | Story: 484662

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry received a standing ovation at historic, creole French Quarter restaurant Arnaud's on the eve of their final round at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans team event.

They also had the largest, loudest galleries at the TPC Louisiana, where the charismatic, 34-year-old McIlroy, had not previously played.

“He's getting old, but he still moves the needle a little bit,” Lowry joked as McIlroy chuckled. “Rory brings a crowd and people love him and we've gotten a lot of love in New Orleans. We've had just the best week.”

McIlroy and Lowry won Sunday, beating Chad Ramey and Martin Trainer with a nervy par on the first hole of a playoff.

Trainer pushed a 6-foot par putt to the right of the cup to end it, with Lowry lifting a laughing McIlroy off the ground with a bear hug on the green.

“To win any PGA Tour event is very cool, but to do it with one of your closest friends — we’ve known each other for a long, long time, probably like over 20 years," McIlroy said. "To think about where we met and where we’ve come from, to be on this stage and do this together — really, really cool journey that we’ve been a part of.”

McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, won his 25th PGA Tour title and first of the season. Lowry, of Ireland, claimed his third PGA Tour victory. Each walked away with about $1.29 million and 400 FedEx Cup points apiece.

“People have come out in the thousands to support us. It’s not lost on me how cool that is,” McIlroy said. “Every time I get to play in front of thousands of people, the little boy in me just thinks it’s so cool and so exciting.”

The Irish tandem closed with a 4-under 68 in the alternate-shot final round in windy conditions to match Ramey and Trainer at 25-under 263.

Ramey and Trainer began the day tied for 27th at 16 under and shot to the top of the leaderboard with nine birdies between the seventh and 18th holes. They tied the alternate-shot tournament record of 63, but then had to wait nearly three hours to see if their lead would stand up.

“That was to our advantage,” McIlroy said. “I feel for Martin and Chad a little bit. They played an unbelievable round of golf. To shoot 63 out there in those conditions in foursomes is super impressive.”

Trainer opened the playoff hole by pulling his drive into the left rough,. Ramey also yanked his approach left off the cart path and into the wall below the suites around the 18th green. Trainer then chipped short before Ramey finally got his team on the green.

“Obviously, golf is hard, and sometimes it doesn’t go your way,” Trainer said. “We did the best we could and had a chance, and that’s all you can ask for, really.”

Ramey said he and Trainer were disappointed, but stressed that, “There’s a lot of really good things to take from this week, and that’s what I’m going to do.”

Lowry narrowly missed his mark twice on the playoff hole, putting an approach in a bunker and then leaving a birdie putt for the victory on the edge of the cup.

But Lowry had come through when he had to on the final regulation hole, forcing the playoff with a short birdie putt on the par-5 18th, capitalizing on McIlroy's deft lofted chip from the apron that stopped close to the pin.

Ryan Brehm and Mark Hubbard nearly made the playoff as well. Needing a birdie, they went long off the 18th green on their second shot. Hubbard's chip up the back apron stopped short on the fringe, but Brehm still nearly sank a birdie putt, leaving the ball near the right edge of the cup as the crowd gasped. They finished third at 24 under.

Former BYU teammates Patrick Fishburn and Zach Blair, the leaders through three rounds, were still tied for the lead heading to the par-3 17th, only to make a double bogey after Blair’s tee shot landed right of the green and Fishburn chipped short. They wound up in a four-way tie for fourth at 23 under.

McIlroy and Lowry began the day two shots off the lead. They opened the round with Lowry's tee shot into the woods on the right side of the hole, and they bogeyed two of their first three holes before beginning their charge on the seventh, where McIlroy made the first of four birdie putts over the next five holes.

McIlroy had two mis-hits down the stretch that could have been costly, leaving an approach shot well short of the green on the par-4 13th and hitting short into a fairway bunker on the short par-4 16th.

