By John Strege
Her last name is spelled K-O, which suffices as well to describe Jin Young Ko’s victory in the Cambia Portland Classic on Sunday, a third-round knockout that was a reminder of how she once spent two years at No. 1 in the Rolex Ranking.

Ko, 26, began the third and final round of the rain-shortened tournament leading by one, then methodically expanded it into a four-stroke victory, the ninth of her short LPGA career, solidifying her hold on No. 2 in the Rolex Ranking behind Nelly Korda.

A South Korean Olympian who finished ninth in the Japan Games, Ko took a break from tournament golf post Olympics, precluding her playing in the Women’s British Open. In her return to the LPGA in Portland, she completed 54 holes in 11-under par 205 that included a bogey-free 69 in the final round. Australian Sue Oh and South Korean Jeongeun Lee tied for second.

“It was really a difficult decision not to play in the British Open because I really love to play in the British,” she said moments after enduring the winner’s traditional champagne shower on the 18th green. “But I spent great time in Korea. My swing and putting and everything was good today.

The only threat at the Oregon Golf Club was the weather, which benevolently allowed the tournament to conclude on Sunday following a washout on Saturday. Ko hit 13 of 14 fairways and 15 of 18 greens in regulation and took 30 putts.

Ko had put a new putter into play for this tournament and it secured her place atop the leader board in the first two rounds in which she needed only 48 putts.

“I change putters often,” she said on Friday. “Like even [when] my putting feels good I change putters. So, well, I’m doing great right now, so I want to keep this putter for whole life.”

She was laughing at that last part, a nod to her penchant for falling in and out of love with putters whether they misbehave or not. Generally they don’t. The winner of the Volunteers of America Classic in July, Ko has been a fixture in the top 10 of the Rolex Ranking since joining the LPGA in 2018.

Ko earned $210,000 for the victory, pushing her season earnings past $1 million.

Equaling the best round of the day was Jennifer Kupcho, whose four-under 68 included her playing the last five holes in six-under par with four birdies and an eagle.

“Honestly, I played those holes great the last couple days,” she said. “I birdied 15 through 18 yesterday, so when I got to 14, I was like, okay, here’s the stretch of holes I like, so I took it deep today.”

The tournament, incidentally, was scheduled to be played for a ninth straight year at Columbia Edgewater Country Club, but was relocated as a result of safety concerns from a homeless encampment adjacent to the course.

The post Jin Young Ko’s star continues to shine even in gloomy Portland, where she wins by four appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Fast-forward to the present and what isn’t cloaked his her new-found standing even if countrywoman Charley Hull, at 27th, was eight place above Hall in the world rankings at press time. See, there’s a major edge on Hall’s CV and now the 2019 Women’s Open champion has an LPGA Tour title to rival Hull as well. The Cambia Portland Classic victory in mid-September mightn’t have matched the statue of Hull’s Tour Championship win in 2017 but was just as satisfying after a couple of years of close calls in the U.S.

Forget not the perfect 4-0-0 record either as Europe upset the U.S. at the 2019 Solheim Cup, including a memorable 2&1 singles victory over Lexi Thompson on the final day at Gleneagles.

Hall has since collected an MBE for services to golf, an ambassadorial role with the Royal & Ancient and two Rose Series victories en-route to her return to the Middle East for next month’s US$285,000 OMEGA Dubai Moonlight Classic.

The 24-year-old Dorset-based Englishwoman won’t be the highest ranked player and wasn’t part of the new Pro-Am, floodlit format last year. She’s never teed it up on the Faldo course at Emirates Golf Club, nor under lights. But it’s just another trial the two-time LET Order of Merit champion is happy to accept in a year full of unexpected challenges.

Indeed Hall will surely be one of the toughest players to beat if she can quickly adjust to the bright LEDs and testing greens on a course designed by another tenacious compatriot, Sir Nick Faldo. Given her recent form and endless determination, it will come as no surprise if that exact narrative plays out at the November 4-6 event.

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You win the 2019 Open at Royal Lytham & St. Annes. You’re honoured with an MBE. You play a starring role in the Solheim Cup victory. You claim your maiden LPGA Tour title. What’s next for Georgia Hall?
Just to keep doing what I’m doing, which I know sounds a little boring, but it seems to be working for me. I’d like to be as consistent as I possibly can and I’m sure that with that, more wins will come. I’d like to move up the world rankings, and secure a spot to represent Great Britain at next year’s Olympic games.

