Spain&#39;s Sergio Garcia ended nearly two decades of major disappointment when he beat England&#39;s Justin Rose in a playoff to win the US&nbsp;Masters on Sunday, donning the Green Jacket on the 60th birthday of his hero, the late Seve Ballesteros.

After 73 majors, four heartbreaking runner-up finishes and years of self doubt, Garcia finally delivered the long awaited title when his 10-foot birdie putt at the first extra hole dropped into the cup at the par-four 18th, triggering a massive cheer from a gallery that had been on the edge of their seats.

Deadlocked after nine holes, the two friends and rivals produced an enthralling back nine showdown worthy of any Masters champion.

Garcia and Rose finished tied on nine under par at the end of regulation and sent the year&#39;s first major to a playoff when both missed birdie putts and settled for pars at the 72nd hole.

It marked the first Masters playoff since Adam Scott beat Angel Cabrera to become the first Australian to wear the Green Jacket in 2013 at Augusta National.&nbsp;

(Reuters) 
 
&nbsp;

Sergio Garcia claims dramatic first major win at Masters after up and down duel with Justin Rose

Spain's Sergio Garcia ended nearly two decades of major disappointment when he beat England's Justin Rose in a playoff to win the US Masters on Sunday, donning the Green Jacket on the 60th birthday of his hero, the late Seve Ballesteros. After 73 majors, four heartbreaking runner-up finishes and years of self doubt, Garcia finally delivered the long awaited title when his 10-foot birdie putt at the first extra hole dropped into the cup at the par-four 18th, triggering a massive cheer from a gallery that had been on the edge of their seats. Deadlocked after nine holes, the two friends and rivals produced an enthralling back nine showdown worthy of any Masters champion. Garcia and Rose finished tied on nine under par at the end of regulation and sent the year's first major to a playoff when both missed birdie putts and settled for pars at the 72nd hole. It marked the first Masters playoff since Adam Scott beat Angel Cabrera to become the first Australian to wear the Green Jacket in 2013 at Augusta National. (Reuters)

Garcia outduels Rose to claim dramatic Masters win

Golf rulemakers The R&amp;A and United States Golf Association (USGA) on Wednesday unveiled a radical set of new rule proposals they hope will simplify the game and also speed up play.

The two bodies have eliminated many penalties including being penalised for accidentally moving your ball marker on the green and reduced the number of rules from 34 to 24.

The R&amp;A is seeking feedback on the proposals until the end of August, with any amendments to be made before the new rules come into effect from January 1, 2019.

With regards to speeding up the game one of the proposals is for reducing the search time for lost balls from five minutes to three, whilst allowing players to drop a ball from any height when taking relief, rather than shoulder-height as is the case at the moment.

&quot;We are really about modernising the rules of golf and, in very simple terms, trying to make them easier to understand and apply,&quot; David Rickman, the R&amp;A&#39;s executive director, governance, told Press Association Sport.

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&quot;The concern was that, over time and despite our best efforts, the rules have grown in length and complexity and therefore have become confusing and intimidating.&quot;

One area which may provoke a heated debate -- especially on the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) tour, where it is most prevalent -- is forbidding caddies to help players line up putts.

&quot;Even though it may be unpopular in some parts of the game, a reinforcement of player skill and judgement was important,&quot; said Rickman.

Another measure designed to speed up a round is professionals will not have to repair spike marks made by their boots and one of the generally regarded unfairer rules where a player was penalised for being struck by their ball has been recommeended to be discarded.

The removal of the obligation of dropping balls from shoulder-height will prevent 10-minute hold-ups -- as was the case last year with Jordan Spieth at the US PGA Championship.

&quot;That took longer because of the intricacy involved and the ability for players to be more precise means this can be sped up,&quot; Rickman added.

&quot;The dropping process can be quite lengthy. You can have a very small dropping area and every time you miss it, that drop doesn&#39;t count and you need to re-drop if it rolls to any of nine specific places.&quot;

Video reviews will still be used to determine if rules have been breached, but not to &quot;second guess&quot; players who need to estimate where a ball may have entered or last crossed a hazard.

&quot;We expect players to use all reasonable judgement and in those circumstances, if that proves to be wrong, as long as they acted reasonably we would not be seeking to punish based on later evidence,&quot; Rickman said.

(AFP)

Golf rulemakers R&A and the USGA unveiled a radical set of rule proposals Wednesday

Golf rulemakers The R&A and United States Golf Association (USGA) on Wednesday unveiled a radical set of new rule proposals they hope will simplify the game and also speed up play. The two bodies have eliminated many penalties including being penalised for accidentally moving your ball marker on the green and reduced the number of rules from 34 to 24. The R&A is seeking feedback on the proposals until the end of August, with any amendments to be made before the new rules come into effect from January 1, 2019. With regards to speeding up the game one of the proposals is for reducing the search time for lost balls from five minutes to three, whilst allowing players to drop a ball from any height when taking relief, rather than shoulder-height as is the case at the moment. "We are really about modernising the rules of golf and, in very simple terms, trying to make them easier to understand and apply," David Rickman, the R&A's executive director, governance, told Press Association Sport. The R&A is seeking feedback on the proposals until the end of August, with any amendments to be made before the new rules come into effect from January 1, 2019 × "The concern was that, over time and despite our best efforts, the rules have grown in length and complexity and therefore have become confusing and intimidating." One area which may provoke a heated debate -- especially on the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) tour, where it is most prevalent -- is forbidding caddies to help players line up putts. "Even though it may be unpopular in some parts of the game, a reinforcement of player skill and judgement was important," said Rickman. Another measure designed to speed up a round is professionals will not have to repair spike marks made by their boots and one of the generally regarded unfairer rules where a player was penalised for being struck by their ball has been recommeended to be discarded. The removal of the obligation of dropping balls from shoulder-height will prevent 10-minute hold-ups -- as was the case last year with Jordan Spieth at the US PGA Championship. "That took longer because of the intricacy involved and the ability for players to be more precise means this can be sped up," Rickman added. "The dropping process can be quite lengthy. You can have a very small dropping area and every time you miss it, that drop doesn't count and you need to re-drop if it rolls to any of nine specific places." Video reviews will still be used to determine if rules have been breached, but not to "second guess" players who need to estimate where a ball may have entered or last crossed a hazard. "We expect players to use all reasonable judgement and in those circumstances, if that proves to be wrong, as long as they acted reasonably we would not be seeking to punish based on later evidence," Rickman said. (AFP)

New rules proposed hope to make golf simpler, faster

Former world number one Tiger Woods is set to make a long-awaited return to competitive golf at next week&rsquo;s Safeway Open in Napa, California, the PGA Tour said on Friday, Reuters reported. 
&nbsp;

The American golfer, who has been a 14-time major champion, was sidelined for over a year while recovering from multiple back surgeries.

&nbsp;

The Safeway Open is the first event on the 2016-2017 PGA Tour and will be played from October &nbsp;13 to 16 at Silverado Resort and Spa.

&nbsp;

Woods has not played competitive golf since the Wyndham Championship in August 2015 and his ranking slid to 767 after his break.

&nbsp;

Woods had said last month that depending on his &quot;continued progress and recovery&quot; he hoped to play in Napa, the upcoming Turkish Airlines Open and the Tiger Woods Foundation-run Hero World Challenge in December, Reuters reported.

&nbsp;

The 40-year-old golfer has competed in only 18 events on the PGA tour since the end of 2013 while tackling injuries and poor form, recording just one top-10 finish along with six missed cuts and three withdrawals.

&nbsp;

&quot;It was difficult missing tournaments that are important to me, but this time I was smart about my recovery and didn&#39;t rush it,&quot; Woods said last month. &quot;I still have work to do.&rdquo;,&nbsp;Reuters reported.

&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from Reuters)

Injuries kept Woods away from competitive golf for over a year and the former world number one's ranking has plummeted to 767

Former world number one Tiger Woods is set to make a long-awaited return to competitive golf at next week’s Safeway Open in Napa, California, the PGA Tour said on Friday, Reuters reported. The American golfer, who has been a 14-time major champion, was sidelined for over a year while recovering from multiple back surgeries. The Safeway Open is the first event on the 2016-2017 PGA Tour and will be played from October 13 to 16 at Silverado Resort and Spa. Woods has not played competitive golf since the Wyndham Championship in August 2015 and his ranking slid to 767 after his break. Woods had said last month that depending on his "continued progress and recovery" he hoped to play in Napa, the upcoming Turkish Airlines Open and the Tiger Woods Foundation-run Hero World Challenge in December, Reuters reported. The 40-year-old golfer has competed in only 18 events on the PGA tour since the end of 2013 while tackling injuries and poor form, recording just one top-10 finish along with six missed cuts and three withdrawals. "It was difficult missing tournaments that are important to me, but this time I was smart about my recovery and didn't rush it," Woods said last month. "I still have work to do.”, Reuters reported. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Tiger Woods returns to competitive golf

Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy capped a stunning comeback with a birdie at the fourth playoff hole to win the season-ending Tour Championship on Sunday, along with FedEx Cup honours and the mind-boggling $10 million bonus. 
 
McIlroy rolled in a 15-foot putt at East Lake&#39;s par-four 16th to beat American Ryan Moore, sending the large gallery into a frenzy that might more likely be expected at next week&#39;s Ryder Cup. 
 
&quot;It was incredible,&quot; former world number McIlroy said at the victory presentation. &quot;Sorry for the hoarse voice. I sort of lost my voice screaming at the end. 
 
&quot;I feel my game is coming together at the right time. Two wins in the last three feels pretty nice.&quot; 
 
McIlroy, 27, vaulted into the playoff with a barnstorming finish to his final round, holing out from 140 yards to eagle the same hole where he would clinch the win 90 minutes later. 
 
He closed his final-round 64 with a tap-in birdie at the par-five 18th and only joined the playoff with American Kevin Chappell (66) and Moore (64) when the latter&#39;s eight-footer to win in regulation lipped out. 
 
McIlroy then squandered a golden chance to win it at the first extra hole when he missed a six-footer. Chappell was eliminated on the first extra hole. 
 
McIlroy looked shell-shocked but regrouped to sink a seven-footer and stave off defeat at the third extra hole, before clinching it at the next. 
 
&quot;It was such a nice one, uphill, just outside the right edge,&quot; McIlroy he said of his winning putt. 
 
&quot;I knew if I hit a good putt it had a great chance of going in. To see that ball drop, everything has come together for me. To be able to come here and pull it off is really special. 
 
&quot;I&#39;ve won the money list a few times in Europe but never been able to quite do it here, the FedExCup in the U.S. When you put your mind to it, great things happen.&quot; 
 
McIlroy&#39;s gain was Dustin Johnson&#39;s loss as the US Open champion would have won the FedExCup had either Moore or Chappell won the playoff. 
 
Johnson started the final round tied for the lead with Chappell, but struggled to a 73 in ideal conditions to plunge to into a tie for sixth at five-under. 
 
So instead it was McIlroy, the only member of the European Ryder Cup team in the field at East Lake, who clinched the season-long points race and $10 million bonus along with $1.53 million for the tournament victory. 
 
(Reuters) 
&nbsp;

McIlroy rolled in a 15-foot putt at East Lake's par-four 16th to beat American Ryan Moore

Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy capped a stunning comeback with a birdie at the fourth playoff hole to win the season-ending Tour Championship on Sunday, along with FedEx Cup honours and the mind-boggling $10 million bonus. McIlroy rolled in a 15-foot putt at East Lake's par-four 16th to beat American Ryan Moore, sending the large gallery into a frenzy that might more likely be expected at next week's Ryder Cup. "It was incredible," former world number McIlroy said at the victory presentation. "Sorry for the hoarse voice. I sort of lost my voice screaming at the end. "I feel my game is coming together at the right time. Two wins in the last three feels pretty nice." McIlroy, 27, vaulted into the playoff with a barnstorming finish to his final round, holing out from 140 yards to eagle the same hole where he would clinch the win 90 minutes later. He closed his final-round 64 with a tap-in birdie at the par-five 18th and only joined the playoff with American Kevin Chappell (66) and Moore (64) when the latter's eight-footer to win in regulation lipped out. McIlroy then squandered a golden chance to win it at the first extra hole when he missed a six-footer. Chappell was eliminated on the first extra hole. McIlroy looked shell-shocked but regrouped to sink a seven-footer and stave off defeat at the third extra hole, before clinching it at the next. "It was such a nice one, uphill, just outside the right edge," McIlroy he said of his winning putt. "I knew if I hit a good putt it had a great chance of going in. To see that ball drop, everything has come together for me. To be able to come here and pull it off is really special. "I've won the money list a few times in Europe but never been able to quite do it here, the FedExCup in the U.S. When you put your mind to it, great things happen." McIlroy's gain was Dustin Johnson's loss as the US Open champion would have won the FedExCup had either Moore or Chappell won the playoff. Johnson started the final round tied for the lead with Chappell, but struggled to a 73 in ideal conditions to plunge to into a tie for sixth at five-under. So instead it was McIlroy, the only member of the European Ryder Cup team in the field at East Lake, who clinched the season-long points race and $10 million bonus along with $1.53 million for the tournament victory. (Reuters)

Golf: McIlroy wins Tour Championship, $10 million bonus

Teary-eyed Chun In Gee claimed the Evian Championship with a record winning total on Sunday.&nbsp; 
 
The 22-year-old South Korean won the championship by four shots with a final round 69.&nbsp; 
 
She said: &quot;I can&rsquo;t believe I have just won the Evian Championship on 21 under. I&rsquo;m not dreaming am I?&quot; 
 
Chun insisted it was a team effort, thanking her caddie David Jones.&nbsp; 
 
In the final hole she drove into the rough at the long par four and laid up with her second shot. But she then hit a 95 yard wedge shot to ten feet and holed out to spark the celebrations. 
 
&quot;I was so nervous coming down the last,&quot; she said. &quot;But my caddie said to me &lsquo;make par and I&rsquo;ll buy dinner.&rsquo; Now I feel like I am dreaming, I am so happy.&quot; 
 
The win ensures her the season&#39;s Rookie of the Year award. Chun was also the winner of last year&#39;s US Women&#39;s Open before she joined the LPGA Tour. 
 
Chun recalled the testing time earlier in the year when she suffered a controversial back injury and had to miss over a month on Tour.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;After the injury I was struggling with myself and my body and psychological problems,&quot; she said. &quot;I was in a bad mood, a negative side.&quot; 
 
The injury happened at Singapore airport when fellow player Jang Ha Na&rsquo;s father lost control of a suitcase and it fell down an escalator. The incident had caused an uproar in South Korea.&nbsp; 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

The 22-year-old claimed her second major title in record style, coming back from a controversial back injury

Teary-eyed Chun In Gee claimed the Evian Championship with a record winning total on Sunday. The 22-year-old South Korean won the championship by four shots with a final round 69. She said: "I can’t believe I have just won the Evian Championship on 21 under. I’m not dreaming am I?" Chun insisted it was a team effort, thanking her caddie David Jones. In the final hole she drove into the rough at the long par four and laid up with her second shot. But she then hit a 95 yard wedge shot to ten feet and holed out to spark the celebrations. "I was so nervous coming down the last," she said. "But my caddie said to me ‘make par and I’ll buy dinner.’ Now I feel like I am dreaming, I am so happy." The win ensures her the season's Rookie of the Year award. Chun was also the winner of last year's US Women's Open before she joined the LPGA Tour. Chun recalled the testing time earlier in the year when she suffered a controversial back injury and had to miss over a month on Tour. "After the injury I was struggling with myself and my body and psychological problems," she said. "I was in a bad mood, a negative side." The injury happened at Singapore airport when fellow player Jang Ha Na’s father lost control of a suitcase and it fell down an escalator. The incident had caused an uproar in South Korea. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Golf: South Korea's Chun wins Evian Championship with record score

Chun In-gee of South Korea edged closer to a second major title, and a slice of golfing history, when she extended her lead to four shots at the Evian Championship in France on Saturday. 
 
