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SPORTS Friday 22 November 2019
Kim builds 2-shot

lead in LPGA Tour

Championship

By DOUG FERGUSON The change this year at the
AP Golf Writer Tour Championship is that
NAPLES, Fla. (AP) — Sei all 60 players who quali-
Young Kim set a goal of fied get the $1.5 million if
winning three times this they win the tournament.
year on the LPGA Tour, Previously, it was based on
and she's down to her last points from earned all sea-
chance. son, and only the top 12
Reaching the goal would were given a shot at the $1
pay off big at the CME million bonus.
Group Tour Championship. Because the money is of-
Kim scrambled to keep bo- ficial, Jin Young Ko is not
geys off her card Thursday assured of capturing the
along the back nine at Ti- money title even though
buron Golf Club, and then she has been the best in Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland watches his ball on the 3rd hole during the first round of the DP
she pulled away from the women's golf this year. World Tour Championship golf tournament in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Thursday, Nov. 21, 2019.
pack with one big shot. Ko, who won two majors Associated Press
5 17th narrowly stayed on clinched the LPGA player McIlroy's 'perfect' shot upstages
Her approach on the par-
among her four LPGA titles,
and she holed the 12-foot naments left, and she leads Race to Dubai title battle
the fringe of the green, of the year with three tour-
eagle putt that carried her the money list by more than
to a 7-under 65 and a two- $700,000. DUBAI, United Arab Emir- tournament he won by five holes now. There are great
shot lead in the final LPGA Playing for the first time ates (AP) — Out of the shots — and said he barely players up there and all I
Tour event of the year. since an ankle injury running for the Race to touched a club for five of can do is do my stuff. I've
The winner gets $1.5 million, caused her to withdraw in Dubai title, Rory McIlroy still the past six weeks he took got three days of work left
the richest prize in the his- Taiwan three weeks ago, forced his way onto center off in the longest break of really until the end of the
tory of women's golf. she made her way around stage at the season-ending his career. year. Just make the most of
"This tournament really spe- Tiburon without a limp, but World Tour Championship "I could tell how rested I them."
cial," Kim said. "But I try to without many birdies, ei- on Thursday by producing was mentally because on Of the other Race to Dubai
just make myself comfort- ther. one of his greatest shots of some holes I never lost pa- contenders, Bernd Wies-
able. I don't put any extra Ko took double bogey on the year. tience, I never really got berger shot 70 and was tied
pressure on myself." the fourth hole, made her McIlroy flushed a 3-wood down on myself and stayed for 14th place, Matt Fitz-
Nelly Korda, the highest- third birdie with a 12-foot from 291 yards with his sec- with that positive attitude," patrick shot 71, and Shane
ranked American at No. putt on the par-3 eighth ond shot at the par-5 18th said Rahm, who is known Lowry shot 73.
3 in the world ranking, did and closed with 10 pars for hole on the Earth Course, for his fiery temperament Wiesberger leads the race
her best to make sure Kim a 71. the ball settling five feet on the course. "I'm hoping I and will lift the trophy if he
didn't get too far away, Still, this day was more from the cup. He rolled in can keep playing solid and wins in Dubai or finishes
even after one round. She about players not shooting the eagle putt for an 8-un- keep it for the next three alone in second place.
birdied the par-3 16th, themselves out of the tour- der 64, leaving the second- days. "I'm just thinking 72-hole
holed a 35-foot eagle putt nament. ranked McIlroy a stroke "It was hard to get into that tournament this week. I'm
from just off the 17th green That's what Ariya Juta- off the lead held by ailing routine again but once I not trying to look at what
and closed with a 20-foot nugarn might have done. Frenchman Mike Lorenzo- came to the tournament, is happening," said Wies-
birdie. She didn't make a birdie Vera. you kind of switch, you get berger, who has won three
That took her from middle until the final hole to sal- "As soon as I hit it, I knew it to the tournament, you get tournaments this year in a
of the pack to a 67, leaving vage a 76, leaving her 11 was perfect," the four-time to grinding." strong return from seven
her two shots behind. shots behind. Jutanugarn major champion said, add- Rahm needs a win this months out with a wrist in-
So Yeon Ryu and Geor- has yet to win this season, ing it was "possibly the best week to stand a chance of jury. "I can't control what
gia Hall, both past major one year after she swept shot I've hit all year." taking the Race to Dubai ti- Tommy, Matt, Shane and
champions, also were at all the major awards on the It was McIlroy's best round tle for the first time. As does Jon are doing."
67. LPGA Tour. at an event he won in 2012 Tommy Fleetwood, who Fleetwood knows a win,
"To be honest, this year is Brooke Henderson, one of and 2015. Even if he makes was happy with his start, coupled with Wiesberger
one of the worst seasons seven players to win mul- it three victories in eight too. finishing lower than outright
I've ever had," said Ryu, tiple times on the LPGA this years in Dubai, it still won't Fleetwood, winner of the second, will be enough to
who has yet to win this year. year, did well to stay in the be enough for him to be Nedbank Challenge in be Europe's No. 1 again.
"So if I can win this tourna- mix. She hit a thin 7-iron out crowned Europe's No. 1 South Africa last week, be- The same scenario faces
ment, it's going to be awe- of the pine straw on the player. gan his round by holing out third-place Rahm, who won
some to finish the season, 15th hole, a bad shot that Five players are still in con- from 153 yards for eagle on the World Tour Champion-
and then I'm not going to turned good when it ran on tention for that honor, and No. 1 and shot 67 for a tie ship in 2017 and placed
complain." the fast turf of Tiburon be- Jon Rahm made the best for fourth place. fourth last year.
That's the effect of $1.5 mil- tween bunkers and onto start of the quintet by shoot- "You can only put yourself Lorenzo-Vera finished with
lion, which dwarfs the $1 the green to 12 feet for ing a bogey-free, 6-under out of it on day one," said four straight birdies to tie
million payoff at the U.S. birdie. 66 to move into third place, Fleetwood, who is second his lowest round of the sea-
Women's Open, won by She followed that by chip- three strokes behind Loren- in the Race to Dubai stand- son, even though he said
Jeongeun Lee6. The next- ping across the green for a zo-Vera. ings and is looking to cap- he was feeling "under the
biggest check in women's sloppy bogey on the 16th, Rahm last played competi- ture the title for the second weather" because of a
golf was $675,000 at the and then failing to birdie tively in early October at time in three years. "There's lung infection he caught in
Women's British Open. the par-5 17th.q the Open de Espana — a a lot more to do. There's 54 South Africa last week. q