SYDNEY (AP) ― Rory McIlroy birdied the 18th hole to beat Adam Scott at the Australian Open on Sunday, winning for the first time in 2013 and denying Scott the rare Australian triple crown.McIlroy started the last round four shots behind Scott but drew even when he eagled the seventh and birdied the eighth.Scott went a shot ahead with a birdie at the ninth, then the pair went shot for shot over the back nine before the tournament’s dramatic finish on the final hole.Scott’s approach shot went over

NAPLES, Florida (AP) ― This kind of conversation was rare five years ago on the LPGA Tour. For starters, it involved Vin Scully.Ryu So-yeon was chatting on the putting green when the topic of her name came up. The LPGA makes sure everyone pronounces it correctly as “Yoo.” So why is it that Scully referred to rookie left-hander Ryu Hyun-jin as “REE-yoo?”“Oh, the Dodgers’ pitcher? He’s a really good guy,” she said. “Maybe that can be a nickname for him.”Any relation?“No,” she replied with a laugh.

South Korean golfer Park In-bee clinched her second straight LPGA Tour money title with a top-five finish at the season's final tournament in Florida on Sunday.Park topped the tour's money list with US$2.45 million in earnings, after finishing fifth at the CME Group Titleholders at Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Florida. She carded a 4-under 68 in the final round for the four-round total of 11-under, four strokes behind the champion Feng Shanshan of China.On the money list, Park edged out Suzann P

NAPLES, Florida (AP) ― For all the talk about $700,000 going to the winner of the LPGA Titleholders ― the richest prize in women’s golf ― Natalie Gulbis is far more interested in the trophy.She hasn’t had one of those of her own in six years.And this sure didn’t seem to be the place to end that drought. Not after spending the first half of the year battling malaria. Not after a season in which she has plunged to No. 64 on the LPGA Tour money list and No. 109 in the women’s world ranking.And not

NAPLES, Florida (AP) ― Lydia Ko didn’t feel any differently on the first tee on Thursday than she has at any other U.S. LPGA Tour events she has played, even the two that she won. It just took her a few hours before she started producing the kind of golf that brought so much attention to her professional debut. The 16-year-old from New Zealand overcame a double bogey on her third hole with three birdies on the back nine at Tiburon Golf Club for a 1-under 71 in the LPGA Titleholders. Ko was seven

Lydia Ko now playing for dough

Park In-bee has become the first South Korean to earn the LPGA Tour’s Player of the Year.Park won the award with a fourth-place finish at 11-under par 277 at the Lorena Ochoa Invitational in Guadalajara, Mexico, Sunday. She fended off her closest rival, Norwegian Suzann Pettersen, who placed fifth, 1 stroke behind Park.Park led Petteren 290-252 in points before the tournament. Park added seven points and Pettersen six points after the event. Park has secured the most prestigious honor bestowed o

ANTALYA, Turkey (AP) ― Tiger Woods only had time for little more than half a round on the opening day of the weather-affected Turkish Airlines Open on Thursday, and he’ll be playing catch-up to the leaders when play resumes. Woods was among the majority of players who weren’t able to complete their first round after the start was pushed back three hours because the greens had been flooded by a thunder storm. When his round finally started, he did little to put himself in contention, sitting at 1