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Feng claims LPGA title with birdie blitz

Chinese star Shanshan Feng has won the LPGA Tour event in Wisconsin with a 29-under-par total.

By Australian Associated Press
   

Shanshan Feng set a high target for such low scoring at the LPGA Tour event in Wisconsin that she figured she had done enough.

Three birdies in a four-hole stretch had taken her from three shots behind to a one shot lead on Sunday, or so she thought.

It was only after she hit seven-iron to three feet on the final hole that she saw the leaderboard and realised she was tied with Ariya Jutanugarn.

"I'm like, 'Oh, no. I have to make that one'," Feng said.

No problem.

Leaving the flagstick in, she rolled in her final birdie putt for a nine-under 63 and a one-shot victory over Jutanugarn, who had hit eight iron to three feet for birdie and a 64.

Feng won for the 10th time on the LPGA Tour but it was her first victory since November 2017.

Her score of 29-under 259 was two shots shy of the LPGA record that Sei Young Kim set last year on the same course.

The shootout on the soft Thornberry Creek at Oneida course materialised the way everyone expected.

Patty Tavatanakit shot 61 and was part of a five-way tie for the lead before the final two groups even teed off. She wound up in a tie for 15th.

Seven players had at least a share of the lead at some point in the final round.

Jutanugarn, a former world No.1 still searching for her first victory this year, appeared to be in control with a three-shot lead on the back nine.

She holed a bunker shot for an eagle on the reachable par-four sixth. She closed out her 30 on the front nine with another eagle.

But the Thai pulled her tee shot on the par-five 15th, turning a birdie hole into a bogey that cost her momentum and the lead.

In the group behind her, Feng ran off birdies at the 13th, 14th and 16th holes, the last one a dart into two feet that gave her a one-shot lead.

Jutanugarn wasn't finished, however, with her final full shot covering the flag and setting up birdie.

Feng had the last word.

"Before the round today, I didn't know what the others were going to do, so I was aiming for 30 under," Feng said.

She finished just a shot shy of that.

It was the second close call in three weeks for Jutanugarn, who played in the final group at the Women's PGA Championship at Hazeltine and failed to make a birdie as Australian Hannah Green won.

"Overall, my whole week was really good," Jutanugarn said.

"It's like amazing, because I didn't expect to play that good at all, so I'm really happy about how I played."

Tiffany Joh birdied her last three holes for a 67 and tied for third with Amy Yang (65) at 25 under.

Impressive teenage qualifier Yealimi Noh finished tied sixth at 23 under after a closing 68 to sit alongside world No.1 Sung Hyun Park (69).

"It was my goal to be in the top 10 for the week," the 17-year-old Noh said.


Rahm roars to seal second Irish Open title

Spain's Jon Rahm overturned a five-shot deficit with a brilliant 62 to claim his second Irish Open title in three years.

By Australian Associated Press
   

Spain's Jon Rahm clinched his second Irish Open title with an impressive final round of 62 to seal a two-shot victory on Sunday.

Rahm started the fourth day at the Lahinch Golf Club five shots behind overnight leader Robert Rock but eight birdies and an eagle on the 12th hole catapulted him to the top of the leaderboard.

His fourth-round score of 62, which took him to 16 under for the tournament, also tied his lowest European Tour round and was a huge turnaround in form after he carded 67, 71 and 64 in the opening three rounds.

Australia's Wade Ormsby carded a third successive one-under 69 to finish in a group of four tied for 19th place on eight under.

"My game was in great form, it just didn't show the first two days. I couldn't hole the putts," Rahm said.

"The weekend was the complete opposite, putts rolling in from everywhere. I felt really confident and I knew I could do something. I knew I had to do it to have a chance.

"I kept looking at the leaderboard and looking up and after 10 I'm like, 'okay, let's get a good run'. And that eagle on 12 just got me going."

England's Andy Sullivan and Austria's Bernd Wiesberger, who were both tied for fifth after the third round, finished second.

Rock had a day to forget after his record-breaking 60 on Saturday, finishing tied for fourth with compatriot Eddie Pepperell and Spain's Rafa Cabrera Bello, with a par score in the final round.


Young gun Wolff takes Minnesota lead share

Matthew Wolff has shot a 9-under 62 to share the lead with Collin Morikawa and Bryson DeChambeau at 15 under after three rounds of the inaugural 3M Open.