Chun shot a third-round 65 to finish 19-under-par, thanks largely to a strong back nine with three birdies and an eagle. 
 
Her compatriot Park Sung-hyun lies second before Sunday&rsquo;s final day. China&rsquo;s Shanshan Feng is third at 13-under-par while South Korea&#39;s Ryu So-yeon is fourth at 12-under-par. 
 
Victory on Sunday could also see Chun break the record for the lowest winning score in a major championship by either a male or female. 
 
The record for the women is 19-under-par posted on four occasions, the men&#39;s is 20-under-par, set by Jason Day at the 2015 PGA Championship and Henrik Stenson at the 2016 Open Championship. 
 
Chun&rsquo;s third-round total of 194 broke the 54-hole scoring record (199 set by Annika Sorenstam at the 2004 LPGA Championship). 
 
&quot;It is a really big honour for me, but I just have to stick with my game plan,&quot; said Chun, who is also looking to emulate Pak Se-ri by winning her first two LPGA titles at major championships. 
 
Chun started the day two shots clear of Park and Feng. Birdies on the second, seventh and eighth gave her a four-shot lead but a mistake on the ninth allowed Park to cut the lead to two shots. 
 
Chun, however, had a strong back nine, including an eagle on the 15th to end the day in a position of strength. 
 
&quot;The pin was on the very top,&quot; said Chun. &quot;It was a pretty tough hole. I think I made a really good second shot, and then third shot - because I tried really good to visualise my third shot.&quot; 
 
(Reuters) 
&nbsp;

Victory on Sunday could see Chun break the record for the lowest winning score in a major championship by either a male or female

Chun In-gee of South Korea edged closer to a second major title, and a slice of golfing history, when she extended her lead to four shots at the Evian Championship in France on Saturday. Chun shot a third-round 65 to finish 19-under-par, thanks largely to a strong back nine with three birdies and an eagle. Her compatriot Park Sung-hyun lies second before Sunday’s final day. China’s Shanshan Feng is third at 13-under-par while South Korea's Ryu So-yeon is fourth at 12-under-par. Victory on Sunday could also see Chun break the record for the lowest winning score in a major championship by either a male or female. The record for the women is 19-under-par posted on four occasions, the men's is 20-under-par, set by Jason Day at the 2015 PGA Championship and Henrik Stenson at the 2016 Open Championship. Chun’s third-round total of 194 broke the 54-hole scoring record (199 set by Annika Sorenstam at the 2004 LPGA Championship). "It is a really big honour for me, but I just have to stick with my game plan," said Chun, who is also looking to emulate Pak Se-ri by winning her first two LPGA titles at major championships. Chun started the day two shots clear of Park and Feng. Birdies on the second, seventh and eighth gave her a four-shot lead but a mistake on the ninth allowed Park to cut the lead to two shots. Chun, however, had a strong back nine, including an eagle on the 15th to end the day in a position of strength. "The pin was on the very top," said Chun. "It was a pretty tough hole. I think I made a really good second shot, and then third shot - because I tried really good to visualise my third shot." (Reuters)

Golf: South Korea's Chun in sight of golfing history at Evian

World number one Jason Day and second-ranked Dustin Johnson launch their&nbsp;title bids at The Barclays on Thursday with hopes of securing the PGA Tour&#39;s&nbsp;season-ending FedExCup and Player of the Year honours. 
 
The Barclays, won last year by Australian Day, is the first of four FedExCup&nbsp;events with a playoff bonus of $10 million to the overall champion. 
 
Post the season, the PGA Tour will vote for their Player of the Year where Day&nbsp;and Johnson will compete. 
 
&quot;A couple more wins should do it ... even with what Dustin has done,&quot; Day told&nbsp;reporters on Wednesday at Bethpage Black in Farmingdale, New York. 
 
&quot;If I can get off to a nice start here, that should give me the confidence going&nbsp;forward. He (Johnson) is playing tremendous golf. If I get it (Player of the&nbsp;Year), great. If not, no worries. I have plenty of years to try to get it again. 
 
With how Jordan played in the majors, obviously he deserved it. If Dustin beats&nbsp;me this year, then he deserves it. The biggest thing for me is to focus on what I&nbsp;need to do and try and win,&quot; he said. 
 
The top 125 players in FedExCup points qualified for The Barclays, and the&nbsp;leading 100 after this week advance to Boston for the September 2-5 Deutsche&nbsp;Bank Championship before the best 70 progress to the BMW Championship in&nbsp;Carmel, Indiana. 
 
Thirty players will qualify for the concluding Tour Championship from&nbsp;September 22-25 at East Lake in Atlanta. 
 
(WION with inputs from agenices)

Post the season, the PGA Tour will vote for their Player of the Year where Day?and Johnson will compete

World number one Jason Day and second-ranked Dustin Johnson launch their title bids at The Barclays on Thursday with hopes of securing the PGA Tour's season-ending FedExCup and Player of the Year honours. The Barclays, won last year by Australian Day, is the first of four FedExCup events with a playoff bonus of $10 million to the overall champion. Post the season, the PGA Tour will vote for their Player of the Year where Day and Johnson will compete. "A couple more wins should do it ... even with what Dustin has done," Day told reporters on Wednesday at Bethpage Black in Farmingdale, New York. "If I can get off to a nice start here, that should give me the confidence going forward. He (Johnson) is playing tremendous golf. If I get it (Player of the Year), great. If not, no worries. I have plenty of years to try to get it again. With how Jordan played in the majors, obviously he deserved it. If Dustin beats me this year, then he deserves it. The biggest thing for me is to focus on what I need to do and try and win," he said. The top 125 players in FedExCup points qualified for The Barclays, and the leading 100 after this week advance to Boston for the September 2-5 Deutsche Bank Championship before the best 70 progress to the BMW Championship in Carmel, Indiana. Thirty players will qualify for the concluding Tour Championship from September 22-25 at East Lake in Atlanta. (WION with inputs from agenices)

Day, Johnson command spotlight at PGA Championship Tour

The world&#39;s top-ranked golfer Jason Day on Tuesday withdrew from August&#39;s Rio de Janeiro Olympics, citing fears over the Zika virus. 
 
&quot;The reason for my decision is my concerns about the possible transmission of the Zika virus, and the potential risks that it may present to my wife&#39;s future pregnancies and to future members of our family,&quot; the Australian said in a statement posted on Twitter. 
 
&quot;While it has always been a major goal to compete in the Olympics on behalf of my country, playing golf cannot take precedent over the safety of our family. I will not place them at risk,&quot; the 28-year-old Day added. 
 
Golf is returning to the Olympics for the first time since 1904, but a number of big names, including four-times major champion Rory McIlroy, Fiji&#39;s Vijay Singh and Charl Schwartzel of South Africa, have pulled out due to Zika concerns. 
 
The mosquito-borne Zika virus can cause crippling birth defects and, in adults, has been linked to the neurological disorder Guillain-Barre. Controversy over the August 5-21 Games has grown as more about the disease becomes known. 
 
(Reuters)&nbsp; 
 
 
&nbsp;

Golf is returning to the Games for the first time since 1904, but a number of top names have withdrawn over Zika fears

The world's top-ranked golfer Jason Day on Tuesday withdrew from August's Rio de Janeiro Olympics, citing fears over the Zika virus. "The reason for my decision is my concerns about the possible transmission of the Zika virus, and the potential risks that it may present to my wife's future pregnancies and to future members of our family," the Australian said in a statement posted on Twitter. "While it has always been a major goal to compete in the Olympics on behalf of my country, playing golf cannot take precedent over the safety of our family. I will not place them at risk," the 28-year-old Day added. Golf is returning to the Olympics for the first time since 1904, but a number of big names, including four-times major champion Rory McIlroy, Fiji's Vijay Singh and Charl Schwartzel of South Africa, have pulled out due to Zika concerns. The mosquito-borne Zika virus can cause crippling birth defects and, in adults, has been linked to the neurological disorder Guillain-Barre. Controversy over the August 5-21 Games has grown as more about the disease becomes known. (Reuters)

Top-ranked golfer Jason Day pulls out of Olympics over Zika concerns

World number three Jordan Spieth has pulled out of next month&#39;s Olympics because of fears over the Zika virus, officials said at a news conference held at the British Open today. 
 
American Spieth&#39;s withdrawal means the Olympic golf tournament will be without the world&#39;s top four players. 
 
Number one Jason Day, second-ranked Dustin Johnson and number four Rory McIlroy had all previously said they would not be competing in the event. 
 
&quot;It was out of concern at health issues we have been talking about (recently),&quot; International Golf Federation vice-president Ty Votaw told reporters at Royal Troon, referring to the reasons for Spieth&#39;s pull-out. 
 
Bubba Watson, Rickie Fowler, Patrick Reed and Matt Kuchar were also announced as the four players in the U.S. team for the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. 
 
Golf is returning to the Games in August following an absence of 112 years. 
 
Zika is a mosquito-borne virus that the World Health Organisation says is spreading rapidly in the Americas. 
 
(Reuters)

Jordan Spieth withdrawal means the Olympic golf tournament will be without the world's top four players

World number three Jordan Spieth has pulled out of next month's Olympics because of fears over the Zika virus, officials said at a news conference held at the British Open today. American Spieth's withdrawal means the Olympic golf tournament will be without the world's top four players. Number one Jason Day, second-ranked Dustin Johnson and number four Rory McIlroy had all previously said they would not be competing in the event. "It was out of concern at health issues we have been talking about (recently)," International Golf Federation vice-president Ty Votaw told reporters at Royal Troon, referring to the reasons for Spieth's pull-out. Bubba Watson, Rickie Fowler, Patrick Reed and Matt Kuchar were also announced as the four players in the U.S. team for the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Golf is returning to the Games in August following an absence of 112 years. Zika is a mosquito-borne virus that the World Health Organisation says is spreading rapidly in the Americas. (Reuters)

Spieth pulls out of Olympics over Zika worries

Wimbledon finalist Milos Raonicm and women&#39;s world number five Simona Halep of Romania, have pulled out from next month&#39;s Rio Olympics due to fears over the Zika virus. 
 
They, along with twice Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka, who is pregnant, will not be making the trip to Rio even though they were included in the final list of participants issued by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) on Friday. 
 
The big-serving Raonic, who lost to Andy Murray in the men&#39;s championship match at the All England Club on Sunday, was the first tennis player to pull out of the Aug 5-21 Olympics due to concerns over the mosquito-borne Zika virus. 
 
&quot;It is with a heavy heart that I am announcing my withdrawal from participation in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games,&quot; world number seven Raonic, 25, said in a statement issued by Tennis Canada. 
 
&quot;After much deliberation with my family and coaches, I am making this decision for a variety of health concerns including the uncertainty around the Zika virus.&quot; 
 
The Zika virus, which the World Health Organisation says is spreading rapidly in the Americas, has been linked to severe birth defects in infants born to infected women, and possible neurological problems in adults. 
 
Halep, who last month told Reuters she was &quot;very worried&quot; about the long-term effects of the Zika virus, consulted with many doctors before issuing her decision shortly after Raonic. 
 
&quot;I regret to announce that I have decided I will not compete in the Olympic Games. The reason for my decision is the concern regarding the danger posed by the Zika virus,&quot; Halep, a runner-up at the French Open in 2014, said on her Facebook page. 
 
&quot;After several talks with doctors and my family, I concluded that the risks are too high for my career and for my health, especially as a woman. Family is much too important for me and I can&rsquo;t risk not being able to have one of my own after my career in tennis is over.&nbsp;I know the Olympics are a very important event and I truly regret these circumstances. I hope the Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee and all Romanians will respect my decision.&nbsp;I will continue to play, to proudly represent Romania in as many tournaments as possible.&quot; 
 
Raonic and Halep joined a growing list of athletes to have pulled out of the Rio Games over health concerns triggered by the outbreak of the Zika virus in Brazil, including a number of high-profile male golfers. 
 
Belarussian Azarenka also robbed the Olympics of some star power as the world number six said earlier on Friday that she will miss the rest of the season because she is having a baby. 
 
Raonic, beaten in the second round of the 2012 London Games by Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, said he hopes his decision would not influence others. 
 
&quot;This was a difficult, personal choice and I do not wish for it to impact the decision of any other athlete heading to the Games,&quot; said Raonic. 
 
&quot;I am very proud to have competed for Canada at the London 2012 Summer Olympics, and on the world stage at several Davis Cup events. I look forward to cheering on Team Canada this summer.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

Milos Raonic and Simona Halep joined a growing list of athletes to pull out of Rio Games due to health concerns

Wimbledon finalist Milos Raonicm and women's world number five Simona Halep of Romania, have pulled out from next month's Rio Olympics due to fears over the Zika virus. They, along with twice Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka, who is pregnant, will not be making the trip to Rio even though they were included in the final list of participants issued by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) on Friday. The big-serving Raonic, who lost to Andy Murray in the men's championship match at the All England Club on Sunday, was the first tennis player to pull out of the Aug 5-21 Olympics due to concerns over the mosquito-borne Zika virus. "It is with a heavy heart that I am announcing my withdrawal from participation in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games," world number seven Raonic, 25, said in a statement issued by Tennis Canada. "After much deliberation with my family and coaches, I am making this decision for a variety of health concerns including the uncertainty around the Zika virus." The Zika virus, which the World Health Organisation says is spreading rapidly in the Americas, has been linked to severe birth defects in infants born to infected women, and possible neurological problems in adults. Halep, who last month told Reuters she was "very worried" about the long-term effects of the Zika virus, consulted with many doctors before issuing her decision shortly after Raonic. "I regret to announce that I have decided I will not compete in the Olympic Games. The reason for my decision is the concern regarding the danger posed by the Zika virus," Halep, a runner-up at the French Open in 2014, said on her Facebook page. "After several talks with doctors and my family, I concluded that the risks are too high for my career and for my health, especially as a woman. Family is much too important for me and I can’t risk not being able to have one of my own after my career in tennis is over. I know the Olympics are a very important event and I truly regret these circumstances. I hope the Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee and all Romanians will respect my decision. I will continue to play, to proudly represent Romania in as many tournaments as possible." Raonic and Halep joined a growing list of athletes to have pulled out of the Rio Games over health concerns triggered by the outbreak of the Zika virus in Brazil, including a number of high-profile male golfers. Belarussian Azarenka also robbed the Olympics of some star power as the world number six said earlier on Friday that she will miss the rest of the season because she is having a baby. Raonic, beaten in the second round of the 2012 London Games by Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, said he hopes his decision would not influence others. "This was a difficult, personal choice and I do not wish for it to impact the decision of any other athlete heading to the Games," said Raonic. "I am very proud to have competed for Canada at the London 2012 Summer Olympics, and on the world stage at several Davis Cup events. I look forward to cheering on Team Canada this summer." (Reuters)

Raonic and Halep withdraw from Rio Olympics over Zika

After 112 years, golf made a quiet and subdued return to the Olympics today with Brazil&#39;s Adilson Da Silva hitting the first shot in front of a handful of spectators. 
 
