Day: March 25, 2024

American star Nelly Korda has been crowned the champion at the inaugural LPGA event hosted by South Korean legend Pak Se-ri.

Korda defeated fellow American Ryann O’Toole in a playoff to capture the Fir Hills Seri Pak Championship at Palos Verdes Golf Club in Palos Verdes Estates, California, on Sunday (local time).

The two golfers were tied at nine-under 275 after 72 holes but took different paths to get there. Korda bogeyed two of the last three holes to shoot a 69 in the final round, while O’Toole shot a 66 with birdies at two of her final three holes.

But in the sudden death playoff, which began at the 18th hole, Korda drained her birdie putt to secure her 10th career LPGA win after O’Toole missed hers from a similar distance. Korda, who has won twice this season, took home US$300,000 in prize money. She is also projected to rise from No. 2 to No. 1 in the next women’s world rankings.

Pak, a South Korean golf icon and a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame, teamed up with Fir Hills, a Silicon Valley-
based investment company, to host her namesake tournament for the first time this year.

Pak, a 25-time LPGA winner with five majors, previously hosted a South Korean tour event bearing her name from 2014 to 2022 and also staged junior tournaments on both sides of the Pacific.

Pak, who burst onto the scene by winning two majors as a rookie in 1998, is credited with inspiring a new generation of golfers in South Korea and across Asia. Korda, who was born in 1998, said she was also inspired by the South Korean legend.

“Actually, this was the first time I got to speak and interact with her. Growing up, she inspired so many around and me being one of them,” Korda said at her press conference. “She’s one of the greatest to ever play the game. To get to meet her and talk to her, and win her event is an amazing feeling.”

Shin Ji-yai was the top South Korean player, as she tied for fifth place at seven-under. Shin began the final round tied for the lead with Korean American Alison Lee at nine-under but carded a 73
in the final round with two birdies, two bogeys and a double bogey.

Shin, former world No. 1 and an 11-time LPGA winner, now plays full-time in Japan and makes only occasional U.S. tour appearances. She played at Pak’s tournament on a sponsor’s invite.

Shin, 35, is part of the generation of South Korean players who picked up golf after watching Pak in the late 1990s. Shin’s victory would have created a neat storyline, but Shin said she struggled in windy conditions in the final round.

“Wind didn’t help today. Made it so hard,” Shin said. “But, you know, this is golf. It wasn’t easy today, but I still enjoyed playing in front of my fans.”

Source: Yonhap News Agency

With distractions from the post-Asian Cup controversy behind them, South Korea will look to put on a better performance in their World Cup qualifying campaign this week when they visit Thailand for a return match.

South Korea and Thailand will play for the second time in six days when they clash Tuesday evening at Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok. It will be the fourth match for both countries in Group C of the second round in the Asian qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The kickoff is 7:30 p.m. local time, or 9:30 p.m. in South Korea.

South Korea, ranked 22nd, got held to a 1-1 draw by 101st-ranked Thailand last Thursday at Seoul World Cup Stadium. Captain Son Heung-min scored the match’s first goal in the first half, but Thailand equalized in the second half against some sloppy defending by the host.

South Korea stayed atop Group C with seven points, followed by Thailand with four points. The top two nations from each of the nine groups will advance to the third round.

The leadup to Thursday’s match
featured a series of potentially distracting events. It was South Korea’s first game since their loss to Jordan in the semifinals of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup. Head coach Jurgen Klinsmann was fired only days after the elimination, and two of the team’s key players, Son and midfielder Lee Kang-in, were later found to have been in a scuffle over a game of table tennis the night before the Jordan match.

Lee later visited Son in London to apologize in person, and stood in front of mics and cameras before a training session last week to do so again.

Some of the team’s younger players also faced criticism for betting money on card games during the Asian Cup, using casino-style poker chips that a national team staff member had packed for the trip. That official has since been stripped of his duties.

For their part, South Korean fans seemed to have moved on from these incidents, giving Lee and all other players a warm reception during introduction prior to Thursday’s match.

The players were
not able to respond in kind, as they looked wobbly on defense and lacked clinical precision on offense.

They will look to key veterans that held up their end of the bargain Thursday to once again lead the charge this week.

Son was the team’s best player in that match. He scored his 45th goal in his 124th international appearance. He is now five behind Hwang Sun-hong, currently caretaker boss of the national team.

Son’s goal was set up by midfielder Lee Jae-sung, who contributed on both ends as the energizer for South Korea before being subbed out about 30 minutes into the second half. A creative force on the offensive end, Lee also works hard on the other side in support of his defenders.

Lee Kang-in was brought in off the bench last week but could get the start this time. He is more of a playmaker than a goal scorer but does have seven goals in 26 matches — all of those seven coming in his last 12 appearances.

Forward Joo Min-kyu finally played his first international match Thursday at age 33 years and
343 days, making him the oldest South Korean player ever to make a national team debut. The top scorer in the domestic K League 1 over the past three seasons, Joo only mustered one shot last week. If he scores Tuesday, Joo will become the ninth-oldest player to score for South Korea.

Source: Yonhap News Agency

Ahead of what he believes will be “a tough match” against Thailand in a World Cup qualifying match, South Korean interim coach Hwang Sun-hong said Monday the focus will be on improving his own team’s play, rather than on adjusting to what the opponents will do.

South Korea, ranked 22nd, will meet 101st-ranked Thailand at Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok on Tuesday, for the teams’ fourth Group C match in the Asian qualifying tournament for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The kickoff is 7:30 p.m. in Thailand, or 9:30 p.m. in South Korea.

It will be the second of two matches between the teams. South Korea were held to a 1-1 draw in Seoul last Thursday, an uninspiring performance against a massive underdog.

Now that the series shifts to Bangkok, Hwang said he expects a difficult challenge but added his faith in his squad has never wavered.

“We all understand the importance of this match and also the difficulty of playing away from home. This will be a tough match,” Hwang said at his prematch press conference at Rajam
angala Stadium. “Our players have been working hard. I firmly believe we will win tomorrow because these players have an extremely strong desire to win.”

Captain Son Heung-min scored for South Korea in the first half Thursday but Thailand equalized just past the hour mark with a goal by Suphanat Mueanta. South Korean goalkeeper Jo Hyeon-woo bailed out his teammates with some key saves.

Hwang, brought in as caretaker boss after the dismissal of Jurgen Klinsmann last month, acknowledged South Korea had some difficulties Thursday and things won’t get any easier this time. But that doesn’t mean South Korea will get away from what they’ve been doing.

“Rather than adjusting to our opponents’ playing style, the key for us is to rediscover our own rhythm,” Hwang said. “It’s important for us to prepare for this match without breaking away from our framework. We will focus on our own play, not our opponents.”

When asked how his players would handle playing in front of a hostile crowd in humid conditions, Hwang said
, “I am proud of my players and I have 100 percent faith in them. Those guys will run into some difficulties but I am confident they can overcome them.”

Source: Yonhap News Agency