Page 22 - ARUBA TODAY

A22 sports
Saturday 23 March 2019
Top-ranked Sung Hyun

Park, Yu Liu tied for

Founders Cup lead

By JOHN NICHOLSON the second racing through
AP Sports Writer the green and almost into
PHOENIX (AP) — Sung Hyun the exit tunnel under the
Park isn’t a big fan of bird- grandstand. She got up-
ie-fest golf. She’s still awfully and-down from there for a
good at it. 65.
“Personally, I like the dif- “A bit unlucky on the last
ficult course better than hole, but overall very hap-
the easy course,” Park said py with my round,” said
through a translator. Strom, a member of the Sun
The top-ranked Park shot Devils’ 2017 NCAA cham-
her second straight 6-un- pionship team. “It was so
der 66 on Friday at the much fun to play out there
Founders Cup for a share of with my whole team sup-
the lead with Yu Liu in the porting. This is like home for
event that honors the 13 me to be here.”
women who founded the Lydia Ko (67) also was 10
LPGA Tour. under with first-round lead-
Coming off a victory three er Celine Boutier (70), Amy Serena Williams reacts as a ball hit by Rebecca Peterson, of Sweden, is out of bounds during the
weeks ago in Singapore, Yang (66), Mi Jung Hur (66), Miami Open tennis tournament, Friday, March 22, 2019, in Miami Gardens, Fla.
Park birdied five of the first Angel Yin (67), Nanna Koer- Associated Press
six holes on her final nine stz Madsen (69) and Mon-
in perfect conditions at day qualifier Cheyenne Serena, Osaka win opening matches in Miami
Desert Ridge. She lost the Knight (68).
outright lead with a closing “Obviously, the golf course became so frustrated she won a Miami Open title
bogey on the par-4 ninth. is known to have some low Continued from Page 17 threw her racket. since 2015. She hasn’t won
“Overall, I’m really happy scores,” Ko said. “You just “I had a bit of a dip,” Osa- any tournament since the
with the play today, es- have to go out there, try That was Williams’ farewell ka said. “It was really hard 2017 Australian Open, be-
pecially putting was re- to play your game, and to Key Biscayne, where for me, I think, emotionally fore she took a break of
ally good,” Park said. “The maybe play a little bit more she won eight titles. Only in the second set, because more than a year to be-
shots were better than yes- aggressive than any other Martina Navratilova and I just started thinking about come a mom.
terday.” The 25-year-old golf course.” Steffi Graf have won any winning, not exactly the The match was her first
South Korean has six victo- Boutier eagled the par-5 women’s tournament more things I could do in order to since she retired at Indian
ries in her first three years on 15th — holing out from a times. win.” Wells two weeks ago be-
the tour, winning majors in greenside bunker after hit- Six-time men’s champion Williams’ match followed a cause of a viral illness.
far more testing conditions ting a drive that bounced Novak Djokovic won his similar pattern, but she re- On the men’s side, defend-
at the 2017 U.S. Women’s off a cart path and went opening match under the grouped after a flurry of er- ing champion John Isner hit
Open and 2018 Women’s 340 yards — to tie Park for lights, beating Bernard rors in the second set. 20 aces, lost only 11 points
PGA Championship. the lead at 13 under, but Tomic 7-6 (2), 6-2. “I said, ‘Serena, you can on his serve and beat quali-
Liu had 10 birdies in a 64 dropped three strokes on With the Miami Open’s play a lot better than fier Lorenzo Sonego 7-6 (2),
to match Park at 12-under the final three holes. The move to the Dolphins’ sta- that,’” she said. 7-6 (7). No. 3-seeded Dom-
132. 5-foot Frenchwoman, the dium complex, players are While the outer courts were inic Thiem, coming off the
“I don’t expect this to Vic Open winner last month adjusting to the unfamiliar crowded on a mild, cloud- biggest title of his career
happen every day,” Liu in Australia for her first LPGA setting. The No. 1-ranked less afternoon, there were Sunday at Indian Wells, lost
said. “When a day like this Tour title, bogeyed the par- Osaka beat qualifier Ya- only a few thousand spec- his opening match to Hu-
comes, I just am glad I was 4 16th and had a double nina Wickmayer 6-0, 6-7 tators for Williams’ match bert Hurkacz 6-4, 6-4.
able to take advantage of bogey on the par-4 18th. (3), 6-1, but she and Wil- in the 13,800-seat stadium, No. 5 Kei Nishikori was upset
it.” The 23-year-old Chinese “I don’t feel great right liams both found the mix with temporary stands on by Dusan Lajovic 2-6, 6-2,
player teed off at 7 a.m. in now,” Boutier said. “Just of sun and shadows in the three sides and a net re- 6-3. Lajovic improved to
the first group off the 10th not a good finish.” cavernous stadium a chal- placing the 50-yard line. 3-14 against top-10 players.
tee. Boutier teamed with Liu lenge. “It was a different court, but In other women’s play, Ca-
“Definitely being the first to help Duke win the 2014 “It was interesting,” Wil- it was a beautiful court,” nadian 18-year-old Bianca
off, the greatest advan- NCAA title. liams said. “First it was dark said Williams, who happens Andreescu, who overcame
tage is pure greens and “She’s one of my closest out there, which was really to own a small share of the a match point to win her
calm conditions,” Liu said. friends out here,” Boutier odd. The shadows were so Dolphins. “It’s so different opening match, reached
Former Arizona State play- said. “We played on the intense it was dark, and from anything I’ve played the third round by beating
er Linnea Strom lost a share Symetra Tour two years then ... there was light.” on in my entire career, so I No. 32 Sofia Kenin 6-3, 6-3.
of the lead with a closing ago together, we graduat- She chuckled and said, was super excited.” Andreescu won her first ca-
double bogey. With Ari- ed together and then last “Whatever. I need to focus The mood was mostly sub- reer title last week at Indian
zona State’s players and year we had a pretty good on playing better or not dued, although when Wil- Wells.
coaching staff following rookie year on the LPGA being in the tournament liams whacked a back- Defending Miami Open
her, she pulled her ap- Tour together.” much longer.” hand winner with a grunt champion Sloane Stephens
proach from the middle Defending champion In- Osaka agreed that any is- that echoed in the upper beat Ons Jabeur 6-2, 6-3.
of the 18th fairway into a bee Park topped the group sues with visibility weren’t deck, the fans added their Three-time champion Ve-
plugged lie in the face of at 9 under with Women’s worth complaining about. own roar to hers. nus Williams overcame a
the left bunker. The Swed- Australian Open cham- She hit 14 aces and over- The match victory was the wobbly start to beat No. 24
ish rookie took two shots to pion Nelly Korda (67) and came a ragged stretch in 76th for Williams in the tour- Carla Suarez Navarro 7-6
get out of the bunker, with Brooke Henderson (68). q the second set, when she nament, but she hasn’t (4), 6-1.q