Team Europe, captained by Catriona Matthew, celebrate 2019 Solheim Cup success at Gleneagles in Scotland

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With the beauty of hindsight/time to reflect, does your LPGA Tour breakthrough mean to you now?
I’ve had to work hard to get myself into a position to win in the U.S. I worked hard on my short game, and those high shots into greens, as well as distance control with my wedges.  I wouldn’t say that I didn’t believe I could win in the U.S. because I did but it was a relief to get it done and it’s a massive step for me in terms of knowing that I can do it.

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Maybe we shouldn’t be surprised given how 2020 has developed but the Cambia Portland Classic wasn’t your normal tournament week. Wildfires, poor air quality, reduced to 54 holes, lighting delays on the Saturday. In a strange kind of way, did it sum up 2020 thus far?
Yes, it really was crazy. We went from dangerously high temperatures the week before at the ANA Inspiration (major championship) where caddies were allowed to use buggies because it was so hot, to the fires in Portland. It really was thick – you couldn’t see across the course from one hole to another, and on practice days they limited the amount of time we were allowed to stay outside to a couple of hours.  And we lost a couple of days totally, so I didn’t play the whole course before the event began. Lucky I knew it from previous years. It’s actually one of my favourite courses.

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You’re on record as saying that you didn’t “really take it all in and enjoy it properly” after your Open Championship triumph.  you were determined to enjoy your Portland win but it can’t have been easy with all of the COVID conundrums we are faced with nowadays?
To be honest it’s been pretty tricky to celebrate. We had a week off immediately after Portland so I had the time to reflect on things a bit but I didn’t want to go out to any bars or restaurants so we stayed in and recharged the batteries. Hopefully I’ll be able to have a bit of a celebration when I get back to the UK but things are pretty strict there COVID-wise, so I won’t be able to do much.

Hall won the Cambia Portland Classic after edging Ashleigh Buhai
with a par on the second hole of a two-way playoff. Getty Images

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Talking of pandemics, can we rewind to the start of 2020. What were your goals for the year and how hard has it been to pivot professionally?
At the beginning of the year we obviously had no idea how it was going to pan out. Thankfully I got three events under my belt before the COVID break came but it did mean that I went all the way to Australia for one week, as we should have played Thailand and Singapore on the way home, but they were cancelled!  I’m not sure I’d have travelled to Australia had I have known how that was going to pan out. It was difficult when our restart kept being delayed but I made the most of lockdown and really felt ready once we were able to get back out there.

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How did you stay sharp golf wise and how have you coped with all the coronavirus restrictions on a personal level?
We had eight weeks of total lockdown when we couldn’t leave the house other than to pick up essential shopping.  Funnily enough, I’d literally just moved into my new home in Dorset on the south coast so it was a great opportunity to do some painting and decorating and get things straight. I also worked on my fitness, so in a funny way I quite enjoyed it and it came at a good time for me.  Once golf courses opened up again in mid-May, I had plenty of time to get my game in shape before my first tournaments back in August.

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The two rose series wins must have been huge, just to get back into competition mode?
It was a fantastic initiative and we are all so grateful to Justin and Kate [Rose] for coming up with the idea and making it happen. We played some great courses and received some decent media coverage as there wasn’t much other sport going on at that time.

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You finished T21 on your last visit to Dubai in 2017 having already wrapped up the let OOM for the first time. You admitted at the time you were tired after a long season and probably didn’t play as well as you’d have liked so fond memories tinged with feelings of unfinished business in Dubai?
Yes, for sure. I’m looking forward to being out there again and hopefully finishing a little higher.  It’s towards the end of the season again but I should feel a little fresher than I did at the end of the 2017 season.

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You weren’t part of the introduction of the new Pro-Am/’Moonlight’ night golf format last year. What do you expect from the week?
It’s great to have some new formats in golf. Last year sounded fun and relaxed. It will be weird playing in the evening, and having the whole day free beforehand but the courses are always in great shape at the Emirates, so I’m really looking forward to it. Plus, I’ll get to go to the beach during the day.