Lowry chipped to about 10 feet and McIlroy saved par on 13. On 16, Lowry found the left side of the green with his approach shot from the sand and McIlroy sank a right-breaking birdie putt to lift his team into a tie for first at 25-under.

“Being able to rely on each other a little bit, I think that’s what really helped us,” McIlroy said.

The Irishmen bogeyed 17 after Lowry's faded tee shot landed in the gallery right of the green and McIlroy's chip over the ridge of a bunker ran past the hole.

That meant they would have to have a birdie on 18 to force a playoff. They got it, starting with McIlroy's clutch, booming tee shot into the water-lined fairway.

Before leaving the TPC Louisiana grounds, McIlroy and Lowry walked on stage while popular local cover band Bag of Donuts was performing a post-tournament concert. The band gave McIlroy a microphone, and he serenaded the crowd, singing Journey's “Don't Stop Believin.'”

“The reason that Shane and I both started to play golf is because we thought it was fun at some stage in our life,” McIlroy said. “Reinjecting a little bit of that fun back into it in a week like this week, it can always help.”

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The Canadian Press - Apr 28, 2024 / 12:14 am | Story: 484578

ADELAIDE, Australia (AP) — Three-time PGA Tour winner Brendan Steele held off a fast finishing Louis Oosthuizen to win the LIV Golf Adelaide tournament at The Grange Golf Club by one stoke.

The 41-year-old Steele shot a final round 68 Sunday for a 54-hole total of 18-under 198 to earn his first victory since he won his second Safeway Open in 2017 on the PGA Tour.

Steele had a streak of five consecutive birdies early in the round, before some putting jitters appeared in his back nine to open the door for a fast finishing pack of challenges including Oosthuizen, and former previous Masters winners Charl Schwartzel (64) and Jon Rahm (64).

“Yeah, I was telling myself that I knew there was going to be hard moments today regardless of the result and that I just needed to get back in there and start playing with freedom again,” Steele said moments after winning.

“And, and I was able to hit some good shots after that and write the show.”

South Africa's Oosthuizen shot 65 to finish second at 17-under 199, and had drawn within one stroke of Steele late in Sunday's final round, only for the American to make some clutch pars in the final holes to clinch victory.

Oosthuizen's compatriot Schwartzel and Rahm were among a group of five players at 16-under 200, with Joaquin Niemann (66), Andy Ogletree (65) and Dean Burgmester (67) in a tie for third.

Former world No.1 Rahm had an eagle and six birdies in his 8-under 64 but had left too much ground to catch up on Steele on the final day to capture his first title since joining the LlV tour in December.

Last year’s winner Talor Gooch shot 70 and finshed in a tie for 26th at 10-under.

Some of the LIV Golf's biggest names were also off the pace this week, including Brooks Koepka (nine-under), Dustin Johnson (nine-under), Phil Mickelson (seven-under) and Sergio Garcia (six under).

Australian team Ripper GC, led by local favorite Cameron Smith, with Marc Leishman, Matt Jones and Lucas Herbert, won the teams format on the second playoff hole against the South African-based team, Stingers GC, to the delight of another large and boisterous crowd at The Grange course on Sunday.

The LIV tour remains in the Asia region next week for the May 3-5 Singapore event at the Sentosa Golf Club. Then there’s a month-long break before resuming in Houston from June 7-9.

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The Canadian Press - Apr 27, 2024 / 6:59 pm | Story: 484546

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Grace Kim stumbled to a 5-over 76 on Saturday in the LPGA Tour’s JM Eagle LA Championship — and still held onto a share of the lead.

It was that kind of a day at Wilshire Country Club, the tree-lined layout made difficult by bumpy poa annua greens and tricky wind conditions.

“It’s tough for everyone today,” Kim said. “It was just one of those days. It’s just golf.”

Four strokes ahead entering the day after rounds of 64 and 66, Kim was tied with fellow Australian Hannah Green, the defending champion who saved par with a 12-footer on the par-3 18th for a 70. They were at 7-under 206.

“The putt that I made on 18 almost felt like I birdie,” Green said.

