Kim shoots course-record 61 to take 2nd round LPGA lead

GALLOWAY, N.J. (AP) Annie Park won the ShopRite LPGA Classic for her first LPGA Tour victory, closing with an 8-under 63 on Sunday for a one-stroke victory over Sakura Yokomine.

The 23-year-old Park, from Levittown, New York, had an eagle and six birdies on a cloudy day over the Bay Course at Stockton Seaview to complete 54 holes at 16-under 197, a stroke off the tournament record.

Yokomine, the winner of 23 events on the Japan LPGA Tour, flirted with a 59 but parred the par-5 18th for a 61 to tie the course record.

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New Jersey native Marina Alex was third at 14 under after a 64. She made a hole-in-one at the par-3 17th. Sei Young Kim, who broke the course record Sunday morning when she finished her second round with back-to-back birdies for a 61, had a 70 to finish fourth at 13 under.

Park earned $262,500, topping her total of $261,096 for her first 49 LPGA Tour events. She won the 2013 NCAA individual title as a freshman at Southern California and help..

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Finland’s Korhonen gets 1st European Tour win in Austria

ATZENBRUGG, Austria (AP) Mikko Korhonen of Finland won the inaugural Shot Clock Masters by six strokes on Sunday for his first European Tour title.

Holding a five-stroke lead going into the final round, Korhonen shot a 69 to finish 16-under par overall.

Connor Syme of Scotland, who only turned professional in September, holed a 60-foot birdie on the 18th to finish runner-up.

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Nicolas Colsaerts (67), Raphael Jacquelin (69), Justin Walters (71) and Steve Webster (67) were all seven strokes behind Korhonen in third.

Jacquelin came within three strokes of Korhonen following four birdies on his opening seven holes. However, the Finn overcame two delays because of thunder as he stretched his lead both times after play resumed.

It was the first European Tour event with a 40-second shot clock for most strokes.

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Kim, Herbin share lead in ShopRite LPGA

GALLOWAY, N.J. (AP) Sei Young Kim birdied seven of her last 10 holes for a share of the lead with Celine Herbin in the suspended second round of the ShopRite LPGA.

Kim was 10 under for the tournament with three holes left when play was suspended because of darkness.

Herbin had her second straight 5-under 66.

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Herbin birdied No. 18 after play resumed following a delay of nearly three hours because of lightning strikes in the area. The Frenchwoman left her job as a biochemical engineer at age 27 to become a professional golfer.

Herbin had made the cut in just five of 11 tournaments prior to this week.

”There is no secret really, just keep working on what I’m doing,” she said. ”I don’t care if you miss 10 cuts if you win the 11th. The missed cut doesn’t mean too much. What means more is the work you do every day.”

Kim, a six-time LPGA Tour winner, was one of 36 players unable to complete the round.

Mariah Stackhouse (65), Annie Park (65), Ashleigh Buhai ..

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Kristen Gillman helps US open big lead in Curtis Cup

SCARSDALE, N.Y. (AP) Kristen Gillman won two more matches and the United States opened a 9-3 lead over Britain and Ireland in the Curtis Cup at Quaker Ridge.

Gillman, the 20-year-old University of Alabama star from Austin, Texas, improved to 4-0 and helped the Americans move within 1 1/2 points of regaining the cup they lost in 2016 at Dun Laoghaire in Ireland. The U.S. leads the series 28-8-3.

The United States won five of the six matches Saturday, sweeping the morning four-ball session. Gillman and Jennifer Kupcho got it started by beating Olivia Mehaffey and Sophie Lamb 3 and 2 in the opening match. Lilia Vu and Mariel Galdiano edged Alice Hewson and Annabell Fuller 2 and 1, and Lucy Li and Andrea Lee topped Lily May Humphreys and Shannon McWilliam 3 and 2.

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In the afternoon foursomes, Gillman and Lauren Stephenson routed Annabell Fuller and India Clyburn 6 and 5; Li and Sophia Schubert beat Paula Grant and Shannon McWilliam 7 and 5; and Mehaffey and L..

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Andrew Putnam, Dustin Johnson turn St. Jude into 2-man race

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) Andrew Putnam will be playing in the last group on Sunday for the first time looking for his first PGA Tour victory.

His playing partner will be Dustin Johnson, who’s already won once this year and needs his 18th career victory to reclaim his spot as the world’s top-ranked golfer .

No pressure at all.

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”It’s going to feel a little different than the typical Sunday round of golf, but I’m excited for it,” Putnam said. ”I’ve earned my way here and I feel like it’s going to be a fun day. See what happens.”

Putnam matched the best round of his short PGA Tour career Saturday with a 6-under 64 and tied Johnson atop the leaderboard at the St. Jude Classic. Johnson had a 65 to match Putnam at 15-under 195 and said he’s in great position going into Sunday.

”I can kind of control my own destiny,” Johnson said. ”If I go out and play really good golf, probably going to win. If I don’t, I’m sure Andrew’s going to beat me. He’s playing really good ..

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Tom Lehman leads Champions’ Principal Charity Classic

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) Tom Lehman might finally get an elusive senior victory in Iowa after so many close calls.

Lehman shot a 7-under 65 on Saturday to take a two-shot lead into the final round of the PGA Tour Champions’ Principal Charity Classic.

Lehman eagled the par-5 eighth and played a 10-hole stretch in 7 under before dropping a stroke on the par-4 18th. He had a 13-under 131 total, the best two-round score at Wakonda Club.

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From neighboring Minnesota, Lehman has finished in the top 10 in each of his first six appearances in Iowa, but the 1996 British Open champion has never won the event.

”I made my share of putts. Made some longer putts I wasn’t expecting, kept the ball in the fairway (and) did a lot of things right,” Lehman said.

First-round leader Bernhard Langer had a 69 to fall into a tie for second with Glen Day (68), Woody Austin (68) and Scott Parel (66).

The conditions were warm but uncharacteristically calm, which dried out the course ..

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US Open returns to traditional course with modern touch

SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. (AP) Such is the stature of century-old Shinnecock Hills that it seems everyone can’t wait for the U.S. Open.

”Shinnecock looks epic,” Russell Knox said after he qualified.

Phil Mickelson has been critical at times for how the USGA prepares a golf course for what it calls the ”ultimate test.” He was runner-up at Shinnecock Hills in 2004, when only three players broke par on the weekend, none on Sunday. Asked if it was unfair, Mickelson said that day, ”I played some of the best golf of my life and still couldn’t shoot par. So you tell me.”

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He has been back to the Long Island gem twice in recent weeks and was raving about it.

”I think it’s the greatest setup I’ve ever seen in a U.S. Open,” he said.

No one is more excited about a return to Shinnecock Hills than the USGA, which has tradition on its side for the 118th U.S. Open championship. As much as it tries to present the ultimate test, lately it has seemed more like a trivia quiz.

Tw..

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