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You’ve not played the Faldo Course at Emirates before. How hard is it to get up to speed with a new layout quickly?
I’ve not played the course before but I’ll play at least one practice round and my caddy and I will both get a lot out of that and be ready for the competition. I should also try to practice under the floodlights I guess as that will be a new experience for me.

Hall is keen to atone for a “tired” showing at the then OMEGA Dubai Ladies Masters on the Majlis in 2017. Getty Images

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These innovative new formats are good for the game/exposure of the LET aren’t they?
Yes absolutely, especially if they attract a new audience.

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With your focus on the LPGA Tour, you’ve only made two LET tour starts in 2020, finishing T51 at the Scottish Open and T45 at the AIG Women’s Open. The win in Portland surely gives you confidence of claiming your first regular season LET title?
Well yes, I will certainly come to Dubai full of confidence and I’d love to be able to get another win in before the end of the year. I’ve not yet won a regular LET event, so that would be nice to do.

I will certainly come to Dubai full of confidence. I’ve not yet won a regular LET event, so that would be nice to do.

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Talk more about your ambassadorial role with the R&A, what has been achieved thus far and next steps?
The R&A recognise that the biggest growth potential in golf is in the women’s and children’s area of the game and we’ve been working together to inspire as many children to take up the game as we can. It’s really important for the children to have role models and to show them that the game can be fun and rewarding, in every sense. The R&A have also got their Women’s Golf Charter, whereby organisations around the world commit to doing more to recruit new women into golf. So it’s exciting times and it’s having good results already.

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With golf seen as a relatively safe pursuit in this new COVID-era, there are more people getting into the game. It’s clearly a real opportunity for the women’s game?
I love the fact that participation numbers have risen over the past few months in the UK, and may other countries, I believe.  So it’s important that all golf facilities, whether it’s a course or a driving range, remain as welcoming as possible. Some of them are doing some great offers to attract people in and that’s really good to see.

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You’ve also signed up for the Aramco Saudi Ladies International (rescheduled for Nov. 12-15). How important is it to you to help promote/grow the game in non-traditional markets?
It’s hugely important. As I spoke about with the R&A, I think it’s important for women and children in countries where golf is relatively new to see what is possible. It’s exciting to think that we might be able to inspire people to try it and I believe it could really help them with their confidence and to develop as individuals.

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By Keely Levins
Georgia Hall’s second LPGA Tour win didn’t come easy at the Cambia Portland Classic. The 24-year-old Brit saw Ashley Buhai charge from nowhere on Sunday, playing her last five holes in four under for a closing 65. And when Hall failed to get up and down for par on the 18th, the pair were headed to a playoff, tied at 12-under 204 in the shortened 54-hole event.

After the duo halved the 18th with pars on the first extra hole, they returned once more. This time, Hall made her up and down while Buhai failed to convert her own.

If only that was the most unusual circumstance to have taken place during a surreal week in Portland. When players arrived, they landed in smoke. The fires burning along the west coast of the United States have caused dangerous air conditions in many parts of California and Oregon, Portland not being an exception. The air quality was so bad, practice rounds were cancelled, as was Thursday’s first round. The smoke began to clear, the first round was played on Friday, but then a new set of natural obstacles arrived: play on Saturday was halted because of lightning storms in the area.

Through the ever-changing weather, Hall was able to record her first win in the United States. When she set out her goals for the 2020 season, winning in the U.S. was near the top of the list. Her first LPGA Tour win came in 2018 at the AIG Women’s British Open, but before that, she had other professional wins. She won on the Australian Ladies Professional Golf Tour, the Ladies European Tour Access Series (the LET’s development tour) and the LET.

In 2020, she won twice in July on the Rose Ladies Series, the women’s mini tour in the United Kingdom started and funded by PGA Tour star Justin Rose. Having proven capable of winning elsewhere, Hall, a standout in the 2019 Solheim Cup, knew it was time to win in the U.S.

“I won the British and I just wanted to win again really badly, especially in America,” said Hall, who closed with a four-under 68 in Portland. “I always knew it would maybe be harder, so for me to win it’s a relief that I’ve won in America and I can bring that confidence on to the next event.”