By Australian Associated Press
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Matthew Wolff has shot the best round of his young career on the PGA Tour, firing a nine-under-par 62 to move into a share of the lead with Collin Morikawa and Bryson DeChambeau in Minnesota.

The 20-year-old mixed 10 birdies with a bogey in just his fourth start on the Tour to sit atop the leaderboard alongside his compatriots at 15-under after three rounds at the TPC Twin Cities course on Saturday.

Wolff, who won this year's US college championship, said playing freely was the key to his success so far at the tournament.

"The last couple weeks I felt like I was being a little too strategic," he said after tying the course record also matched by DeChambeau in the second round.

"In college I just kind of let it rip so when I came out here I told my caddie that's what we're going to do this week," he said.

"We're just going to send it and it has been working out."

Wolff was on 59 watch after sinking his seventh birdie of the day on the par-four 10th but failed to convert a makeable birdie putt at 16 and followed that up with a bogey on 17 to put the milestone out of reach.

Fellow Californian young gun Morikawa fired a seven-under 64 in his sixth start on Tour and has shown poise beyond his 22 years through three solid rounds.

"My game throughout my entire life of playing golf has been staying really steady and sticking to my game plan," he said.

"I have a smooth tempo. If I can stay like that tomorrow it should be pretty exciting."

Overnight leader DeChambeau cooled off after Friday's 62, making just two birdies and his first bogey of the tournament on 13 for a round of one-under.

DeChambeau's birdie at the 18th hole moved him into a share of the lead and give the five-time PGA Tour event winner some momentum heading into the final round after an otherwise lacklustre performance.

None of the three leaders can afford to relax with American Wyndham Clark, who shot a seven-under 64 on Saturday, and Canadian Adam Hadwin one stroke behind.

Best Australian Curtis Luck is off the pace at seven under after a round of 73, with Rod Pampling a shot further back and Jason Day at five under.


British Open rebuff Daly's cart request

John Daly's request to use a cart at the British Open has been turned down by the R&A, but the 1995 champion still aims to play at Royal Portrush.

By Australian Associated Press
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British Open officials have refused a request by former champion John Daly to use a golf cart at this month's tournament at Royal Portrush.

Daly had applied to use a cart because of his arthritic right knee.

The PGA of America allowed Daly to use a cart at this year's PGA Championship at Bethpage Black. He was the first player to ride in a cart at a major since Casey Martin in the US Open at Olympic Club in 1998 and 2012.

Open chiefs at the Royal & Ancient revealed there were declining the request because "walking the course is an integral part of the championship and is central to the tradition of links golf."

The R&A said it was important to "ensure that, as far as possible, the challenge is the same for all players in the field."

The governing body says Portrush in Northern Ireland was not suited to golf carts, and was concerned that "some parts of the course, where there are severe slopes and swales, would be inaccessible."

In its statement released Saturday, the R&A said "we appreciate the difficulty John is facing and have full sympathy for him as this is clearly a serious, long-term condition."

Reacting to the R&A's decision, Daly said on Twitter he was "quite disappointed" and he "could not disagree more with their conclusions."

Daly, the 1995 champion at St. Andrews, says he is aiming to take part in the British Open nonetheless, adding "fingers crossed I can make it thru the pain."


Rock cards record 60 for Irish Open lead

England's Robert Rock hit a 10-under-par 60 to storm into the lead in the Irish Open with Australia's Wade Ormsby six shots behind.

By Australian Associated Press
   

England's Robert Rock surged into a one-shot lead in the Irish Open third round with a record-breaking 10-under-par 60 on Saturday, the lowest round in the event's history.

But Australia's Wade Ormsby, who was three shots off previous leader Zander Lombard overnight, carded a successive one-under 69 to lie in a group of eight sharing 14th place on seven under par.

Rock, 42, made up 30 places to lead compatriot Eddie Pepperell and Spain's Rafa Cabrera Bello while South African Lombard fell to fourth with a two-under par 68.

Rock made 11 birdies and nearly finished with a score of 59 before missing a 35-foot eagle putt on the final hole.

"It's disappointing not to (finish with 59) but 60 is a great score. It's my best score," said Rock, who is seeking his third European Tour title.

"I played rubbish so far this year, so just delighted to play better.

"It's a good opportunity... to get my season back on track, to try to qualify for The Open and maybe have a chance to win a tournament again, which would be lovely because it's been a long while."

England's Andy Sullivan and Austria's Bernd Wiesberger were three shots behind and tied for fifth.