Under overcast skies and in calm conditions ideal for scoring, Da Silva was welcomed to the first tee by a smattering of applause and the whirl from hundreds of cameras as media and officials greatly outnumbered fans sprinkled through a small nearly empty stand. 
 
Da Silva was followed by Canada&#39;s Graham DeLaet, whose countryman George Lyon won the last Olympic golf tournament in 1904, with South Korean An Byeong-hun completing the threesome. 
 
The tournament lost much of its prestige after the world&#39;s four top-ranked players, Australian Jason Day, Americans Dustin Johnson and Jordan Spieth and Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy, opted not to take part, citing concerns over the Zika virus.Four rounds over four days on the newly-constructed course on the Marapendi Nature Reserve will decide the medals with 60 players in the men&#39;s competition and the same number in the women`s event which will follow next week. 
 
(Reuters)&nbsp; 
 
&nbsp;

The tournament, however, lost much of its prestige after the world's four top-ranked players opted out over Zika concerns

After 112 years, golf made a quiet and subdued return to the Olympics today with Brazil's Adilson Da Silva hitting the first shot in front of a handful of spectators. Under overcast skies and in calm conditions ideal for scoring, Da Silva was welcomed to the first tee by a smattering of applause and the whirl from hundreds of cameras as media and officials greatly outnumbered fans sprinkled through a small nearly empty stand. Da Silva was followed by Canada's Graham DeLaet, whose countryman George Lyon won the last Olympic golf tournament in 1904, with South Korean An Byeong-hun completing the threesome. The tournament lost much of its prestige after the world's four top-ranked players, Australian Jason Day, Americans Dustin Johnson and Jordan Spieth and Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy, opted not to take part, citing concerns over the Zika virus.Four rounds over four days on the newly-constructed course on the Marapendi Nature Reserve will decide the medals with 60 players in the men's competition and the same number in the women`s event which will follow next week. (Reuters)

Rio Olympics 2016: Golf makes quiet return after 112 years?

Lydia Ko says she is &quot;super excited&quot; at the prospect of competing in her first Olympics next month although the women&#39;s world number one has decided against living at the Games village in Rio de Janeiro. 
 
Golf is returning to the Games for the first time since 1904 but the 19-year-old South Korean-born New Zealander wants to keep things as normal as possible for the 72-hole strokeplay competition in Brazil. 
 
&quot;I&#39;ve been excited about the Olympics since they announced it,&quot; Ko told Reuters in an interview after a rousing three-under-par 69 sent her sprinting through the field in the third round of the Ricoh Women&#39;s British Open today. 
 
&quot;Now that it&#39;s around the corner in a couple of weeks my heart is pounding. 
 
&quot;I was always going to stay outside of the village. I&#39;d love to stay in the village and get to meet other New Zealand athletes, but no, I&#39;ve decided to stay out so I can keep similar routines to when I play these kind of events (at Woburn).&quot; 
 
Double major winner, Ko, will be living at a hotel with her family, coach and New Zealand golf officials. 
 
The teenager loves home cooking and staying outside the Olympic Village will help her to maintain the same sort of lifestyle she has during regular tour events. 
 
&quot;I feel like I should try and not change my routines that much,&quot; said Ko. &quot;I&#39;m staying with my sisters so I should be in a similar atmosphere off the course. I feel that would be a good way to go. 
 
&quot;I don&#39;t want to change my routines that much even though it&#39;s the Olympics.&quot; 
 
Ko&#39;s agent Michael Yim told Reuters: &quot;She always travels with her family and if she stays in the village she has to stay alone. 
 
More Flexibility 
 
&quot;Staying at a hotel she has a little more flexibility to go out if she wants to go out. Not that you can&#39;t in the village but it&#39;s kind of like constrained. 
 
&quot;I think she just wanted a bit more comfort. That was always the decision from the get-go ... she&#39;ll have support for anything she needs,&quot; added Yim. 
 
Ko believes the Rio Games will boost knowledge and awareness of women&#39;s golf and provide the sport with a huge lift. 
 
&quot;Golf is quite an individual game,&quot; she said. &quot;Obviously we need a team around us but at the Olympics you are not just representing yourself and your team but your country as well. 
 
&quot;I think this could make a big difference in the game of golf especially women&#39;s golf.&quot; 
 
There was certainly a big difference in Ko&#39;s game today compared to the opening two rounds at the fourth and penultimate women&#39;s major of the season. 
 
The teenager went on an inspired run, firing six birdies in nine holes to the 16th. 
 
A lot of Ko&#39;s work was undone, though, when she lost her ball off the tee at the 18th and slipped to a closing double-bogey six. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s tough to finish on that but it&#39;s the best score I&#39;ve had during this tournament,&quot; she said after finishing with a three-under total of 213. 
 
&quot;The best cure for a double-bogey is a toffee, or sugar, any type of sugar; I love my chocolate,&quot; laughed Ko. 
 
(Reuters)

The Golfer loves home cooking and staying outside the Olympic Village will help her maintain the same lifestyle

Lydia Ko says she is "super excited" at the prospect of competing in her first Olympics next month although the women's world number one has decided against living at the Games village in Rio de Janeiro. Golf is returning to the Games for the first time since 1904 but the 19-year-old South Korean-born New Zealander wants to keep things as normal as possible for the 72-hole strokeplay competition in Brazil. "I've been excited about the Olympics since they announced it," Ko told Reuters in an interview after a rousing three-under-par 69 sent her sprinting through the field in the third round of the Ricoh Women's British Open today. "Now that it's around the corner in a couple of weeks my heart is pounding. "I was always going to stay outside of the village. I'd love to stay in the village and get to meet other New Zealand athletes, but no, I've decided to stay out so I can keep similar routines to when I play these kind of events (at Woburn)." Double major winner, Ko, will be living at a hotel with her family, coach and New Zealand golf officials. The teenager loves home cooking and staying outside the Olympic Village will help her to maintain the same sort of lifestyle she has during regular tour events. "I feel like I should try and not change my routines that much," said Ko. "I'm staying with my sisters so I should be in a similar atmosphere off the course. I feel that would be a good way to go. "I don't want to change my routines that much even though it's the Olympics." Ko's agent Michael Yim told Reuters: "She always travels with her family and if she stays in the village she has to stay alone. More Flexibility "Staying at a hotel she has a little more flexibility to go out if she wants to go out. Not that you can't in the village but it's kind of like constrained. "I think she just wanted a bit more comfort. That was always the decision from the get-go ... she'll have support for anything she needs," added Yim. Ko believes the Rio Games will boost knowledge and awareness of women's golf and provide the sport with a huge lift. "Golf is quite an individual game," she said. "Obviously we need a team around us but at the Olympics you are not just representing yourself and your team but your country as well. "I think this could make a big difference in the game of golf especially women's golf." There was certainly a big difference in Ko's game today compared to the opening two rounds at the fourth and penultimate women's major of the season. The teenager went on an inspired run, firing six birdies in nine holes to the 16th. A lot of Ko's work was undone, though, when she lost her ball off the tee at the 18th and slipped to a closing double-bogey six. "It's tough to finish on that but it's the best score I've had during this tournament," she said after finishing with a three-under total of 213. "The best cure for a double-bogey is a toffee, or sugar, any type of sugar; I love my chocolate," laughed Ko. (Reuters)

World number 1 Ko will not stay at Olympic Village

Jimmy Walker shrugged off some recent struggles to shoot a five-under-par 65 and claim the first-round lead in the PGA Championship at a hot, steamy Baltusrol Golf Club on Thursday. 
 
Major winners were close behind.&nbsp;Lurking in striking range was world number one and defending champion Jason Day who, despite not setting foot on the course until Wednesday, patiently plotted his way through the 7,328-yard layout to shoot 68. 
 
British Open champion Henrik Stenson was even closer after a birdie at the par-five 18th for 67. 
 
Despite lively afternoon winds and the wear and tear on the greens for the later starters, twice major winner Martin Kaymer of Germany posted a 66 to join Argentina&#39;s Emiliano Grillo and Englishman Ross Fisher in a tie for second. 
 
Walker, who has missed four cuts in his last eight events including the US Open and British Open, found his form at the year&#39;s last major. 
 
&quot;I just haven&#39;t been scoring, I haven&#39;t been making the 15, 18-footers you need to make to start running up the leaderboard,&quot; said Walker who won three times in 2014 and twice last year, but has just three top-10s from 19 events this season. 
 
The 2014 US Ryder Cup player made good use of his putter on Thursday, making four birdies over his first nine after starting at 10, and gaining two more strokes at the first and seventh to take a one-shot lead. 
 
Fisher birdied the two closing par-fives for a big finish, while Grillo was boosted by back-to-back birdies from the 14th. 
 
Grillo, who won the Frys.com Open to start his season, said he gained confidence from his tie for 12th at this month&#39;s British Open. 
 
&quot;Playing well anywhere in the world, it helps your confidence,&quot; Grillo, 23, told reporters. &quot;Bringing that into this tournament, one of the biggest four on the planet, it&#39;s a big boost.&quot; 
 
Day&#39;s preparation was disrupted by a bug he caught from his children and an emergency trip to the hospital with his wife, who had a bad allergic reaction on Tuesday night.&nbsp;But the Australian showed no ill effects from his quick study of Baltusrol. 
 
&quot;I played good today. Drove it very nicely and hit a lot of good iron shots,&quot; Day said.&nbsp;&quot;To be able to go out there and hit it exactly where I&#39;m going and see the shot and what I need to do and actually execute it was exciting for me. Really positive stuff going into the next three rounds.&quot; 
 
Day&#39;s playing competitors Rory McIlroy and Phil Mickelson did not fare as well.&nbsp;Twice PGA winner McIlroy struggled with his putting and shot a four-over 74 without a single birdie. 
 
Mickelson revived 
 
Phil Mickelson, who won the 2005 PGA Championship at Baltusrol, was also four-over after a bogey on his 11th hole, but revived with three birdies in a five-hole stretch from his 12th to card a 71. 
 
&quot;To come out and hit shots like I hit those first 11 holes was very disappointing,&quot; said the American, who waged a sensational duel with Stenson at Royal Troon, shooting 65 in finishing runner-up at the Open. 
 
&quot;However, I&#39;m proud that I hung in there, fought and got three back coming in. If I go out tomorrow and just play a good round, I think I can shoot mid-60s and get back in it.&quot; 
 
Stenson&#39;s playing competitors, the season&#39;s other major winners had mixed results.&nbsp;Masters champion Danny Willett birdied the last for 71, while US Open winner Dustin Johnson stumbled to four bogeys and a pair of double bogeys in his 77.&nbsp; 
 
(Reuters)

Jimmy Walker has won three times in 2014 and twice last year, but has just three top-10s from 19 events this season

Jimmy Walker shrugged off some recent struggles to shoot a five-under-par 65 and claim the first-round lead in the PGA Championship at a hot, steamy Baltusrol Golf Club on Thursday. Major winners were close behind. Lurking in striking range was world number one and defending champion Jason Day who, despite not setting foot on the course until Wednesday, patiently plotted his way through the 7,328-yard layout to shoot 68. British Open champion Henrik Stenson was even closer after a birdie at the par-five 18th for 67. Despite lively afternoon winds and the wear and tear on the greens for the later starters, twice major winner Martin Kaymer of Germany posted a 66 to join Argentina's Emiliano Grillo and Englishman Ross Fisher in a tie for second. Walker, who has missed four cuts in his last eight events including the US Open and British Open, found his form at the year's last major. "I just haven't been scoring, I haven't been making the 15, 18-footers you need to make to start running up the leaderboard," said Walker who won three times in 2014 and twice last year, but has just three top-10s from 19 events this season. The 2014 US Ryder Cup player made good use of his putter on Thursday, making four birdies over his first nine after starting at 10, and gaining two more strokes at the first and seventh to take a one-shot lead. Fisher birdied the two closing par-fives for a big finish, while Grillo was boosted by back-to-back birdies from the 14th. Grillo, who won the Frys.com Open to start his season, said he gained confidence from his tie for 12th at this month's British Open. "Playing well anywhere in the world, it helps your confidence," Grillo, 23, told reporters. "Bringing that into this tournament, one of the biggest four on the planet, it's a big boost." Day's preparation was disrupted by a bug he caught from his children and an emergency trip to the hospital with his wife, who had a bad allergic reaction on Tuesday night. But the Australian showed no ill effects from his quick study of Baltusrol. "I played good today. Drove it very nicely and hit a lot of good iron shots," Day said. "To be able to go out there and hit it exactly where I'm going and see the shot and what I need to do and actually execute it was exciting for me. Really positive stuff going into the next three rounds." Day's playing competitors Rory McIlroy and Phil Mickelson did not fare as well. Twice PGA winner McIlroy struggled with his putting and shot a four-over 74 without a single birdie. Mickelson revived Phil Mickelson, who won the 2005 PGA Championship at Baltusrol, was also four-over after a bogey on his 11th hole, but revived with three birdies in a five-hole stretch from his 12th to card a 71. "To come out and hit shots like I hit those first 11 holes was very disappointing," said the American, who waged a sensational duel with Stenson at Royal Troon, shooting 65 in finishing runner-up at the Open. "However, I'm proud that I hung in there, fought and got three back coming in. If I go out tomorrow and just play a good round, I think I can shoot mid-60s and get back in it." Stenson's playing competitors, the season's other major winners had mixed results. Masters champion Danny Willett birdied the last for 71, while US Open winner Dustin Johnson stumbled to four bogeys and a pair of double bogeys in his 77. (Reuters)

Walker sets first-round PGA pace with 65, Stenson two back

Severe thunderstorms drenched Baltusrol with heavy rain on Monday, cutting short the first practice session for the 98th PGA Championship and soaking greens that had been fast in afternoon heat. 
 
Sweltering heat greeted players in the early afternoon, but the day ended with standing water puddled across many areas of the course after thunder, lightning and downpours. 
 
PGA of America officials halted play at 4:38 pm (IST) and had spectators seek shelter, several dozen huddling in the massive souvenir tent until a break between storms allowed them a chance to leave. 
 
It was a signal that players could face a lot of extremes in this week&#39;s quest for the Wanamaker Trophy, with forecasts for hot conditions until storms are set to return for the weekend. 
 
World number one Jason Day of Australia will try to defend his first major title, which he won last year at Whistling Straits.&nbsp;&quot;I feel good about my game,&quot; Day said. &quot;I&#39;m hitting a lot of good shots and that has given me confidence. I should be good to go.&quot; 
 
Day was won seven titles in the past year and flirted with major success, sharing 10th at the Masters and eighth at the US Open.&nbsp;His mindset is less about repeating as champion, especially on a different course, than it is about achieving new feats.&nbsp;&quot;I never really look at it as defending,&quot; he said. &quot;I try to win it again. That&#39;s the mentality.&quot; 
 
World number two Dustin Johnson made his major breakthrough last month by winning the US Open at Oakmont.&nbsp;The American also won a WGC event at Firestone and shared ninth at the British Open, enough good finishes to bolster his confidence entering the final major tournament of the year. 
 
