Golf-Four-way tie for lead at Congressional

Golf-Four-way tie for lead at Congressional










June 29, 2013 8:07 PM


* Castro chips in from 80 feet to complete foursome on top

* 10 players within three shots of the lead (Adds details, quotes)

June 29 (Reuters) - A tumultuous day at the AT&T National ended with a four-way tie for the lead heading into Sunday's final round at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Maryland.

Roberto Castro chipped in from 80 feet after hitting his approach into the water to save par at the 18th and complete a 71 to join the group at seven-under-par 206 along with Andres Romero of Argentina, and Americans Bill Haas and James Driscoll.

Long-hitting Jason Kokrak, who powered a 349-yard drive at 18 on his way to finishing a 70 for 207, one stroke better than Tom Gillis and South Korea's Charlie Wi.

Wi made nine birdies, including seven on the front nine, on his way to a 65.

On a long, hot day for many players, who had to come in early on Saturday to finish their weather-interrupted second rounds, there were dramatic swings on the leaderboard at the long, rough-lined layout where numerous pins were placed on the edge of trouble.

Haas had nine birdies and only five pars in a three-under 68 that included a triple bogey and three other bogeys.

"Certainly, could have been a 6, 7, 8-under day," said Haas. "But it also could have been a 4, 5, 6-over day if I hadn't putted well."

"You can't blame being tired, it just was a long day and I didn't feel it with the golf swing. Luckily when I did hit a good shot, I was able to make a putt."


Jordan Spieth, a 19-year-old who began the round sharing the lead with Castro, took an early two-shot advantage after opening the round with two birdies to reach nine under par before he slipped back to four under, three strokes off the pace.

Romero, who had to finish five holes to complete his second round, made four birdies on the front side in the third round to climb to 10 under par and seize a three-stroke lead.

But the Argentine double-bogeyed the 11th, where Haas also tripled, and bogeyed the 12th to set up the logjam at the top as player fortunes rose and fell throughout the round.

Castro fell from the lead he had shared with Spieth heading into the round as he bogeyed the second hole and double-bogeyed the third.

But he worked his way back with four birdies, including ones at 16 and 17, as the leaders faltered to make it a foursome atop the leaderboard going to the final round.

Driscoll's round was relatively dull with five birdies and just two bogeys. He shot 68 and is the only player in the field with three rounds in the 60s.

"It's not perfect golf, but you don't really have to play perfect golf sometimes," Driscoll said.

"If you're just patient and putt well and have a good short game.

"There is no let-up. Every hole is long and tough. The rough is up. it's just 18 tough holes out there."

Because of a threat of poor weather on Sunday, players will again go off both tees in groups of three beginning at 8:30 a.m. ET (1230 GMT) with the final groups teeing off two hours later.

(Reporting by Larry Fine in New York,; Editing by Gene Cherry/Greg Stutchbury)

Park heads towards U.S. Open title

Park heads towards U.S. Open title










June 29, 2013 8:32 PM

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View gallery
Inbee Park of South Korea hits her 2nd tee shot during the third round of the 2013 U.S. Women's Open …


(Reuters) - South Korean golfer Inbee Park forged to a four-shot lead after the third round of the U.S. Women's Open at Sebonack Golf Club in New York on Saturday, giving her the chance to win the first three major championships of the year.

Park fired a one-under 71 in the third round, the only player in the field to post a sub-par round in red figures in difficult winds, to move to 10-under 206, four shots clear of compatriot I.K. Kim (73) at six-under 210.

England's Jodi Ewart-Shadoff (74) appears the only other legitimate challenger at three-under with Korea's Ryu So-Yeon (73) and American Angela Stanford (74) the only other players under par, nine off the pace at one-under in a tie for fourth.

"The wind was a bit stronger than (Friday), so the conditions were tough." Park said. "The pin positions were tough, a lot of long irons hitting into the greens.

"It was just a very tough day, but I think I battled it really good out there.


"I had my tough times in the middle but ended up finishing very good, so I'm happy with that."