Australian Sam Brazel banked a score of level par to lie one-under while compatriot Lucas Herbert shot a 77.


Ormsby still in the mix at Irish Open

Australian Wade Ormsby is just three shots off the lead at the Irish Open despite failing to back up his impressive opening round.

By Australian Associated Press
   

Wade Ormsby is still in the mix after shooting a one-under 69 to be just three shots of leader Zander Lombard after two rounds at the Irish Open.

The Australian hit five birdies in Thursday's opening round and backed it up with less eye-catching second round to post six-under 134 at Lahinch Golf Course on Ireland's west coast on Friday.

South African Zander, who hadn't made a cut since early May, shot a three-under 67 in his second round to take a one-shot lead.

He closed with three straight birdies in his opening round for a 64, and followed it up by playing the back nine in three-under to be nine-under 131.

"I'm so comfortable on links golf," Lombard said.

"It's never just a normal shot. It's always a little three-quarter, a little punch, judging the wind right. I've had great success on links golf in my amateur career."

Eddie Pepperell endured cool, rainy conditions early in his round to shoot 67 and was eight under.

"I looked out the window when I woke up and it looked OK, and then the first probably six, seven holes were really quite tough and drizzly and it was hard to get a flight on the ball, and it was tough," Pepperell said.

"We saw Lahinch probably a bit more the way we should see it today."

Abraham Ancer, Jorge Campillo and Lee Westwood were two shots back. Campillo shot 64, the low round of the day.

Padraig Harrington followed up his opening-round 63 with a 73 to fall to 4 under.

"It really was tough conditions," Harrington said.

"You know, all my bogeys, like three of them were three-putts, the other two were chips from the edge of the greens, so I could have negated them with a good short game, and you need a good short game on a bad day, as it was."

Australian Lucas Herbert was two-under in his second round to be nine shots of the lead, while compatriot Sam Brazel was a further shot back.

The top three finishers inside the top 10 who have not already qualified for the British Open will earn spots in the field at Royal Portrush.


Hot Liu leaves LPGA rivals in her trail

Yu Liu has the field playing catch-up after shooting a blistering 10-under 62 in the opening round of the LPGA Classic at Thornberry Creek.

By Australian Associated Press
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Australians Kathryn Kirk and Robyn Choi have shot impressive four-under-par opening round scores at the LPGA Classic, but it was still no match for tournament leader Yu Liu.

Kirk and Choi finished with 68s but were still six off the pace after China's Liu fired an amazing 10-under 62 to break her personal best on the same course at Thornberry Creek.

They are tied 32nd in the 140-player field, with almost half the field capitalising on the soft conditions to shoot scores in the 60s.

One year after the 23-year-old Liu shot her lowest round on the LPGA Tour there, she tied the course record to take a one-shot lead from Jeong Eun Lee and Yealimi Noh, who only got into the tournament through Monday qualifying.

"I really like the golf course, apparently," Liu said. "So it's just nice to be out here. Just great vibes."

Sung Hyun Park, who won last week in Arkansas to return to No. 1 in the world, opened with a 65.

Liu started on No. 10 and shot a 30 on the back nine, including an eagle on the par-5 13th hole. She thought her score could have been lower, especially after failing to birdie two of the par 5s, including her last hole at No. 9.

Even so, she did what was required on a course that felt like target practice.

"It was playing pretty soft, so it takes a lot of the pressure off for the approach shots because you know where you land is pretty much where you're going to finish," Liu said. "So not much calculation was needed. I was just hitting it pretty solid."

Tiffany Joh and Nasa Hataoka are among those at 64, while the group two shots behind at 65 includes Park, Shanshan Feng and Anna Nordqvist, who last year shot 67 in all four rounds for 20 under and still finished 11 shots behind.

"This is just a course that for some reason you know you have to make birdies," Nordqvist said. "So I just try to keep making birdies and keep staying aggressive."


Koepka banking on caddie Elliott at Open

Brooks Koepka has never been to Northern Ireland before so is relying heavily on Portrush native and caddie Ricky Elliot for the Open.

By Phil Casey, Australian Associated Press
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World No.1 Brooks Koepka admits he will be relying heavily on the local knowledge of his caddie Ricky Elliott when he seeks a first Open Championship title.

Koepka, who has won four majors in his last nine starts and finished second in the Masters, first in the US PGA and second in the US Open this season, has never been to Northern Ireland before, never mind played at Royal Portrush.