&quot;I think the game is in really good shape,&quot; Johnson said. &quot;Do a little practice on the putting in the next few days, but other than that, I`m really confident in the game right now. I feel like everything is going really well.&quot; 
 
Day will play the first two rounds alongside four-time major champion Rory McIlroy, the 2014 PGA Championship winner, and Phil Mickelson, the 46-year-old US left-hander who won the last PGA Championship played at Baltusrol in 2005. 
 
Mickelson battled British Open winner Henrik Stenson into the final holes before settling for second to the Swede at Royal Troon two weeks ago. 
 
Johnson will play on Thursday and Friday alongside Stenson and Masters champion Danny Willett of England in the annual threesome of the season&#39;s prior major winners. 
 
Each won his first major this year and none of them wants to see another first-timer take the trophy this week. 
 
(AFP)

World number one Jason Day of Australia will try to defend his first major title, which he won last year at Whistling Straits

Severe thunderstorms drenched Baltusrol with heavy rain on Monday, cutting short the first practice session for the 98th PGA Championship and soaking greens that had been fast in afternoon heat. Sweltering heat greeted players in the early afternoon, but the day ended with standing water puddled across many areas of the course after thunder, lightning and downpours. PGA of America officials halted play at 4:38 pm (IST) and had spectators seek shelter, several dozen huddling in the massive souvenir tent until a break between storms allowed them a chance to leave. It was a signal that players could face a lot of extremes in this week's quest for the Wanamaker Trophy, with forecasts for hot conditions until storms are set to return for the weekend. World number one Jason Day of Australia will try to defend his first major title, which he won last year at Whistling Straits. "I feel good about my game," Day said. "I'm hitting a lot of good shots and that has given me confidence. I should be good to go." Day was won seven titles in the past year and flirted with major success, sharing 10th at the Masters and eighth at the US Open. His mindset is less about repeating as champion, especially on a different course, than it is about achieving new feats. "I never really look at it as defending," he said. "I try to win it again. That's the mentality." World number two Dustin Johnson made his major breakthrough last month by winning the US Open at Oakmont. The American also won a WGC event at Firestone and shared ninth at the British Open, enough good finishes to bolster his confidence entering the final major tournament of the year. "I think the game is in really good shape," Johnson said. "Do a little practice on the putting in the next few days, but other than that, I`m really confident in the game right now. I feel like everything is going really well." Day will play the first two rounds alongside four-time major champion Rory McIlroy, the 2014 PGA Championship winner, and Phil Mickelson, the 46-year-old US left-hander who won the last PGA Championship played at Baltusrol in 2005. Mickelson battled British Open winner Henrik Stenson into the final holes before settling for second to the Swede at Royal Troon two weeks ago. Johnson will play on Thursday and Friday alongside Stenson and Masters champion Danny Willett of England in the annual threesome of the season's prior major winners. Each won his first major this year and none of them wants to see another first-timer take the trophy this week. (AFP)

Defending champion Day confident at storm-soaked PGA

Golf&#39;s return to the Olympics after 112 years may not be as triumphant as many in the sport hoped. 
 
The top four players in the men&#39;s game - Jason Day, Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy - have controversially opted to skip the competition. 
 
Three of them cited fears of Zika, the mosquito-borne virus spreading rapidly in the Americas, while Spieth blamed more general health concerns. 
 
Some critics, including the great Gary Player who is South Africa&#39;s Olympic captain, have suggested the absence of the top four and several others may have more to do with the lack of prize money in the Games event. 
 
The no-shows represent another blow to the business of golf that has suffered since the global economic downturn and from the nosedive in form and injury struggles of 14-times major winner Tiger Woods. 
 
The sport is struggling to grow as youngsters gravitate towards other pastimes such as soccer, with sales of golf apparel and equipment having fallen for several years. 
 
The US &#39;golf economy&#39; declined 9.4 per cent from $75.6 billion to $68.8 billion from 2005 to 2011, according to a report prepared by research institute SRI International. 
 
Flagging sales have led companies such as Adidas AG to scale back golf investments. 
 
Adidas said in May it would jettison its golf equipment brands including TaylorMade, Adams and Ashworth. The company toiled in its bid to sell these brands, Reuters has previously reported. 
 
A global event like the Olympics might have been expected to give the industry a much-needed boost. 
 
Many in the sport have fought tooth and nail for decades to mobilise a worldwide effort to get golf back into the Games, Player said in April. 
 
&quot;Players today make so much (money) and should be giving back,&quot; he added. 
 
Many of the top golfers who dropped out are in contention to win the FedExCup Series that pays out $10 million to the season-long champion of the US PGA Tour. 
 
A US champion in Rio, by contrast, can expect to receive $25,000 from the national Olympic committee. Other national organisations are offering similar token bonuses. 
 
International attention 
 
The absence of top golfers could, however, present an opening for lesser-known players to capture international attention for themselves, their countries and sponsors. 
 
&quot;Emerging markets for golf, such as China, southeast Asia, central Europe and South America, have just begun to realise their potential,&quot; said Tom Stine, a partner at market research firm Golf Datatech. 
 
If nothing else the sport will now have a bigger presence in the Olympic host country of Brazil, said Andrea Sartori, global head of sport for the professional service company KPMG. 
 
The nation has 123 golf courses, less than half of the 319 layouts in Argentina, a much smaller country, according to a 2015 report by the the R&amp;A, organisers of the British Open. 
 
The US, by comparision, has 15,373 courses. 
 
The Olympic golf course, built from scratch in the Barra da Tijuca district, will become a public facility following the Olympics. 
 
Golf Datatech estimates the global equipment market generated $8.7 billion in sales in 2014, with more than 70 per cent coming from the US, Japan and South Korea. 
 
About 2.3 per cent of sales come from China while less than one per cent of the market comes from South America (excluding Argentina) and countries such as Thailand and Singapore, itsreport found. 
 
Steve Mona, chief executive of the World Golf Foundation, one of the groups that lobbied to get the sport back into the Olympics, said the Games could help companies expand their international reach. 
 
Golf is guaranteed to be in the Olympics for at least one more Summer Games in Tokyo in 2020. 
 
&quot;That&#39;s why we are so vested in this,&quot; Mona said. &quot;Not only from the standpoint of people participating in the game but also becoming consumers in the game.&quot; 
 
Callaway Golf&#39;s senior vice president of marketing and brand management Harry Arnett said the Olympics will give the industry a boost despite the big-name no-shows &quot;particularly in less golf-mature markets&quot;. 
 
Paul Swinand, analyst for the investment research and management firm Morningstar who covers stocks such as Adidas and Nike, expects the worldwide Olympic television audience to attract fresh viewers to the sport. 
 
&quot;Golf in the Olympics will be able to draw in new people who wouldn&#39;t necessarily tune into the US Masters,&quot; Swinand said.

The absence of top golfers could help lesser-known players to capture international attention for themselves, their countries and sponsors

Golf's return to the Olympics after 112 years may not be as triumphant as many in the sport hoped. The top four players in the men's game - Jason Day, Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy - have controversially opted to skip the competition. Three of them cited fears of Zika, the mosquito-borne virus spreading rapidly in the Americas, while Spieth blamed more general health concerns. Some critics, including the great Gary Player who is South Africa's Olympic captain, have suggested the absence of the top four and several others may have more to do with the lack of prize money in the Games event. The no-shows represent another blow to the business of golf that has suffered since the global economic downturn and from the nosedive in form and injury struggles of 14-times major winner Tiger Woods. The sport is struggling to grow as youngsters gravitate towards other pastimes such as soccer, with sales of golf apparel and equipment having fallen for several years. The US 'golf economy' declined 9.4 per cent from $75.6 billion to $68.8 billion from 2005 to 2011, according to a report prepared by research institute SRI International. Flagging sales have led companies such as Adidas AG to scale back golf investments. Adidas said in May it would jettison its golf equipment brands including TaylorMade, Adams and Ashworth. The company toiled in its bid to sell these brands, Reuters has previously reported. A global event like the Olympics might have been expected to give the industry a much-needed boost. Many in the sport have fought tooth and nail for decades to mobilise a worldwide effort to get golf back into the Games, Player said in April. "Players today make so much (money) and should be giving back," he added. Many of the top golfers who dropped out are in contention to win the FedExCup Series that pays out $10 million to the season-long champion of the US PGA Tour. A US champion in Rio, by contrast, can expect to receive $25,000 from the national Olympic committee. Other national organisations are offering similar token bonuses. International attention The absence of top golfers could, however, present an opening for lesser-known players to capture international attention for themselves, their countries and sponsors. "Emerging markets for golf, such as China, southeast Asia, central Europe and South America, have just begun to realise their potential," said Tom Stine, a partner at market research firm Golf Datatech. If nothing else the sport will now have a bigger presence in the Olympic host country of Brazil, said Andrea Sartori, global head of sport for the professional service company KPMG. The nation has 123 golf courses, less than half of the 319 layouts in Argentina, a much smaller country, according to a 2015 report by the the R&A, organisers of the British Open. The US, by comparision, has 15,373 courses. The Olympic golf course, built from scratch in the Barra da Tijuca district, will become a public facility following the Olympics. Golf Datatech estimates the global equipment market generated $8.7 billion in sales in 2014, with more than 70 per cent coming from the US, Japan and South Korea. About 2.3 per cent of sales come from China while less than one per cent of the market comes from South America (excluding Argentina) and countries such as Thailand and Singapore, itsreport found. Steve Mona, chief executive of the World Golf Foundation, one of the groups that lobbied to get the sport back into the Olympics, said the Games could help companies expand their international reach. Golf is guaranteed to be in the Olympics for at least one more Summer Games in Tokyo in 2020. "That's why we are so vested in this," Mona said. "Not only from the standpoint of people participating in the game but also becoming consumers in the game." Callaway Golf's senior vice president of marketing and brand management Harry Arnett said the Olympics will give the industry a boost despite the big-name no-shows "particularly in less golf-mature markets". Paul Swinand, analyst for the investment research and management firm Morningstar who covers stocks such as Adidas and Nike, expects the worldwide Olympic television audience to attract fresh viewers to the sport. "Golf in the Olympics will be able to draw in new people who wouldn't necessarily tune into the US Masters," Swinand said.

Facing Rio Olympics no-shows, golf looks to emerging market growth

Venezuela&#39;s Jhonattan Vegas started fast and finished strong on Sunday to seize a one-shot victory in the US PGA Tour&#39;s Canadian Open at Glen Abbey Golf Club near Toronto on Sunday. 
 
Vegas&#39;s eight-under par 64 included plenty of fireworks, starting with five straight birdies from the second through the sixth holes. 
He capped his round with a burst of three straight birdies, carding nine overall with one bogey for a 12-under par total of 276. 
 
&quot;I knew I had to get off to a fast start,&quot; said Vegas, who was five off the pace when play began. &quot;I know that I was in striking distance, but I had to get myself close to the lead early so the guys kind of know I was there.&nbsp;So I just kept pushing and kept firing at pins and kept really going right after it. I got a really good momentum, and obviously I was able to close it out with some birdies.&quot; 
 
Dustin Johnson, a co-leader after each of the first two rounds who was tied for second heading into Sunday, shot a final-round 69 and finished in a three-way tie for second on 277. 
 
He was joined by Spain&#39;s Jon Rahm, who closed with a bogey-free 67 that included a birdie on the final hole, and Scotland&#39;s Martin Laird, who also signed for a 67. 
 
Overnight leader Brandt Snedeker fired a one-under 71 that left him in a group on 278 alongside fellow Americans Ricky Barnes (68) and Steve Wheatcroft (69) and Germany&#39;s Alex Cejka (69). 
 
Australia&#39;s Geoff Ogilvy tied for the best round of the tournament, a 63, to surge from 44th place to a tie for ninth on 279. The group also included Canadian amateur Jared du Toit, who carded a 71.&nbsp;World number one and defending champion Jason Day of Australia closed with a 67 to finish tied for 14th on 281. 
 
Vegas, 29, earned his second PGA Tour win more than five years after capturing his first at the 2011 Bob Hope Classic.&nbsp;Sunday&#39;s victory gives him a two-year Tour exemption as well as berths in the PGA Championship next week at Baltusrol Golf Club in New Jersey and in next year&#39;s Masters at Augusta National. 
 
(AFP)

Jhonattan Vegas earned his second PGA Tour win more than five years after capturing his first at the 2011 Bob Hope Classic

Venezuela's Jhonattan Vegas started fast and finished strong on Sunday to seize a one-shot victory in the US PGA Tour's Canadian Open at Glen Abbey Golf Club near Toronto on Sunday. Vegas's eight-under par 64 included plenty of fireworks, starting with five straight birdies from the second through the sixth holes. He capped his round with a burst of three straight birdies, carding nine overall with one bogey for a 12-under par total of 276. "I knew I had to get off to a fast start," said Vegas, who was five off the pace when play began. "I know that I was in striking distance, but I had to get myself close to the lead early so the guys kind of know I was there. So I just kept pushing and kept firing at pins and kept really going right after it. I got a really good momentum, and obviously I was able to close it out with some birdies." Dustin Johnson, a co-leader after each of the first two rounds who was tied for second heading into Sunday, shot a final-round 69 and finished in a three-way tie for second on 277. He was joined by Spain's Jon Rahm, who closed with a bogey-free 67 that included a birdie on the final hole, and Scotland's Martin Laird, who also signed for a 67. Overnight leader Brandt Snedeker fired a one-under 71 that left him in a group on 278 alongside fellow Americans Ricky Barnes (68) and Steve Wheatcroft (69) and Germany's Alex Cejka (69). Australia's Geoff Ogilvy tied for the best round of the tournament, a 63, to surge from 44th place to a tie for ninth on 279. The group also included Canadian amateur Jared du Toit, who carded a 71. World number one and defending champion Jason Day of Australia closed with a 67 to finish tied for 14th on 281. Vegas, 29, earned his second PGA Tour win more than five years after capturing his first at the 2011 Bob Hope Classic. Sunday's victory gives him a two-year Tour exemption as well as berths in the PGA Championship next week at Baltusrol Golf Club in New Jersey and in next year's Masters at Augusta National. (AFP)

Vegas powers to Canadian Open victory

World number two Dustin Johnson eagled the final hole to earn a share of the lead with fellow American Luke List after the first round at the RBC Canadian Open on Thursday. 
 
Johnson sank a 12-foot putt at the par-five 18th to cap a roller-coaster afternoon round that also included seven birdies, a bogey and double-bogey at sun-baked Glen Abbey Golf Club outside Toronto.&nbsp;Defending champion Jason Day was also rewarded for his aggressive approach with a 69.&nbsp;Day used his driver liberally and collected four birdies, along with a chip-in eagle. 
 