The 24-year-old Park is keeping the dream of a grand slam alive having already won the Kraft Nabisco Championshipand the LPGA Championship earlier this year.

Should she prevail she will not only claim a fourth major but will be just the second LPGA Tour player to win the first three majors in a season.

Mildred (Babe) Didrikson Zaharias won all three majors played in 1950, the Titleholders Championship, the Women's Western Open and the U.S. Women's Open.

"It's tough not to think about it ... I just try to think that's not a big deal," Park told reporters.
View gallery."
Inbee Park of South Korea tees off on the 5th hole during the third round of the 2013 U.S. Women's O …

"If I want to do it so much, it's just so tough and it puts too much pressure on you. I try to not think about it so much.

I'm just going to try to do the same thing that I did for the last three days. It will be a big day, but it's just a round of golf, and I just try not to think about it so much. I just try to concentrate on whatever I'm doing on the golf course."

Park would be just the fourth woman to win three majors in a calendar year, joining Zaharias, Mickey Wright (1961) and Pat Bradley (1986).

Only Ben Hogan (1953) has won the first three majors of the year in the professional era of men's golf and prior to that only Bob Jones has won what is considered the grand slam.

Jones won the U.S. and British Amateurs and U.S. and British Opens in 1930.

While Zaharias won every major on offer in 1950, from 1955-1966 and 1983-2012 the LPGA held four majors though this year a fifth was added.

For a clean sweep the current world number one will also need to win the Women's British Open in August followed by the Evian Championship in September.

(Reporting by Ben Everill in Los Angeles; Editing by Greg Stutchbury)

Korda fires caddie during U.S. .Women's Open

Korda fires caddie during U.S. .Women's Open









The Sports Xchange June 29, 2013 10:22 PMThe SportsXchange



Jessica Korda and her caddie weren't seeing eye to eye during the third round of the U.S. Women's open on Saturday and so she fired him.

On the spot. In the middle of the round.

The 20-year-old American golfer turned to her boyfriend,Johnny DelPrete, who was following her in the gallery, as a replacement and he carried the bag the rest of the way on a windy day at Sebonack Golf Club in Southampton, N.Y.

"I just told him, 'Johnny, grab the bag, let's go.'" Korda said.

The change did her some good. After finishing the front nine at 5 over par, Korda improved to 1 over on the back nine and completed the round with a 4-over 76. She's in sixth place at 1 over for the tournament, 11 shots behind leader Inbee Park, going into the final round on Sunday.

It is not like DelPrete is a novice. A professional golfer, DelPrete played on the Web.com Tour in 2012. But it was his first time as Korda's caddie.

"The first few holes I was very shaky, but my boyfriend/caddie kept me very calm out there and kept it very light," Korda said. "And it was kind of funny seeing him fumble over yardage."

Korda and her regular caddie, Jason Gilroyed, had a shouting match during the round -- on a day when difficult conditions sent scores soaring -- and that was it.

"We had a couple of disagreements here and there, and I wasn't in the right state of mind," Korda said. "I knew I needed to switch and just have a little bit more fun out there. It's a U.S. Open. It's tough out there. It just wasn't working out.

"It was tough for me because I care about Jason a lot. He is a great guy. That's just how it happens sometimes in life. That was one of those things today that it just unfolded. It was very hard for me to do. I'm not that type of person to take these things really easily. For me it was very hard to tell him that and it took a lot for me."

Korda's father, Petr, is a former Australian Open tennis champion who is carrying the bag this week for his younger daughter and Jessica's sister, Nelly. The 14-year-old is tied for 61st at 13 over after shooting a 79 on Saturday.

Dad will stay on Nelly's bag for the final round and DelPrete will stick with Jessica.

As for the future, Korda is not sure whether she will reunite with Gilroyed.

"I think everybody has problems every week," Korda said. "You blame the caddie, the caddie blames you. It's just up in the air. I just felt like enough was enough today. I just wasn't mentally ready for it."