SAN FRANCISCO (AP) ― Even though he has yet to play at the Olympic Club, Rory McIlroy already knows what to expect this June.All he has to do is look at his scorecard from last year.After a record-setting performance at rain-softened Congressional, the defending champion is counting on the U.S. Open to truly return to “golf’s toughest test” on the San Francisco shoreline. Just listening to USGA executive director Mike Davis explain the Lake Course’s layout Monday from three time zones away made

AVONDALE, Louisiana (AP) ― Jason Dufner beat Ernie Els with a birdie on the second hole of a playoff Sunday in the Zurich Classic to win for the first time in 164 starts on the PGA Tour.Entering the fourth round with a two-shot lead, Dufner shot a 2-under 70 at TPC Louisiana, while Els had a 67 to match Dufner at 19-under 269.Both missed birdie putts within 8 feet on the par-5 18th in the first playoff, so they went back to the 18th tee for the second extra hole, which Dufner won by hitting the

MOBILE, Alabama (AP) ― Jennifer Rosales birdied five of the first seven holes on the back nine and finished with a 5-under 67 on Thursday in the Mobile Bay LPGA Classic for a share of the first-round lead with Katie Futcher, Lindsey Wright and Caroline Hedwall.Rosales, the Filipino player who won the last of her two LPGA Tour titles in 2005, had a birdie and a bogey on the front nine before making her back-nine move on The Crossings course at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail’s Magnolia Grove co

SEOUL (AFP) -- Local heroes Kyung-Tae Kim and Bae Sang-moon found it tough to live up to the weight of expectation at their home tournament during the first round of the Ballantine’s Championship on Thursday.Bae, the highest ranked Korean in the field at world number 32, was five-over par after 11 holes before battling back in gusts at up to 45kph, to finish at three-over 75 at the mountain setting of Blackstone Golf Club near Seoul. “From the very first hole things did not go well,” Bae said, r

Korea’s veteran golfer Yang Yong-eun is determined to find his form at this week’s Ballantine’s Championship after a sluggish start this season.Yang, Asia’s first major champion, is back in Korea to prove his talent at the home event, which is scheduled from April 26-29 at the Blackstone Golf Club in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province.“My condition is great, and I will work hard so that I can get better results compared to last year,” Yang said in a news conference at the golf club on Tuesday.Yang is mak

KAPOLEI, Hawaii (AP) ― Japan’s Ai Miyazato won the LPGA LOTTE Championship on Saturday for her eighth career LPGA Tour title, birdieing three of the last six holes for a 2-under 70 and a four-stroke victory.Miyazato finished at 12-under 276 at wind-swept Ko Olina. She opened with rounds of 71, 65 and 70 to take a three-stroke lead in the final round.Lee Mee-na, ahead early on the back nine and tied for the lead after a birdie on No. 15, had a 70 to tie for second with Azahara Munoz at 8 under. M

SAN ANTONIO (AP) ― Matt Every arrived at the Texas Open having sworn off instructors, proudly cutting practices short and cringing at the sight of other players endlessly tweaking their swings.His reward was a course record at a PGA Tour stop.Outshining the few big PGA Tour names in a weakened field, Every made nine birdies in a bogey-free 9-under 63 for a three-stroke lead over Hunter Haas after the first round Thursday.It was a career best on a notoriously unforgiving TPC San Antonio course th

KAPOLEI, Hawaii (AFP) ― Korea’s Yoo Sun-young, fresh off capturing her first major title earlier this month, returns to the course at the inaugural $1.7 million LPGA Lotte Championship.The 72-hole event with a Saturday finish features a field of 144 chasing the top prize of $255,000 at Oahu’s Ko Olina Golf Club, which has hosted nine prior LPGA events, most recently in 2008 when American Paula Creamer was the winner.Yoo sank a 20-foot birdie putt on the first playoff hole three weeks ago to win

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, South Carolina (AP) ― Save the fitness trailer for the rest of the PGA Tour, Carl Petterson knows he’s fine the way he is.Petterson used another fast start for a 2-under 69 and a five-shot victory over Zach Johnson on Sunday at the RBC Heritage. Pettersson has never fit the tapered, powerful build made popular by Tiger Woods and copied by scores of young players.The one time the 34-year-old Pettersson did slim down and lost 30 pounds, he also lost his winning golf swing.“Ulti

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, South Carolina (AP) ― Carl Pettersson couldn’t have had a better time with Colt Knost at the RBC Heritage. He hopes to have as much fun when the two play again on Sunday.Pettersson had a run of five straight birdies on the front nine and finished with a birdie on the 18th hole for a 66 and a one-stroke lead over Knost heading into the final round of the RBC Heritage on Saturday.Pettersson and Knost chatted and laughed throughout the round, looking more like a pair of duffers

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, South Carolina (AP) ― Chad Campbell used a fast start, and Vaughn Taylor and Colt Knost had strong finishes to share the first-round lead at 4-under 67 in the RBC Heritage on Thursday.Campbell birdied four of his first seven holes, Knost birdied three of his last five, and Taylor holed out from the fairway for a closing eagle on the par-4 ninth hole at Harbour Town Golf Links.Jim Furyk, the 2010 winner, was a stroke back along with Harris English, Charlie Wi and Matt Every. F

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, South Carolina (AP) ― Matt Kuchar wasn’t smiling much Sunday night after his near miss at the Masters last week.The world’s 14th-ranked golfer had hoped a night in his own bed would prepare him for this week’s RBC Heritage. Instead, Kuchar replayed the most critical shots of the round as he tied for the lead with three holes left, then gave it away with a bogey on the par-3 16th.Kuchar, who gained his nice-guy reputation with his megawatt smile as a college golfer at Augusta