Leaders Johnson and List headed fellow Americans Kelly Kraft and Chesson Hadley, Spain&#39;s Jon Rahm and Canadian amateur Jared du Toit by one shot.&nbsp;List, ranked 309th in the world, compiled his six birdies with a minimum of fuss, picking up a stroke at each of the four par-five holes.&nbsp; 
 
Du Toit, meanwhile, found himself in lofty company after a round that included an unlikely eagle from 154 yards from a fairway bunker at the par-four 17th.&nbsp;The 21-year-old from British Columbia is currently a college golfer at Arizona State, and would be the first Canadian to win his national open since 1954. 
 
(Reuters)

Defending champion Jason Day was also rewarded for his aggressive approach with a 69

World number two Dustin Johnson eagled the final hole to earn a share of the lead with fellow American Luke List after the first round at the RBC Canadian Open on Thursday. Johnson sank a 12-foot putt at the par-five 18th to cap a roller-coaster afternoon round that also included seven birdies, a bogey and double-bogey at sun-baked Glen Abbey Golf Club outside Toronto. Defending champion Jason Day was also rewarded for his aggressive approach with a 69. Day used his driver liberally and collected four birdies, along with a chip-in eagle. Leaders Johnson and List headed fellow Americans Kelly Kraft and Chesson Hadley, Spain's Jon Rahm and Canadian amateur Jared du Toit by one shot. List, ranked 309th in the world, compiled his six birdies with a minimum of fuss, picking up a stroke at each of the four par-five holes. Du Toit, meanwhile, found himself in lofty company after a round that included an unlikely eagle from 154 yards from a fairway bunker at the par-four 17th. The 21-year-old from British Columbia is currently a college golfer at Arizona State, and would be the first Canadian to win his national open since 1954. (Reuters)

Dustin Johnson fires opening round 66 to share lead in Canadian Open

Thailand&#39;s Thongchai Jaidee opened his British Open campaign with an even-par round of 71 and believes his putter must improve drastically if he is to climb up the leaderboard at Royal Troon. 
 
The 46-year-old, who became the oldest winner in European Tour&#39;s French Open this month, made two birdies on Wednesday, but a double bogey on the 15th hole left him with much ground to cover, as he trails leader Phil Mickelson by eight shots. 
 
The three-time Asian Tour Order of Merit winner said he needs to read the greens better to challenge the leaders. 
 
&quot;I missed a couple of chances on the second and third holes, hit good putts and didn&#39;t find the hole,&quot; Jaidee said in an Asian Tour statement. 
 
&quot;The greens are a bit tricky and you need to read the lines well. It&#39;s a putting challenge this week.&quot; 
 
&quot;You can attack the par fives on the front nine which are reachable and if you can score on those, it helps. Then you have to be careful on the back nine.&quot; 
 
Jaidee was happy with his overall game. 
 
&quot;I played well except that I didn&#39;t get many birdies,&quot; Jaidee said. &quot;Even par is a good start but I expect tomorrow (Friday) to be harder. 
 
&quot;I tried to make it confident, trying to hit fairways and greens but the winds were switching direction. 
 
&quot;Just two bad tee shots. I think it&#39;s still a good start.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

The 46-year-old became the oldest winner in European Tour's French Open this month

Thailand's Thongchai Jaidee opened his British Open campaign with an even-par round of 71 and believes his putter must improve drastically if he is to climb up the leaderboard at Royal Troon. The 46-year-old, who became the oldest winner in European Tour's French Open this month, made two birdies on Wednesday, but a double bogey on the 15th hole left him with much ground to cover, as he trails leader Phil Mickelson by eight shots. The three-time Asian Tour Order of Merit winner said he needs to read the greens better to challenge the leaders. "I missed a couple of chances on the second and third holes, hit good putts and didn't find the hole," Jaidee said in an Asian Tour statement. "The greens are a bit tricky and you need to read the lines well. It's a putting challenge this week." "You can attack the par fives on the front nine which are reachable and if you can score on those, it helps. Then you have to be careful on the back nine." Jaidee was happy with his overall game. "I played well except that I didn't get many birdies," Jaidee said. "Even par is a good start but I expect tomorrow (Friday) to be harder. "I tried to make it confident, trying to hit fairways and greens but the winds were switching direction. "Just two bad tee shots. I think it's still a good start." (Reuters)

Thailand's Thongchai eyes improved putting at British Open

Treacherous and unfamiliar challenges lie in wait as the British Open returns to Royal Troon this week, and Rory McIlroy returns to the hunt for the Claret Jug. 
 
McIlroy, who leads a host of the sport&#39;s biggest names to have withdrawn in controversial circumstances from next month&#39;s Rio Olympics, is bidding to win his fifth major and second Open after his victory at Hoylake in 2014.&nbsp; 
 
Twelve months ago McIlroy was missing from the field in St Andrews after suffering an ankle injury while playing football, but he will tee off on Thursday morning in the same group as Bubba Watson and Japan&#39;s Hideki Matsuyama. 
 
&quot;I&#39;m excited to be back and to a golf course that I&#39;ve never played before,&quot; the Northern Irishman, number four in the world, told reporters on Tuesday.&nbsp;&quot;I don&#39;t really have any experience here at Troon, so it was good to get a couple of good looks at it last week, and then I just played another 18 holes this morning.&quot;&nbsp; 
 
Troon is where Tiger Woods first played in the Open as a professional in 1997. The ailing 14-time major winner is not in this year&#39;s field and instead the focus is on the current &#39;Big Four&#39; of McIlroy, Jordan Spieth, Jason Day and recent US Open winner Dustin Johnson.&nbsp; 
 
They have all withdrawn from the Rio Games amid much-publicised fears about the Zika virus, with Spieth pulling out at the last minute on Monday. 
 
The 22-year-old Texan will be relieved to be able to focus on the Open now after being hit with a barrage of questions about the Olympics on Tuesday.&nbsp;He is targeting the Claret Jug and a third major title having won the Masters and US Open last year.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;This is a very, very special tournament; everybody knows that.&nbsp;I crave to have that trophy in my possession at some point, and to reach a third leg of the Grand Slam this week would be a fantastic achievement and a life-long goal of mine,&quot; said Spieth, who is not in the best of form but has history on his, or at least his country&#39;s, side. 
 
The Open has been played at Troon eight times, with the last six winners all American, most recently Todd Hamilton in 2004. In 1997 the winner was Justin Leonard, a Texan just like Spieth. 
 
&quot;I don&#39;t think it impacts you, but I think it&#39;s very cool to walk through the clubhouse halls to see that,&quot; said Spieth of Troon`s history. 
 
Dustin Johnson may be the favourite and Day the world number one, but all of the sport&#39;s leading players must beware the potential pitfalls in store.&nbsp;Troon is home to one of golf&#39;s most iconic and deeply unpredictable holes, the 123-yard par-three eighth known as the Postage Stamp.&nbsp;Here is where German amateur Herman Tissies took 15 in 1950 but also where a 71-year-old Gene Sarazen had a hole-in-one in 1973. 
 
&quot;I think I took an eight or a nine, so that didn&#39;t go too well,&quot; McIlroy said of his efforts in practice.&nbsp;&quot;If you make four threes there this week, you&#39;re probably going to gain a bit of ground on the field.&quot; 
 
Then there is the 11th, a 482-yard par-four with the Glasgow to Ayr railway line immediately over a four-foot high stone wall to the right side. Jack Nicklaus took 10 here in 1962. 
 
&quot;They&#39;re both incredibly difficult, yeah,&quot; acknowledged England&#39;s Justin Rose of the two holes. 
 
With this being the first Open at Troon since 2004, the younger stars of modern golf are unfamiliar with the course, but one man who knows it all too well is Colin Montgomerie.&nbsp;This is the veteran Scot&#39;s home-town Open, and his 86-year-old father will become club president next week. 
&nbsp; 
Montgomerie came through qualifying and will hit the championship&#39;s first tee shot at 6:35 am local time (0535 GMT) on Thursday as he goes out with Luke Donald and Australia&#39;s Marc Leishman. 
&nbsp; 
The latter was involved in a three-way play-off in St Andrews last year that was won by the American Zach Johnson. It was played out in gloomy conditions on the Monday after wind and rain delayed the finish. 
 
The hope is for calmer weather this year, although Friday is expected to be particularly wet and the wind coming in from the Firth of Clyde is bound to make life difficult. 
 
&quot;If you get it breezy, like in any Open venue, this place really shows its teeth. I think it&#39;s a fantastic Open venue and a fantastic test of golf,&quot; acknowledged the current Masters champion Danny Willett. 
 
(AFP)

Rory McIlroy is targeting the Claret Jug and a third major title, having won the Masters and US Open last year

Treacherous and unfamiliar challenges lie in wait as the British Open returns to Royal Troon this week, and Rory McIlroy returns to the hunt for the Claret Jug. McIlroy, who leads a host of the sport's biggest names to have withdrawn in controversial circumstances from next month's Rio Olympics, is bidding to win his fifth major and second Open after his victory at Hoylake in 2014. Twelve months ago McIlroy was missing from the field in St Andrews after suffering an ankle injury while playing football, but he will tee off on Thursday morning in the same group as Bubba Watson and Japan's Hideki Matsuyama. "I'm excited to be back and to a golf course that I've never played before," the Northern Irishman, number four in the world, told reporters on Tuesday. "I don't really have any experience here at Troon, so it was good to get a couple of good looks at it last week, and then I just played another 18 holes this morning." Troon is where Tiger Woods first played in the Open as a professional in 1997. The ailing 14-time major winner is not in this year's field and instead the focus is on the current 'Big Four' of McIlroy, Jordan Spieth, Jason Day and recent US Open winner Dustin Johnson. They have all withdrawn from the Rio Games amid much-publicised fears about the Zika virus, with Spieth pulling out at the last minute on Monday. The 22-year-old Texan will be relieved to be able to focus on the Open now after being hit with a barrage of questions about the Olympics on Tuesday. He is targeting the Claret Jug and a third major title having won the Masters and US Open last year. "This is a very, very special tournament; everybody knows that. I crave to have that trophy in my possession at some point, and to reach a third leg of the Grand Slam this week would be a fantastic achievement and a life-long goal of mine," said Spieth, who is not in the best of form but has history on his, or at least his country's, side. The Open has been played at Troon eight times, with the last six winners all American, most recently Todd Hamilton in 2004. In 1997 the winner was Justin Leonard, a Texan just like Spieth. "I don't think it impacts you, but I think it's very cool to walk through the clubhouse halls to see that," said Spieth of Troon`s history. Dustin Johnson may be the favourite and Day the world number one, but all of the sport's leading players must beware the potential pitfalls in store. Troon is home to one of golf's most iconic and deeply unpredictable holes, the 123-yard par-three eighth known as the Postage Stamp. Here is where German amateur Herman Tissies took 15 in 1950 but also where a 71-year-old Gene Sarazen had a hole-in-one in 1973. "I think I took an eight or a nine, so that didn't go too well," McIlroy said of his efforts in practice. "If you make four threes there this week, you're probably going to gain a bit of ground on the field." Then there is the 11th, a 482-yard par-four with the Glasgow to Ayr railway line immediately over a four-foot high stone wall to the right side. Jack Nicklaus took 10 here in 1962. "They're both incredibly difficult, yeah," acknowledged England's Justin Rose of the two holes. With this being the first Open at Troon since 2004, the younger stars of modern golf are unfamiliar with the course, but one man who knows it all too well is Colin Montgomerie. This is the veteran Scot's home-town Open, and his 86-year-old father will become club president next week. Montgomerie came through qualifying and will hit the championship's first tee shot at 6:35 am local time (0535 GMT) on Thursday as he goes out with Luke Donald and Australia's Marc Leishman. The latter was involved in a three-way play-off in St Andrews last year that was won by the American Zach Johnson. It was played out in gloomy conditions on the Monday after wind and rain delayed the finish. The hope is for calmer weather this year, although Friday is expected to be particularly wet and the wind coming in from the Firth of Clyde is bound to make life difficult. "If you get it breezy, like in any Open venue, this place really shows its teeth. I think it's a fantastic Open venue and a fantastic test of golf," acknowledged the current Masters champion Danny Willett. (AFP)

Mcllroy of the 'Big Four' braces for Troon test in British Open

American golfer Brittany Lang won her first major title in dramatic fashion at the US&nbsp;Women&#39;s Open on Sunday after her playoff opponent, Anna Nordqvist, was assessed a two-stroke penalty for grounding a club in a bunker.

Following a video review by United States Golf Association officials, Swede Nordqvist was penalised for her actions in a fairway bunker on the second extra hole, the par-four 17th, where her five-iron lightly grazed the sand on her takeaway.

According to rule 13-4b, a penalty is invoked if a club touches the sand in a bunker before the downswing, no matter how light the contact.

Nordqvist was informed about the penalty only after she had hit her third shot on the third extra hole, the par-five 18th, leaving the title up for grabs for Lang after both players had parred the first two holes.

Lang, whose only previous LPGA victory came at the 2012 Manulife Financial Classic, ended up winning the three-hole aggregate playoff after making three consecutive pars. Nordqvist finished at three-over after bogeying the 18th.

&quot;It was definitely a shame for Anna for it to come down to something like that,&quot; Lang, 30, said after being presented with the gleaming silver Open trophy. &quot;You never want it to be because of a penalty but to be because of better play.

&quot;I am ecstatic, I feel for her but definitely it (the penalty) took a little bit of pressure off me. I can&#39;t believe it. It means absolutely everything. This is what you dream of. It&#39;s amazing.&quot;

Lang&#39;s win ended a run of four victories by South Korean players at the US Women&#39;s Open over the past five years.

The duo finished regulation on six-under-par 282, Nordqvist firing a 67 while Lang closed with a four-birdie 71 at CordeValle Golf Club in the third of the year&#39;s five major championships.

Nordqvist, who won her first major title at the 2009 LPGA Championship, played superb bogey-free golf during the final round and sank an eight-foot eagle putt at the par-five 15th on her way to the early clubhouse lead.

The two-stroke penalty during the playoff came as a bitter blow.

&quot;I didn&#39;t do it on purpose,&quot; said the 29-year-old Swede. &quot;What can I say? I touched the sand so ... a penalty.

&quot;I&#39;ve played really good today but it&#39;s just hard to lose that way. I hit 17 greens today and missed one by two feet. I shot five under on a Sunday to give myself a chance so I am proud of myself.&quot;

New Zealander Lydia Ko, at 19 aiming to become the youngest golfer to win three major titles, had been two strokes clear with 12 holes to play but her round unravelled with a damaging double-bogey at the ninth.

The world number one carded a 75 to tie for third, two shots out of the playoff.