However, Elliott is a Portrush native and will provide invaluable local knowledge to Koepka when the Open returns to Northern Ireland for the first time since 1951 in a fortnight's time.

"I hope he knows that golf course like the back of his hand," Koepka told a press conference ahead of the 3M Open in Minnesota.

"It's links golf, it's always a bit different. I enjoy it because I see 10, 15 different shots every time I'm over the ball.

"Even from 150 yards you can chip a little seven iron and have it roll up, you can hit wedge if you want, it's so interesting to me. I enjoy the option of shots that it creates.

"He (Ricky) knows that course probably better than anybody apart from GMac (Graeme McDowell). He's going to have a lot of support, which will be cool.

"It will be cool to go there and to have it in his hometown will be a little more special - but no added pressure. I put enough pressure on myself for those events."

Koepka will take a week off following this week's inaugural 3M Open at TPC Twin Cities, where he will partner former Masters champion Patrick Reed and Kevin Na in the first two rounds.


Inbee Park leads LPGA field in Arkansas

South Korean Inbee Park holds a one-shot lead at the LPGA tournament in Arkansas, with the closes Australians sitting six shots behind.

By HK, Australian Associated Press
   

Inbee Park had five straight birdies in a nine-under 62 to take the first round lead Friday (Saturday AEST) in the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship, with the closest Australians sitting six shots behind.

Seeking her 20th LPGA Tour victory and first since early last year, the South Korean star began the birdie run on the second hole of the round that started on No.10.

She also birdied the par-five 18th to make the turn at six-under 29 and added three birdies on the second nine.

"It's always great to see the ball rolling in the hole," Park said. "I haven't been seeing that for such a long time.

"For a couple of years or so I have been missing a lot of short putts ... I know I have a good feel on the putter, and it just wasn't going in the last couple of years or so. I was really waiting for this moment and, hopefully, I can keep this going."

Park is trying to win for the second time at Pinnacle Country Club after taking the 2013 title.

"I have played this golf course so many times, so it helps me playing through this week. I love playing this golf course," Park added.

Paula Creamer, Carlota Ciganda and Sherman Santiwiwatthanaphong were a stroke back.

Ariya Jutanugarn, Annie Park and Maria Torres shot 64.

Two Australians, in Katherine Kirk and world No.3 Minjee Lee, shot 68s to sit six shots off the lead at three-under. Sarah Kemp (one-under) and Robyn Choi (two-over) round out the Australian contingent competing in Arkansas.


Alternate Lashley steals show in PGA event

Australian Curtis Luck is four shots off the pace set by world No.353 Nate Lashley, who upstaged all after the first round of the PGA event in Detroit.

By Australian Associated Press
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Nate Lashley defied his lowly world ranking and made the most of his late addition to the Rocket Mortgage Classic PGA field as he grabbed a one-shot lead after the first round at the Detroit Golf Club on Thursday.

The American world No.353, who failed to qualify for the inaugural tournament on Monday but was added to the field as an alternate, enjoyed a bogey-free, career-best nine-under 63.

"When you're first alternate it's not a whole lot of fun, that feeling of only missing getting in the event by a spot, by one person," said Lashley.

"We'll see how it goes tomorrow. Hopefully I can go out there and play like today, play relaxed golf and have some fun."

Curtis Luck was the best of the Australian contingent, shooting a five-under-par 67 to be tied 24th.

Next best Australians are Rod Pampling and Cameron Smith, both three behind Luck.

Lashley, who earned his PGA Tour card for the first time in 2018, went out early and made four birdies on the front nine and finished in style with five birdies over the final six holes.

That was enough to leave him one shot clear of compatriots Ryan Armour and Nick Watney. A group of seven that included Charles Howell III and Stewart Cink were a further shot back.

"Obviously I made a lot of putts," said Lashley. "I putted well, I drove it pretty well. I hit it really well on the back nine, but at nine-under you're kind of doing everything well."

US Open champion Gary Woodland, in his first event since picking up his maiden Major title, mixed six bogeys with five birdies en route to a one-over-par 73 that left him 10 back of the first-round leader.

Among the other notables in the field were twice Masters winner Bubba Watson and world No.14 Rickie Fowler, who were five shots back of the leader after matching 68's.

World No.2 Dustin Johnson, the highest-ranked player in the field, had a roller-coaster start to his round and was two-over through 11 holes but managed three birdies the rest of the way for a one-under-par 71.