Maja Stark, playing alongside Kim in the final group, bogeyed the 18th for a 73.

“You know that you can’t take every missed putt too personally because that’s going to happen for everyone,” Stark said.

The Swede was a stroke back with Jin Hee Im, the South Korean player who had a back-nine 30 in a 63 for the best round of the day, and Germany's Esther Henseleit (71). Nasa Hataoka of Japan was 5 under after a 64.

Kim bogeyed the par-5 second hole and had a double bogey on the par-3 fourth. She also dropped shots on the par-4 10th and 16th holes.

“I tried to stay in the present of just the next shot, giving myself good chances,” said the 23-year-old Kim, The LOTTE Championship last year in Hawaii for her first LPGA Tour title. “I know I had a few three-putts in there, but just keeping my head in the game and not losing that shot focus.”

The 27-year-old Green rebounded from a two-foot par miss on the par-4 17th with the par save on 18. After bogeying three of the last six holes on the front nine, she played a four-hole stretch on the back nine in 4 under. She eagled the par-5 13th and birdied 14 and 16, then missed the short putt on 17.

“I didn’t really have many full swings. Had a lot of half-shots in,” said Green, the winner in Singapore early last month for her fourth LPGA Tour title. “With the greens firming up and getting bouncy it kind of made it hard to completely trust that shot.”

Stark finished second last week outside Houston in The Chevron Championship, two strokes behind top-ranked Nelly Korda in the first major of the year. Korda withdrew Monday, a day after her record-tying fifth straight victory.

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The Canadian Press - Apr 27, 2024 / 4:36 pm | Story: 484516

AVONDALE, La. (AP) — Former BYU teammates Patrick Fishburn and Zach Blair shot a 12-under 60 in better-ball play Saturday to take the third-round lead in the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, the PGA Tour’s only team event.

At 23-under 193, Fishburn and Blair had a one-stroke lead over Luke List and Henrik Norlander, with the Irish duo of Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry — tied for the lead after each of the first two rounds — two strokes back.

Fishburn and Blair, both winless on the PGA Tour, have been playing golf together since their junior high school days in Ogden, Utah.

“It’s kind of why you’re out here playing is to have opportunities like this,” Blair said. “I’ve been out here a handful of years now, so I know that they don’t come that often, and so we’ll do our best to go take advantage of it.”

Fishburn had three birdies and an eagle on the first five holes at windswept TPC Louisiana, where the wind gusted to 25 m.p.h. Windy conditions are also expected for Sunday for the alternate-shot finale.

List and Norlander had a 62. List eagled the second and 11th holes.

“We just got in a really good rhythm early,” Norlander said. “I felt like we were both hitting fairways. Not necessarily hitting it really close, but it felt like early we had two chances on every hole.”

McIlroy and Lowry shook off a slow start to birdie seven of their last 12 holes. They shot 64 to join Ryan Brehm and Mark Hubbard, who also had a 64, at 21 under. Canadians Nick Taylor and Adam Hadwin — both of Abbotsford, B.C. — topped the group at 20 under.

Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., and teammate Tyler Pendrith of Richmond Hill, Ont., are tied for 12th at 18 under.

“Look, it was a tough day,” McIlroy said. “Birdies were a little harder to come by today than they were on Thursday in the better-ball format. I think today was about staying patient knowing that the course was going to present some opportunities, especially on that back nine.”

Fishburn and Blair were a stroke off the tournament record.

“Just kind of rode Fish all day,” Blair said. “He played good. I mean, it was pretty textbook out there for him.”

They made the turn in 7-under 29 and birdied five of the first six holes on the back nine before finishing with three pars.

“It’s pretty easy to hit shots when Zac is always in the fairway, always on the green,” Fishburn said. “We ham-and-egged it really good today.”