(Reuters) 
 
&nbsp;

Lang's win ended a run of four victories by South Korean players at the US Women's Open over the past five years

American golfer Brittany Lang won her first major title in dramatic fashion at the US Women's Open on Sunday after her playoff opponent, Anna Nordqvist, was assessed a two-stroke penalty for grounding a club in a bunker. Following a video review by United States Golf Association officials, Swede Nordqvist was penalised for her actions in a fairway bunker on the second extra hole, the par-four 17th, where her five-iron lightly grazed the sand on her takeaway. According to rule 13-4b, a penalty is invoked if a club touches the sand in a bunker before the downswing, no matter how light the contact. Nordqvist was informed about the penalty only after she had hit her third shot on the third extra hole, the par-five 18th, leaving the title up for grabs for Lang after both players had parred the first two holes. Lang, whose only previous LPGA victory came at the 2012 Manulife Financial Classic, ended up winning the three-hole aggregate playoff after making three consecutive pars. Nordqvist finished at three-over after bogeying the 18th. "It was definitely a shame for Anna for it to come down to something like that," Lang, 30, said after being presented with the gleaming silver Open trophy. "You never want it to be because of a penalty but to be because of better play. "I am ecstatic, I feel for her but definitely it (the penalty) took a little bit of pressure off me. I can't believe it. It means absolutely everything. This is what you dream of. It's amazing." Lang's win ended a run of four victories by South Korean players at the US Women's Open over the past five years. The duo finished regulation on six-under-par 282, Nordqvist firing a 67 while Lang closed with a four-birdie 71 at CordeValle Golf Club in the third of the year's five major championships. Nordqvist, who won her first major title at the 2009 LPGA Championship, played superb bogey-free golf during the final round and sank an eight-foot eagle putt at the par-five 15th on her way to the early clubhouse lead. The two-stroke penalty during the playoff came as a bitter blow. "I didn't do it on purpose," said the 29-year-old Swede. "What can I say? I touched the sand so ... a penalty. "I've played really good today but it's just hard to lose that way. I hit 17 greens today and missed one by two feet. I shot five under on a Sunday to give myself a chance so I am proud of myself." New Zealander Lydia Ko, at 19 aiming to become the youngest golfer to win three major titles, had been two strokes clear with 12 holes to play but her round unravelled with a damaging double-bogey at the ninth. The world number one carded a 75 to tie for third, two shots out of the playoff. (Reuters)

American golfer Lang wins US Women's Open in dramatic playoff

New Zealand golfer Lydia Ko moved a step closer to a third major championship victory, earning a one-shot lead after the third round of the US Women&#39;s Open on Saturday in San Martin, California. 
 
The relentless Ko broke clear of a congested leaderboard when she struck a superb wedge to 12 feet at the par-five last and coolly sank the birdie putt to card a two-under 70 on a blustery day at CordeValle Golf Club. 
 
That left the 19-year-old at seven-under 209, a stroke in front of South Koreans Park Sung-hyun (74) and 2009 champion Ji Eun-hee (70). 
 
&quot;The biggest difference today was the wind,&quot; said world number one Ko, who won her first major title at last year&#39;s Evian Championship before adding a second at the ANA Inspiration in April. 
 
&quot;I knew it would play a lot tougher than yesterday because the majority of my round yesterday was played in calm weather. 
 
&quot;It was really tough out there because the course is drying up, firming up, and it was tough to get near the pins on some holes.&quot; 
 
Park, the second-round leader, had been two ahead with 10 holes to play but double-bogeyed the ninth and failed to make up ground after the turn on a challenging course running firm and fast in bright sunshine. 
 
American Brittany Lang, who tied for second at the 2005 U.S. Women&#39;s Open, carded the best round of the day, a 68 lifting her into a tie for fourth at five-under with Korean Amy Yang (73). 
 
&quot;I made some good par saves early and then just played solid golf,&quot; said Lang, 30, whose only LPGA win came at the 2012 Manulife Financial Classic. &quot;Made a bomb on six to get going. 
 
&quot;The back nine played tough but I played steady, made a lot of good par saves and took advantage of the easy holes.&quot; 
 
All eyes, however, will be firmly focused on Ko in Sunday&#39;s final round as she bids to another prestigious trophy to her resume, having posted two wins and a playoff loss in her last three major starts. 
 
&quot;Experience is huge,&quot; said Ko, who was beaten by Canadian Brooke Henderson on the first extra hole of last month&#39;s KPMG Women&#39;s PGA Championship outside Seattle. 
 
&quot;Winning the Evian Championship gave me a lot of confidence to say, &#39;Hey, I can play well at these majors and&nbsp;winning the ANA at a course where I hadn&#39;t really played well before gave me another boost of confidence. Every time I play a major, I am always learning from that.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

The 19-year-old has posted two wins and a playoff loss in her last three major starts

New Zealand golfer Lydia Ko moved a step closer to a third major championship victory, earning a one-shot lead after the third round of the US Women's Open on Saturday in San Martin, California. The relentless Ko broke clear of a congested leaderboard when she struck a superb wedge to 12 feet at the par-five last and coolly sank the birdie putt to card a two-under 70 on a blustery day at CordeValle Golf Club. That left the 19-year-old at seven-under 209, a stroke in front of South Koreans Park Sung-hyun (74) and 2009 champion Ji Eun-hee (70). "The biggest difference today was the wind," said world number one Ko, who won her first major title at last year's Evian Championship before adding a second at the ANA Inspiration in April. "I knew it would play a lot tougher than yesterday because the majority of my round yesterday was played in calm weather. "It was really tough out there because the course is drying up, firming up, and it was tough to get near the pins on some holes." Park, the second-round leader, had been two ahead with 10 holes to play but double-bogeyed the ninth and failed to make up ground after the turn on a challenging course running firm and fast in bright sunshine. American Brittany Lang, who tied for second at the 2005 U.S. Women's Open, carded the best round of the day, a 68 lifting her into a tie for fourth at five-under with Korean Amy Yang (73). "I made some good par saves early and then just played solid golf," said Lang, 30, whose only LPGA win came at the 2012 Manulife Financial Classic. "Made a bomb on six to get going. "The back nine played tough but I played steady, made a lot of good par saves and took advantage of the easy holes." All eyes, however, will be firmly focused on Ko in Sunday's final round as she bids to another prestigious trophy to her resume, having posted two wins and a playoff loss in her last three major starts. "Experience is huge," said Ko, who was beaten by Canadian Brooke Henderson on the first extra hole of last month's KPMG Women's PGA Championship outside Seattle. "Winning the Evian Championship gave me a lot of confidence to say, 'Hey, I can play well at these majors and winning the ANA at a course where I hadn't really played well before gave me another boost of confidence. Every time I play a major, I am always learning from that." (Reuters)

Ko leads by one shot at US Women's Open

India&#39;s Anirban Lahiri has targeted a top 10 finish at next week&#39;s British Open at Royal Troon as the reigning Asian Tour number one gears up for a bumper month of golf that ends with the Rio Olympics in August. 
 
Lahiri, who turned 29 last week, finished tied for 31st in his British Open debut in 2012 and will make his fourth appearance at the championship at the Scottish links from July 14-17. 
 
&quot;The Open is truly a special tournament,&quot; Lahiri told the Asian Tour. &quot;I&#39;ve had a couple of decent outings but feel like I missed out both times on a top-10 finish. 
 
&quot;Hopefully Troon suits my eye and I can play consistently throughout the week. A top-10 or better would be my goal this year. 
 
&quot;I like playing links courses,&quot; Lahiri added. &quot;You have to be creative and strategically efficient to play well on them. Also I am comfortable flighting down my ball-flight, which is a must in windy conditions. 
 
Lahiri, whose tied fifth finish at the PGA Championship last year is the best by an Indian golfer, feels consistency has been lacking from his game in his first full season on the PGA Tour. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s been a very slow and sluggish season. I have been inconsistent and have got off to good starts on a few occasions only to have a disappointing weekend. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s frustrating when your &#39;A&#39; game feels right around the corner but does not show up as frequently as you would like. 
 
&quot;In any case the first season on a new tour is always the toughest and I&#39;m satisfied that I am in a good position to keep my playing privileges for next year.&quot; 
 
While a number of top-ranked male golfers have withdrawn from the Rio Games due to Zika fears, Lahiri, ranked 62nd in the world, is excited at the prospect of representing India at the Aug. 5-21 Games, which will see the sport return to the Olympics after a 112-year gap. 
 
&quot;Managing energy levels and conditioning are a big challenge this season,&quot; Lahiri added. &quot;I will look to skip a few events leading up to the big ones if I feel like I need to take a break. 
 
&quot;My coach will be here in America for two weeks to work on all aspects of the game and sharpen it up for the majors and the Olympics. 
 
&quot;Hopefully I can pace myself just right to peak during the majors and Olympics. That&#39;s the goal.&rdquo; 
 
(Reuters)

Lahiri finished tied for 31st in his British Open debut in 2012 and will make his fourth appearance at the championship

India's Anirban Lahiri has targeted a top 10 finish at next week's British Open at Royal Troon as the reigning Asian Tour number one gears up for a bumper month of golf that ends with the Rio Olympics in August. Lahiri, who turned 29 last week, finished tied for 31st in his British Open debut in 2012 and will make his fourth appearance at the championship at the Scottish links from July 14-17. "The Open is truly a special tournament," Lahiri told the Asian Tour. "I've had a couple of decent outings but feel like I missed out both times on a top-10 finish. "Hopefully Troon suits my eye and I can play consistently throughout the week. A top-10 or better would be my goal this year. "I like playing links courses," Lahiri added. "You have to be creative and strategically efficient to play well on them. Also I am comfortable flighting down my ball-flight, which is a must in windy conditions. Lahiri, whose tied fifth finish at the PGA Championship last year is the best by an Indian golfer, feels consistency has been lacking from his game in his first full season on the PGA Tour. "It's been a very slow and sluggish season. I have been inconsistent and have got off to good starts on a few occasions only to have a disappointing weekend. "It's frustrating when your 'A' game feels right around the corner but does not show up as frequently as you would like. "In any case the first season on a new tour is always the toughest and I'm satisfied that I am in a good position to keep my playing privileges for next year." While a number of top-ranked male golfers have withdrawn from the Rio Games due to Zika fears, Lahiri, ranked 62nd in the world, is excited at the prospect of representing India at the Aug. 5-21 Games, which will see the sport return to the Olympics after a 112-year gap. "Managing energy levels and conditioning are a big challenge this season," Lahiri added. "I will look to skip a few events leading up to the big ones if I feel like I need to take a break. "My coach will be here in America for two weeks to work on all aspects of the game and sharpen it up for the majors and the Olympics. "Hopefully I can pace myself just right to peak during the majors and Olympics. That's the goal.” (Reuters)

India's Anirban Lahiri targets British Open top 10

India&#39;s Anirban Lahiri has targeted a top 10 finish at next week&#39;s British Open at Royal Troon as the reigning Asian Tour number one gears up for a bumper month of golf that ends with the Rio Olympics in August. 
 
Lahiri, who turned 29 last week, finished tied for 31st in his British Open debut in 2012 and will make his fourth appearance at the championships at the Scottish links from July 14-17. 
 
&quot;The Open is truly a special tournament,&quot; Lahiri told the Asian Tour. &quot;I&#39;ve had a couple of decent outings but feel like I missed out both times on a top 10 finish. 
 
&quot;Hopefully Troon suits my eye and I can play consistently throughout the week. A top 10 or better would be my goal this year. 
 
&quot;I like playing links courses,&quot; Lahiri added. &quot;You have to be creative and strategically efficient to play well on them. Also I am comfortable flighting down my ball-flight, which is a must in windy conditions. 
 
Lahiri, whose tied fifth finish at the PGA Championship last year, is the best by an Indian golfer, feels consistency has been lacking from his game in his first full season on the PGA Tour. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s been a very slow and sluggish season. I have been inconsistent and have got off to good starts on a few occasions only to have a disappointing weekend. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s frustrating when your &#39;A&#39; game feels right around the corner but does not show up as frequently as you would like. 
 
&quot;In any case the first season on a new tour is always the toughest and I&#39;m satisfied that I am in a good position to keep my playing privileges for next year.&quot; 
 
While a number of top-ranked male golfers have withdrawn from the Rio Games due to Zika fears, Lahiri, ranked 62nd in the world, is excited at the prospect of representing India at the August 5-21 Games, which will see the sport return to the Olympics after a 112-year gap. 
 
&quot;Managing energy levels and conditioning are a big challenge this season,&quot; Lahiri added. &quot;I will look to skip a few events leading up to the big ones if I feel like I need to take a break. 
 
&quot;My coach will be here in America for two weeks to work on all aspects of the game and sharpen it up for the majors and the Olympics. 
 
&quot;Hopefully I can pace myself just right to peak during the majors and Olympics. That&#39;s the goal.&rdquo; 
 
(Reuters)

This will be the Asian Tour number one's fourth appearance at the tournament

India's Anirban Lahiri has targeted a top 10 finish at next week's British Open at Royal Troon as the reigning Asian Tour number one gears up for a bumper month of golf that ends with the Rio Olympics in August. Lahiri, who turned 29 last week, finished tied for 31st in his British Open debut in 2012 and will make his fourth appearance at the championships at the Scottish links from July 14-17. "The Open is truly a special tournament," Lahiri told the Asian Tour. "I've had a couple of decent outings but feel like I missed out both times on a top 10 finish. "Hopefully Troon suits my eye and I can play consistently throughout the week. A top 10 or better would be my goal this year. "I like playing links courses," Lahiri added. "You have to be creative and strategically efficient to play well on them. Also I am comfortable flighting down my ball-flight, which is a must in windy conditions. Lahiri, whose tied fifth finish at the PGA Championship last year, is the best by an Indian golfer, feels consistency has been lacking from his game in his first full season on the PGA Tour. "It's been a very slow and sluggish season. I have been inconsistent and have got off to good starts on a few occasions only to have a disappointing weekend. "It's frustrating when your 'A' game feels right around the corner but does not show up as frequently as you would like. "In any case the first season on a new tour is always the toughest and I'm satisfied that I am in a good position to keep my playing privileges for next year." While a number of top-ranked male golfers have withdrawn from the Rio Games due to Zika fears, Lahiri, ranked 62nd in the world, is excited at the prospect of representing India at the August 5-21 Games, which will see the sport return to the Olympics after a 112-year gap. "Managing energy levels and conditioning are a big challenge this season," Lahiri added. "I will look to skip a few events leading up to the big ones if I feel like I need to take a break. "My coach will be here in America for two weeks to work on all aspects of the game and sharpen it up for the majors and the Olympics. "Hopefully I can pace myself just right to peak during the majors and Olympics. That's the goal.” (Reuters)

India's Anirban Lahiri targets top 10 finish at British Open

Zimbabwe&#39;s Brendon de Jonge added his name to the list of golfers withdrawing from the Olympics today, as Spain&#39;s Sergio Garcia confirmed he will compete in Rio. 
 
While world number one Jason Day of Australia and Northern Ireland`s Rory McIlroy are among the golfers skipping the Rio Games because of concerns over the Zika virus, de Jonge said his was a &quot;truly a business decision&quot;. 
 
&quot;The reason for my decision is not my concern about the Zika virus. It is truly a business decision,&quot; De Jonge said in a statement to GolfChannel.com. &quot;It would have been a great honour to play for my country.&quot; 
 
De Jonge is currently 160th on the FedEx Cup points list and needs to finish in the top 125 at the end of the season to keep full playing rights. Competing in the Rio Games from August 5-21 would mean missing two PGA Tour events. 
 
&quot;I am truly disappointed, but my current position on the FedEx Cup points list does not allow me the luxury to skip the John Deere Classic or the Travelers Championship,&quot; the 35-year-old added. 
 
&quot;I must finish in the top 125 to gain entry into our FedEx Cup play-offs. This has to be a priority for me and my family.&quot; 
 
De Jonge`s withdrawal means that Zimbabwe will not be represented in Rio, but Spain&#39;s Garcia said he will take up his place as golf returns to the Games for the first time since 1904. 
 
Garcia, 36, wrote on Twitter: &quot;I know there r some dangers but representing Spain, trying to make golf grow &amp; becoming an Olympian r too important so I`ll be at @Olympics.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

Spain's Sergio Garcia said he will take up his place as golf returns to the Games for the first time since 1904

Zimbabwe's Brendon de Jonge added his name to the list of golfers withdrawing from the Olympics today, as Spain's Sergio Garcia confirmed he will compete in Rio. While world number one Jason Day of Australia and Northern Ireland`s Rory McIlroy are among the golfers skipping the Rio Games because of concerns over the Zika virus, de Jonge said his was a "truly a business decision". "The reason for my decision is not my concern about the Zika virus. It is truly a business decision," De Jonge said in a statement to GolfChannel.com. "It would have been a great honour to play for my country." De Jonge is currently 160th on the FedEx Cup points list and needs to finish in the top 125 at the end of the season to keep full playing rights. Competing in the Rio Games from August 5-21 would mean missing two PGA Tour events. "I am truly disappointed, but my current position on the FedEx Cup points list does not allow me the luxury to skip the John Deere Classic or the Travelers Championship," the 35-year-old added. "I must finish in the top 125 to gain entry into our FedEx Cup play-offs. This has to be a priority for me and my family." De Jonge`s withdrawal means that Zimbabwe will not be represented in Rio, but Spain's Garcia said he will take up his place as golf returns to the Games for the first time since 1904. Garcia, 36, wrote on Twitter: "I know there r some dangers but representing Spain, trying to make golf grow & becoming an Olympian r too important so I`ll be at @Olympics." (AFP)

Golf: De Jonge out, Garcia confirms for Olympics

Twice major winner Jordan Spieth is still undecided about whether to participate in August&#39;s Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games or opt out because of the Zika virus like several of his fellow professionals. 
 
The American world number two is the highest-ranked golfer left in the field after number one Jason Day withdrew on Tuesday, citing concerns over Zika, a mosquito-borne virus that the World Health Organization says is spreading rapidly in the Americas. 
 
&quot;Right now, I&#39;m uncertain,&quot; Spieth told reporters ahead of the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational. 
 
&quot;I have not received enough information to make an informed decision either way or not so as we gather more information I will be able to make a decision one way or the other. 
 
&quot;When I feel confident, I will make a decision either side.&quot; 
 
Golf is returning to the Olympics for the first time since 1904, but the Games have already been hit by several high-profile withdrawals. 
 
Ireland&#39;s Shane Lowry, the world number 25, also withdrew on Tuesday, saying his decision was based on firm medical advice. 
 
World number four Rory McIlroy pulled out this month, saying the risk of contracting Zika was one he was &quot;unwilling to take&quot;. 
 
Fiji&#39;s Vijay Singh and Charl Schwartzel of South Africa, have also withdrawn because of the virus, along with Australia&#39;s Marc Leishman. 
 
World number eight Adam Scott has confirmed he will not travel to Rio because of his busy schedule. 
 
The Zika virus can cause crippling defects in babies and has been linked to the neurological disorder Guillain-Barre in adults. 
 
(Reuters)

Jordan Spieth, the world number two is the highest-ranked golfer left in the field after number one Jason Day withdrew on Tuesday

Twice major winner Jordan Spieth is still undecided about whether to participate in August's Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games or opt out because of the Zika virus like several of his fellow professionals. The American world number two is the highest-ranked golfer left in the field after number one Jason Day withdrew on Tuesday, citing concerns over Zika, a mosquito-borne virus that the World Health Organization says is spreading rapidly in the Americas. "Right now, I'm uncertain," Spieth told reporters ahead of the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational. "I have not received enough information to make an informed decision either way or not so as we gather more information I will be able to make a decision one way or the other. "When I feel confident, I will make a decision either side." Golf is returning to the Olympics for the first time since 1904, but the Games have already been hit by several high-profile withdrawals. Ireland's Shane Lowry, the world number 25, also withdrew on Tuesday, saying his decision was based on firm medical advice. World number four Rory McIlroy pulled out this month, saying the risk of contracting Zika was one he was "unwilling to take". Fiji's Vijay Singh and Charl Schwartzel of South Africa, have also withdrawn because of the virus, along with Australia's Marc Leishman. World number eight Adam Scott has confirmed he will not travel to Rio because of his busy schedule. The Zika virus can cause crippling defects in babies and has been linked to the neurological disorder Guillain-Barre in adults. (Reuters)

Golfer Spieth unsure about taking part in Rio

Tiger Woods said on Sunday he might not return to competitive golf this year following back surgery nine months ago, but he&#39;s counting on the wait being worthwhile by producing impressive form. 
 
The 14-time major champion updated his recovery status after Sunday&#39;s final round of the US PGA National at Congressional Country Club, which benefits his charity foundation. 
 
&quot;I&#39;m trying to get back as fast as I can,&quot; Woods said. &quot;It&#39;s frustrating not being able to play, especially at my own event. I miss being out here.&quot; 
 
Asked if there was a chance he might not play again this year, Woods said, &quot;I don`t know. I want to play. I don`t know if I will. But I am trying to... I&#39;m working my tail off.&quot; 
 
The British Open is only three weeks away and the year`s final major, the PGA Championship, is less than five weeks away. 
Woods never mentions a specific event when asked about a comeback timetable and he has admitted downplaying his status in comments about past injuries. 
 
But he talks time and again about having learned from past attempts to return too quickly from injury and setbacks he has suffered as a result.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;I would like to say next week. But I can&#39;t,&quot; Woods said. &quot;It&#39;s not fun. It&#39;s a tough road. I know I&#39;m getting better. I&#39;m progressing, but still I&#39;m just not quite ready to be out here. 
 
&quot;I can play with these guys. I know I still can. I just need to get healthy enough where I can do it on a regular basis.&quot; 
 
That, Woods said, requires getting into golf shape. That means even though he is playing 18 holes now on consecutive days, he must be able to handle all the stresses of tournament play over 72 holes. 
 
&quot;I still need to be golf fit, hit ball after ball to have my golf muscles back,&quot; Woods said. 
 
&quot;I am playing, just I need more time, I still need to get to get stronger, need to recover faster. Unfortunately it will take time. 
 
&quot;I&#39;m older. It takes longer to recover. I want to do it right so I don&#39;t have another surgery.&quot; 
 
South Africa&#39;s Ernie Els, a four-time major winner who played in Sunday&#39;s final group, made it clear he wants to see Woods return. 
 
&quot;When Ernie walked off, he made a beeline over to me and gave me a big hug and said, &#39;Get back out here,&#39; &quot; Woods said. &quot;That&#39;s awfully special because we&#39;ve been going at it for such a long time.&quot; 
 
Woods, 40, was able to show his children Els and try to explain how they have been rivals for nearly two decades. 
 
&quot;I was trying to explain to Sam and Charlie -- &#39;See that big guy over there on the 18th green? I&#39;ve been battling him for the last 19 years,&#39; &quot; Woods said. &quot;That was really cool.&quot; 
 
Woods has won 79 US PGA events, three shy of Sam Snead&#39;s all-time record, and his major total is four shy of the all-time record 18 won 
by Jack Nicklaus. 
 
But Woods, nagged by back and leg injuries, has not won a major since the 2008 US Open and has not won any title since the 2013 World Golf Championships Bridgestone Invitational. 
 
(AFP)

Woods has won 79 US PGA events, three short of Sam Snead's all-time record

Tiger Woods said on Sunday he might not return to competitive golf this year following back surgery nine months ago, but he's counting on the wait being worthwhile by producing impressive form. The 14-time major champion updated his recovery status after Sunday's final round of the US PGA National at Congressional Country Club, which benefits his charity foundation. "I'm trying to get back as fast as I can," Woods said. "It's frustrating not being able to play, especially at my own event. I miss being out here." Asked if there was a chance he might not play again this year, Woods said, "I don`t know. I want to play. I don`t know if I will. But I am trying to... I'm working my tail off." The British Open is only three weeks away and the year`s final major, the PGA Championship, is less than five weeks away. Woods never mentions a specific event when asked about a comeback timetable and he has admitted downplaying his status in comments about past injuries. But he talks time and again about having learned from past attempts to return too quickly from injury and setbacks he has suffered as a result. "I would like to say next week. But I can't," Woods said. "It's not fun. It's a tough road. I know I'm getting better. I'm progressing, but still I'm just not quite ready to be out here. "I can play with these guys. I know I still can. I just need to get healthy enough where I can do it on a regular basis." That, Woods said, requires getting into golf shape. That means even though he is playing 18 holes now on consecutive days, he must be able to handle all the stresses of tournament play over 72 holes. "I still need to be golf fit, hit ball after ball to have my golf muscles back," Woods said. "I am playing, just I need more time, I still need to get to get stronger, need to recover faster. Unfortunately it will take time. "I'm older. It takes longer to recover. I want to do it right so I don't have another surgery." South Africa's Ernie Els, a four-time major winner who played in Sunday's final group, made it clear he wants to see Woods return. "When Ernie walked off, he made a beeline over to me and gave me a big hug and said, 'Get back out here,' " Woods said. "That's awfully special because we've been going at it for such a long time." Woods, 40, was able to show his children Els and try to explain how they have been rivals for nearly two decades. "I was trying to explain to Sam and Charlie -- 'See that big guy over there on the 18th green? I've been battling him for the last 19 years,' " Woods said. "That was really cool." Woods has won 79 US PGA events, three shy of Sam Snead's all-time record, and his major total is four shy of the all-time record 18 won by Jack Nicklaus. But Woods, nagged by back and leg injuries, has not won a major since the 2008 US Open and has not won any title since the 2013 World Golf Championships Bridgestone Invitational. (AFP)

Golf: Tiger says he may not play this year

Local favourite Billy Hurley III moved one step closer to a first PGA Tour victory as he seized a two-shot lead after Saturday&#39;s third round of the Quicken Loans National in Bethesda, Maryland. 
 
The 34-year-old American, a U.S. Naval Academy graduate who calls nearby Annapolis his home, fired a flawless four-under-par 67 on a rain-softened layout at Congressional to post a 15-under total of 198. 
 
PGA Tour veteran Ernie Els, seeking a 20th win on the U.S. circuit but his first in four years, was alone in second after shooting a bogey-free 65 with joint second-round leader Jon Rahm of Spain (70) a further stroke back at 12 under. 
 
Hurley, who had been tied for the lead overnight with Rahm, stormed ahead with three birdies on the front nine before picking up another shot after the turn, sinking a 15-footer at the par-four 14th. 
 
Though he failed to reach the green in two at the par-four last after his tee shot found the left rough, he very nearly holed out with a near-perfect chip from 55 feet and tapped in for par to remain two ahead. 
 
South African Els, whose most recent PGA Tour victory came at the 2012 British Open, holed out from 157 yards to eagle the par-four 12th, then sank a 24-foot birdie putt at the par-four 14th to surge up the leaderboard. 
 
&quot;I enjoyed it,&quot; Els, 46, told CBS Sports. &quot;I&#39;m not the straightest driver but I kept it in play for the most part. The misses I did have weren&#39;t too far off and the putter was hot for most of the round. 
 
&quot;I missed those short ones on 15 and 16,&quot; he said, referring to a six-footer and a four-footer, &quot;but just overall solid golf and that&#39;s what you&#39;ve got to do at Congressional.&quot; 
 
Els has recorded just one top-25 in 15 starts on the 2015-16 PGA Tour, a tie for 14th at the RBC Heritage in April, but has come a long way since his mind-boggling six-putt on the first green at the Masters in April. 
 
&quot;Obviously when we&#39;ve played this game long enough, there&#39;s a lot of things that&#39;s going to happen to you,&quot; he said. &quot;Playing the game for 25 years as a professional, everything just about has happened. 
 
&quot;And obviously that happened at the first hole of the Masters which is not great, so it&#39;s been a kind of a re-set since then and I&#39;m enjoying putting.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

The 34-year-old American fired a flawless four-under-par 67 on a rain-softened layout at Congressional to post a 15-under total of 198

Local favourite Billy Hurley III moved one step closer to a first PGA Tour victory as he seized a two-shot lead after Saturday's third round of the Quicken Loans National in Bethesda, Maryland. The 34-year-old American, a U.S. Naval Academy graduate who calls nearby Annapolis his home, fired a flawless four-under-par 67 on a rain-softened layout at Congressional to post a 15-under total of 198. PGA Tour veteran Ernie Els, seeking a 20th win on the U.S. circuit but his first in four years, was alone in second after shooting a bogey-free 65 with joint second-round leader Jon Rahm of Spain (70) a further stroke back at 12 under. Hurley, who had been tied for the lead overnight with Rahm, stormed ahead with three birdies on the front nine before picking up another shot after the turn, sinking a 15-footer at the par-four 14th. Though he failed to reach the green in two at the par-four last after his tee shot found the left rough, he very nearly holed out with a near-perfect chip from 55 feet and tapped in for par to remain two ahead. South African Els, whose most recent PGA Tour victory came at the 2012 British Open, holed out from 157 yards to eagle the par-four 12th, then sank a 24-foot birdie putt at the par-four 14th to surge up the leaderboard. "I enjoyed it," Els, 46, told CBS Sports. "I'm not the straightest driver but I kept it in play for the most part. The misses I did have weren't too far off and the putter was hot for most of the round. "I missed those short ones on 15 and 16," he said, referring to a six-footer and a four-footer, "but just overall solid golf and that's what you've got to do at Congressional." Els has recorded just one top-25 in 15 starts on the 2015-16 PGA Tour, a tie for 14th at the RBC Heritage in April, but has come a long way since his mind-boggling six-putt on the first green at the Masters in April. "Obviously when we've played this game long enough, there's a lot of things that's going to happen to you," he said. "Playing the game for 25 years as a professional, everything just about has happened. "And obviously that happened at the first hole of the Masters which is not great, so it's been a kind of a re-set since then and I'm enjoying putting." (Reuters)

Golfer Hurley moves two ahead at Congressional, Els lurks

Park In-Bee&#39;s chances of playing at the Rio Olympics golf tournament dimmed further on Tuesday after the South Korean world number three pulled out of an international team event due to a lingering thumb problem. 
 
The seven-times major champion, who was inducted into the LPGA&#39;s Hall of Fame earlier this month, has been plagued by injury this season and is without a victory in 10 starts. 
 
She has missed two cuts, withdrawn after the first round in three events, and posted her worst ever score as a professional, 12-over-par 84, in the first round of the LPGA Volvik Championship in May. 
 
Her management company said on Tuesday she would skip the July 22-24 International Crown event, which pits eight countries against each other at Merit Club, Illinois. 
 
&quot;Park In-bee notified the LPGA that she will be unable to attend the International Crown due to her left thumb injury,&quot; her management company, Galaxia SM, told Reuters. 
 
The 27-year-old, who has raked in almost $13 million in career earnings on the LPGA Tour, said before the Women&#39;s PGA Championship this month that she would not go to Rio if she was not fully recovered from the injury. 
 