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The Canadian Press - Apr 26, 2024 / 11:39 pm | Story: 484430

ADELAIDE, Australia (AP) — Three-time PGA Tour winner Brendan Steele shot an 8-under 64 Saturday to take a one-stroke lead after two rounds of the LIV Tour's Adelaide tournament at The Grange Golf Club.

The 41-year-old Steele's last PGA Tour victory came in 2017 when he won his second Safeway Open. He lost in a playoff to Australian Cameron Smith at the 2020 Sony Open in Hawaii.

Steele had a 36-hole total of 14-under 130. He had a streak of four birdies, a bogey and two birdies in the middle of his round.

Danny Lee was a stroke behind after a 67, followed by Carlos Ortiz (68) and Mito Pereira (67) in a tie for third.

First-round leader Jinichiro Kozuma shot 71 and was tied for ninth, four strokes behind Steele. The Japanese player had an eagle, three birdies and four bogeys.

Jon Rahm, who has yet to win since joining LIV in December, shot 69 and was tied for 15th, six strokes off the lead.

Steele predicted a 20-under total would be needed to win after Sunday’s final round.

“There’s good scores out there for sure,” he said. “If you’re in the fairway, then you can take on a lot of the pins.”

Smith shot 65 and was among those three behind in a four-way tie for fifth.

Enjoying the home crowd's support, Smith said he was grateful for the lady his errant shot hit on the 17th hole. The shot rebounded kindly off the woman and Smith ended up with a birdie on the hole.

“I hit her in the back,” Smith said. “It probably wasn’t going to be in the trees, but it was going to be in the rough and a different lie, so it could have been a different outcome. But (I) made her proud and made a birdie there, and she helped me out — hopefully that eased the pain a little bit for her.”

A new friendship ensued.

“She was nice," Smith said. "I went over there and I signed a ball, and she said ‘just give me a hug’, so I gave her a hug as well. She was sweet.”

There was also drama in another Australian's round with Lucas Herbert's caddie, Nick Pugh, hit in the head by a water bottle thrown from the crowd while replacing the flagstick at the 12th hole.

Herbert had just holed a birdie putt to finish his round in the shotgun format and was celebrating with fans at the par-3, known as the ‘watering hole’ with its loud music and boisterous fans, when Pugh was hit in the back of the head.

Pugh initially sunk to his knees but made his way back to the clubhouse and was reportedly uninjured and in good spirits.

The LIV tour remains in the Asia region next week for the May 3-5 Singapore event at the Sentosa Golf Club. Then there's a month-long break before resuming in Houston from June 7-9.

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The Canadian Press - Apr 26, 2024 / 7:14 pm | Story: 484399

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Grace Kim opened a four-stroke lead Friday in the LPGA Tour’s JM Eagle LA Championship, shooting a 5-under 66 in tricky afternoon conditions at Wilshire Country Club.

A stroke ahead after an opening 64, Kim had an eagle, four birdies and a bogey to get to 12-under 130. The 23-year-old Australian patiently worked her way around the tree-lined layup, trying not to get frustrated with the bumpy greens.

“I think the less thoughts, the better,” Kim said. “Obviously, during the afternoon round today, we’ve got poa annua greens so just have to stay patient with them. You can kind of see how it can get bumpy, so working with the course and not getting too wrapped up around putts not going in.”

Maja Stark was second after a 69, also in the afternoon.

"I feel like maybe not taking everything so personal because they are a little bit wobbly.” Stark said. “Especially late. Like the whole day pretty much the ball has been wobbling because there has been so many people walking on it.”

The Swede finished second last week in Texas in The Chevron Championship, two strokes behind top-ranked Nelly Korda in the first major of the year. Korda withdrew Monday, a day after her record-tying fifth straight victory.

Defending champion Hannah Green of Australia shot a 69 to join Germany's Esther Henseleit (68) at 6 under. Denmark's Kristine Pedersen (67) and American Auston Kim (71) were 5 under, and Rose Zhang (69) topped the group at 4 under.

Grace Kim won the LOTTE Championship last year in a playoff in Hawaii for her first LPGA Tour title. She missed the cut in The Chevron , shooting 76-72.

She started play Friday on the back nine, rebounding from a bogey on the par-3 12th with the eagle on the par-5 13th and a birdie on the par-4 14th. On 13, she hit a 5-wood to 10 feet. She added birdies on Nos. 3, 6 and 7 on the second nine.

“I think I’ve got to breathe a little bit,” she said. “I did get a little bit nervous on my back nine, so making sure I don’t rush too much and just staying in the present."

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The Canadian Press - Apr 26, 2024 / 5:14 pm | Story: 484382

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The Canadian Press - Apr 26, 2024 / 12:04 am | Story: 484246

ADELAIDE, Australia (AP) — Jinichiro Kozuma birdied his first three holes in a bogey-free round of 9-under 63 to take a one-stroke lead Friday after the first round of the LIV Series golf tournament.

Starting on the 15th hole in the shotgun-style start, the Japanese player had seven birdies and an eagle on the par-5 seventh hole at The Grange, where last year's inaugural event featured one of the largest galleries of the year on the LIV series.

Local media reported 40,000 spectators attended Friday.

“Today my putting was really good, it was really hot,” Kozuma said. “I had some troubles here and there, but my putting was there to help me get through pars."

Carlos Ortiz and Danny Lee were tied for second with 64s, while four others were tied for fourth with 65s. The group included Jon Rahm, who has yet to win since joining LIV in December.

“Obviously on any kind of golf course, if you start the tournament with an 8-under round, it’s very good," Lee said. "There’s a lot of birdie holes out there. Whatever I was doing today and whatever Jinny (Kozuma) was doing today worked out pretty good.”

Ortiz said if the wind stays the way it is, coming after the rain leading into the tournament, “I think it definitely sets up the golf course pretty gettable, especially if you put it in the fairway.”

Series points leader Joaquin Niemann, who has two LIV titles this season, opened with a 67. Talor Gooch, who won the first of his three LIV titles last season at Adelaide, shot 68.

The LIV tour remains in the Asia region next week for the May 3-5 Singapore event at the Sentosa Golf Club. Then there's a month-long break before resuming in Houston from June 7-9.

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The Canadian Press - Apr 25, 2024 / 6:31 pm | Story: 484201

LOS ANGLES (AP) — Grace Kim shot a 7-under 64 at Wilshire Country Club to take the first-round lead Thursday in the LPGA Tour's JM Eagle LA Championship.

Playing in the morning session, the 23-year-old Australian capped her bogey-free round with a chip-in birdie on the par-3 18th.

“Well, I chunked my tee shot on the last hole 20 meters short and then I chipped it in it,” Kim said. “I think that’s pretty cool, in front of everyone.”

Maja Stark of Sweden, Sei Young Kim of South Korea and Chanettee Wannasaen of Thailand were a stroke back at 65. Stark finished second last week outside Houston in The Chevron Championship, two strokes behind top-ranked Nelly Korda.

“I was so tired when I got here,” Stark said. “I barely been practicing. Just did a little bit of what I needed to do. I feel like it’s kind of similar anyway because there are just some pins that you can’t go for just like at Chevron.”

Korda withdrew Monday, a day after her fifth victory in a row.

Grace Kim won the LOTTE Championship last year in a playoff in Hawaii for her first LPGA Tour title. She missed the cut in The Chevron, shooting 76-72.

“If I was to compare my round today to last week, I really focused on just not having too much in my mind,” she said. “I think I over-thought a lot of things through my first and second round last week and struggled a little bit mentally.”

Sei Young Kim had four straight birdies on Nos. 12-15 in her afternoon round. She won the last of her 12 LPGA Tour titles in 2020.

Auston Kim, Haeran Ryu and Nataliya Guseva shot 66, and defending champion Hannah Green matched Amy Yang and Bianca Pagdanganan at 67.

Savannah Grewal of Mississauga, Ont., had a 71 to finish even par, while Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., shot 75.

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