&quot;At the Olympics, you play for your country, not for individual honour. If I&#39;m not in top condition, I&#39;d rather give the opportunity to another player,&quot; she said. 
 
Park missed the cut at the event, carding an 8-over 79 in the second round. 
 
The top 15 players in the world rankings as of July 11 qualify automatically for the Rio Games, where golf is making its return to the Olympic programme after a 112-year absence. Each country can send a maximum of four players. 
 
Currently, Kim Sei-Young, Chun In-Gee and Amy Young make up the other three places, but there are five more South Koreans in the top 20 battling for Olympic spots. 
 
(Reuters)

The 27-year-old said before the Women's PGA Championship this month that she would pull out of Rio if she hadn't recovered from injury

Park In-Bee's chances of playing at the Rio Olympics golf tournament dimmed further on Tuesday after the South Korean world number three pulled out of an international team event due to a lingering thumb problem. The seven-times major champion, who was inducted into the LPGA's Hall of Fame earlier this month, has been plagued by injury this season and is without a victory in 10 starts. She has missed two cuts, withdrawn after the first round in three events, and posted her worst ever score as a professional, 12-over-par 84, in the first round of the LPGA Volvik Championship in May. Her management company said on Tuesday she would skip the July 22-24 International Crown event, which pits eight countries against each other at Merit Club, Illinois. "Park In-bee notified the LPGA that she will be unable to attend the International Crown due to her left thumb injury," her management company, Galaxia SM, told Reuters. The 27-year-old, who has raked in almost $13 million in career earnings on the LPGA Tour, said before the Women's PGA Championship this month that she would not go to Rio if she was not fully recovered from the injury. "At the Olympics, you play for your country, not for individual honour. If I'm not in top condition, I'd rather give the opportunity to another player," she said. Park missed the cut at the event, carding an 8-over 79 in the second round. The top 15 players in the world rankings as of July 11 qualify automatically for the Rio Games, where golf is making its return to the Olympic programme after a 112-year absence. Each country can send a maximum of four players. Currently, Kim Sei-Young, Chun In-Gee and Amy Young make up the other three places, but there are five more South Koreans in the top 20 battling for Olympic spots. (Reuters)

Thumbs down for South Korean golfer Park's Rio dream

Long-hitting American Dustin Johnson, seeking major redemption after several near-misses in recent years, won the 116th US Open on Sunday amid high drama and initial uncertainty over his victory margin. 
 
In pursuit of his first grand slam crown, the world number six played clutch golf under intense pressure at the brutally difficult Oakmont Country Club, finishing in style as he sank a short birdie putt at the last. 
 
Having negotiated the final seven holes under notice that he might be penalised for a rules infraction on the fifth green, despite being cleared by another official at the time, he was docked a shot after the round&#39;s completion, with his score amended to a closing 69 for a four-under winning total of 276. 
 
After sinking the final putt to clinch his 10th PGA Tour victory, Johnson pumped his right fist in delight, and then lifted his putter to acknowledge the loud roars from the crowd before being embraced by his caddie. 
 
&quot;Feels good, feels really good, feels well deserved,&quot; an emotional Johnson said after finishing three shots in front of fellow Americans Jim Furyk (66) and Scott Piercy (69), and Ireland&#39;s Shane Lowry (76). 
 
Lowry had been four ahead after the weather-delayed third round was completed earlier on Sunday but he struggled in the conditions, piling up seven bogeys. 
 
&quot;I&#39;ve had a lot of opportunities that I didn&#39;t quite get done, so this one&#39;s definitely really sweet,&quot; said Johnson. &quot;I knew I was swinging well, and I just kept thinking, it&#39;s just me and the course. I&#39;m playing against the course. I can&#39;t control what anyone else does. So I just tried to hit golf shots, tried to hit it on the correct side of the hole, and two-putt.&quot; 
 
The rules controversy was sparked when Johnson&#39;s ball moved slightly as the American was preparing to attempt his par putt at the fifth hole. This happened shortly after his birdie attempt from five feet broke left and slid past the cup. 
 
He denied having caused the movement and the official accompanying the pairing decided not to levy a penalty. 
 
After being informed on the 12th tee by a U.S. Golf Association official that he might be penalised after the round, Johnson ran up a three-putt bogey at the 14th but otherwise displayed nerves of steel as he negotiated the closing stretch. 
 
He rolled in a 10-footer to save par at the 16th and thunderous roars of &quot;DJ, DJ, DJ&quot; rang out as the crowd gave vocal support to the tournament leader in his bid for a first major victory. 
 
Johnson had previously recorded 11 top-10s in the majors without winning, including two-runner-up spots, and he missed a three-foot putt at the final hole to hand last year&#39;s U.S. Open at Chambers Bay to Jordan Spieth. 
 
On Sunday, however, Johnson was remarkably composed in the circumstances and made several clutch putts on a day when the entire field struggled on greens running lightning-fast. 
 
&quot;After last year, to come back and perform like this, I think it shows what kind of golfer I am,&quot; said the 31-year-old. &quot;I&#39;ve knocked on the door a bunch of times. To finally get that major win, it&#39;s huge.&quot; 
 
American world number two Spieth finished a disappointing title defence with a 75 for a nine-over total of 289. 
(Reuters)

He was first cleared, then docked a shot for a rules infraction

Long-hitting American Dustin Johnson, seeking major redemption after several near-misses in recent years, won the 116th US Open on Sunday amid high drama and initial uncertainty over his victory margin. In pursuit of his first grand slam crown, the world number six played clutch golf under intense pressure at the brutally difficult Oakmont Country Club, finishing in style as he sank a short birdie putt at the last. Having negotiated the final seven holes under notice that he might be penalised for a rules infraction on the fifth green, despite being cleared by another official at the time, he was docked a shot after the round's completion, with his score amended to a closing 69 for a four-under winning total of 276. After sinking the final putt to clinch his 10th PGA Tour victory, Johnson pumped his right fist in delight, and then lifted his putter to acknowledge the loud roars from the crowd before being embraced by his caddie. "Feels good, feels really good, feels well deserved," an emotional Johnson said after finishing three shots in front of fellow Americans Jim Furyk (66) and Scott Piercy (69), and Ireland's Shane Lowry (76). Lowry had been four ahead after the weather-delayed third round was completed earlier on Sunday but he struggled in the conditions, piling up seven bogeys. "I've had a lot of opportunities that I didn't quite get done, so this one's definitely really sweet," said Johnson. "I knew I was swinging well, and I just kept thinking, it's just me and the course. I'm playing against the course. I can't control what anyone else does. So I just tried to hit golf shots, tried to hit it on the correct side of the hole, and two-putt." The rules controversy was sparked when Johnson's ball moved slightly as the American was preparing to attempt his par putt at the fifth hole. This happened shortly after his birdie attempt from five feet broke left and slid past the cup. He denied having caused the movement and the official accompanying the pairing decided not to levy a penalty. After being informed on the 12th tee by a U.S. Golf Association official that he might be penalised after the round, Johnson ran up a three-putt bogey at the 14th but otherwise displayed nerves of steel as he negotiated the closing stretch. He rolled in a 10-footer to save par at the 16th and thunderous roars of "DJ, DJ, DJ" rang out as the crowd gave vocal support to the tournament leader in his bid for a first major victory. Johnson had previously recorded 11 top-10s in the majors without winning, including two-runner-up spots, and he missed a three-foot putt at the final hole to hand last year's U.S. Open at Chambers Bay to Jordan Spieth. On Sunday, however, Johnson was remarkably composed in the circumstances and made several clutch putts on a day when the entire field struggled on greens running lightning-fast. "After last year, to come back and perform like this, I think it shows what kind of golfer I am," said the 31-year-old. "I've knocked on the door a bunch of times. To finally get that major win, it's huge." American world number two Spieth finished a disappointing title defence with a 75 for a nine-over total of 289. (Reuters)

Dustin Johnson wins US Open, amidst high drama and some confusion

Australian big hitter Scott Hend overcame a two-shot deficit to snatch victory in the Queen&#39;s Cup on Thailand&#39;s Koh Samui island today as overnight leader Prom Meesawat stumbled. 
 
The 42-year-old finished the day with a four-under-par 67, one shot ahead of runner-up and local talent Gunn Charoenkul in the $300,000 competition at the Santiburi Samui Country Club. 
 
It was Hend&#39;s second title of the season and his ninth career victory on the Asian Tour. 
 
Hend, the most successful international player on the tour, said he was pleased to make up for some recent near-wins in Mauritius and China. 
 
&quot;Whether this was my golf course or not, I&rsquo;ve been playing very good golf and trying to not get down on myself. It&#39;s nice to win again,&quot; he said, according to a report by tour organisers. 
 
Two late bogeys saw Thailand&#39;s Prom go from starting the day out in front to ending with a disappointing 72. 
 
He finished in joint third alongside American Paul Peterson, Korea&#39;s Wang Jeung-hun and Thailand&#39;s Pavit Tangkamolprasert. 
(AFP)

It was Hend's second title of the season and his ninth career victory on the Asian Tour

Australian big hitter Scott Hend overcame a two-shot deficit to snatch victory in the Queen's Cup on Thailand's Koh Samui island today as overnight leader Prom Meesawat stumbled. The 42-year-old finished the day with a four-under-par 67, one shot ahead of runner-up and local talent Gunn Charoenkul in the $300,000 competition at the Santiburi Samui Country Club. It was Hend's second title of the season and his ninth career victory on the Asian Tour. Hend, the most successful international player on the tour, said he was pleased to make up for some recent near-wins in Mauritius and China. "Whether this was my golf course or not, I’ve been playing very good golf and trying to not get down on myself. It's nice to win again," he said, according to a report by tour organisers. Two late bogeys saw Thailand's Prom go from starting the day out in front to ending with a disappointing 72. He finished in joint third alongside American Paul Peterson, Korea's Wang Jeung-hun and Thailand's Pavit Tangkamolprasert. (AFP)

Scott Hend secures victory by one stroke in Queen's Cup

Irishman Shane Lowry held a two-shot lead after 14 holes when third-round play was suspended for the day in fading light at the weather-hit US Open after a long Saturday at Oakmont Country Club in Pennsylvania. 
 
Lowry, showing steely nerves on a challenging layout running fast and firm, mixed five birdies with two bogeys to get to five-under for the tournament before the horn sounded to halt the action just before nine pm local time. 
 
&quot;My game is good, I feel very comfortable out there,&quot; said Lowry, who moved two strokes clear after hitting a superb wedge to within three feet at the par-five 12th and knocking in the birdie putt. &quot;Quite happy that we didn&#39;t have another four holes to play. It&#39;s been a long day. This is right where you want to be (in the lead).&quot; 
 
&quot;I&#39;m really looking forward to tomorrow,&quot; said the 29-year-old from Clara in County Offaly, who won the biggest title of his career at the 2015 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational. 
 
PGA Tour rookie Andrew Landry, the surprise first-round leader, was at three-under after 13 holes, with American Dustin Johnson, after 13, England&#39;s Lee Westwood, after 15, and Spaniard Sergio Garcia, after 14, a further stroke back. 
 
Johnson, who missed a three-foot putt at the final hole to hand last year&#39;s U.S. Open to Jordan Spieth, had been one ahead after the delayed second round ended earlier on Saturday, but fell short of replicating his form from the first 36 holes. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s this golf course,&quot; nine-times PGA Tour winner Johnson said after recording two birdies, two bogeys and a double at the par-four third. &quot;It&#39;s tough to make putts on it. I&#39;m still feeling good about where I&#39;m at. A lot of golf to go. Golf swing feels good, so I&#39;m happy with where I&#39;m at.&quot; 
 
South African Branden Grace was the leader in the clubhouse at one-under 209 after firing 66 to surge into contention for the year&#39;s second major championship. 
 
&quot;The guys up there (at the top) are playing some great golf,&quot; Grace said after sinking a 15-foot birdie putt at the par-four last. &quot;I stayed patient the whole day ... but when I had the chances, I took them. It was a bonus finishing the way I did.&quot; 
 
Just two strokes behind Grace was the ominous figure of Australian world number one Jason Day, who made an explosive start with four birdies in his first five holes on the way to a matching 66 that included an eagle at the par-five fourth, his 13th hole. 
 
&quot;Shoot anything under par here, you&#39;re definitely moving up a lot,&quot; said Day, the game&#39;s hottest player over the past 12 months with seven tournament wins, including last year&#39;s PGA Championship at Whistling Straits. 
 
American world number two Spieth also made an early move up the leaderboard with three consecutive birdies in his first four holes, but faded to shoot 70 and fall nine strokes behind Lowry. 
 
The 25 players who did not complete the third round will resume at 7 am local time on Sunday, before the regulation 72 holes are completed by the end of the day. 
(Reuters)

PGA tour rookie Andrew Landry is second on the leaderboard

Irishman Shane Lowry held a two-shot lead after 14 holes when third-round play was suspended for the day in fading light at the weather-hit US Open after a long Saturday at Oakmont Country Club in Pennsylvania. Lowry, showing steely nerves on a challenging layout running fast and firm, mixed five birdies with two bogeys to get to five-under for the tournament before the horn sounded to halt the action just before nine pm local time. "My game is good, I feel very comfortable out there," said Lowry, who moved two strokes clear after hitting a superb wedge to within three feet at the par-five 12th and knocking in the birdie putt. "Quite happy that we didn't have another four holes to play. It's been a long day. This is right where you want to be (in the lead)." "I'm really looking forward to tomorrow," said the 29-year-old from Clara in County Offaly, who won the biggest title of his career at the 2015 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational. PGA Tour rookie Andrew Landry, the surprise first-round leader, was at three-under after 13 holes, with American Dustin Johnson, after 13, England's Lee Westwood, after 15, and Spaniard Sergio Garcia, after 14, a further stroke back. Johnson, who missed a three-foot putt at the final hole to hand last year's U.S. Open to Jordan Spieth, had been one ahead after the delayed second round ended earlier on Saturday, but fell short of replicating his form from the first 36 holes. "It's this golf course," nine-times PGA Tour winner Johnson said after recording two birdies, two bogeys and a double at the par-four third. "It's tough to make putts on it. I'm still feeling good about where I'm at. A lot of golf to go. Golf swing feels good, so I'm happy with where I'm at." South African Branden Grace was the leader in the clubhouse at one-under 209 after firing 66 to surge into contention for the year's second major championship. "The guys up there (at the top) are playing some great golf," Grace said after sinking a 15-foot birdie putt at the par-four last. "I stayed patient the whole day ... but when I had the chances, I took them. It was a bonus finishing the way I did." Just two strokes behind Grace was the ominous figure of Australian world number one Jason Day, who made an explosive start with four birdies in his first five holes on the way to a matching 66 that included an eagle at the par-five fourth, his 13th hole. "Shoot anything under par here, you're definitely moving up a lot," said Day, the game's hottest player over the past 12 months with seven tournament wins, including last year's PGA Championship at Whistling Straits. American world number two Spieth also made an early move up the leaderboard with three consecutive birdies in his first four holes, but faded to shoot 70 and fall nine strokes behind Lowry. The 25 players who did not complete the third round will resume at 7 am local time on Sunday, before the regulation 72 holes are completed by the end of the day. (Reuters)

Shane Lowry leads US Open by two after marathon day

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