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Portland, Oregon, site of the LPGA Tour’s Cambia Portland Classic, is facing that issue, with skies darkened by smoke that has forced residents to stay inside. The air quality is bad enough that the tour announced on Tuesday it was cancelling Thursday’s first round and shortening the tournament to 54 holes.

“Our meteorologist says that it is unlikely that air-quality conditions will improve before midday Thursday, and we cannot risk the health of our players, staff, volunteers, broadcast crew and others at the golf course,” said Heather Daly-Donofrio, the LPGA’s Chief Tour Operations Officer. “This is not a choice we made lightly, but we are confident that this is the right decision.”

Columbia Edgewater Golf Club was closed on Tuesday due to the conditions, and Wednesday’s Pro-Am has been cancelled. All press conferences scheduled for Tuesday have been cancelled and any press conferences scheduled for Wednesday remain tentative, according to a statement from the LPGA.

As players have landed in Portland, they’ve shared images of the dense smoke from planes and cars. Due to the air quality issues, the course is closed, practice rounds have been cancelled as has the pro-am.

The first round will now be played on Friday Sept. 18.

During last week’s season-opening event on the PGA Tour, the Safeway Open in Napa Calif., similar eerie scenes played out all during the week as the impact of area fires was visible all around Silverado Resort.

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By Alex Myers
Stacy Lewis is a two-time major champ and a former World No. 1, but the most meaningful — and inspiring — victory of her decorated career came last week at the LPGA’s Cambia Portland Classic. Just days after pledging her tournament earnings to help people recover from Hurricane Harvey, the Houston-area native went out and made it a winner’s check.

“Just what we’re going to be able to do, we’re going to be able to help me rebuild houses and get their homes back,” Lewis said of her $195,000 donation that was made much larger by sponsors and others who have joined the cause. “That’s more important than anything.”

The win was also important to Lewis’ psyche because it ended a surprising three-year winless stretch that included a remarkable 12 runner-ups. In playing for an entire city, though, Lewis found a new focus that helped her block out recent frustration and finish the tournament with two difficult par saves to hold off In Gee Chun by a shot.

After getting a couple days to reflect on authoring one of the year’s coolest sports stories, Lewis joined the Golf Digest Podcast to discuss her emotional week, her husband’s Houston heroics, and her new mindset on the golf course. Please have a listen:

[soundcloud soundcloudurl=”https://soundcloud.com/user-96678684/episode-103-stacy-lewis” ][/soundcloud]

The post Golf Digest Podcast: Stacy Lewis discusses her huge win for the city of Houston appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Joel Beall
Welcome to the Dew Sweeper, your one-stop shop to catch up on the weekend action from the golf world. From the professional tours, trending news, social media headlines and upcoming events, here’s every golf-related thing you need to know for the morning of Sept. 5.

Thomas locks up POY

It’s been years since a handful of formidable cases could be made for Player of the Year. Both Dustin Johnson and Hideki Matsuyama have won four times, while Jordan Spieth’s Open Championship and two other tour victories certainly warrant consideration. So it’s quite the statement that, with two tournaments left in the season, one player has already wrapped up the honor.

Justin Thomas turned in a final-round 66 to capture the Dell Technologies Championship by three strokes. Thomas, who fired a Saturday 63 to share the 54-hole lead with Marc Leishman, battled the Aussie and Spieth after both toured TPC Boston’s front in 30 strokes. However, both stumbled down the stretch, giving Thomas enough breathing room to cruise to the title.

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It was the fifth win of the season for the 24-year-old Thomas, and sixth of his career. The five Ws — most notably, his PGA triumph at Quail Hollow — combined with a 63 at the U.S. Open and 59 at Sony Open is a résumé that rises above the rest. He joins Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods and Spieth as the only players since 1960 to win five times, including a major, in one season before the age of 25.

Not too shabby for a guy who didn’t make the Ryder Cup team 12 months ago.

Icon Sportswire

Presidents Cup qualification goes down to wire

Kevin Chappell and Charley Hoffman put together strong seasons the past two years, yet there was only room for one via automatic qualification to the United States Presidents Cup squad. Hoffman, who entered Boston in the final spot, struggled for most of the event but finished strong with a Sunday 68. On the other end of the spectrum, four bogeys in the final eight holes put Chappell’s comeback bid, one that looked complete just hours before, in doubt.

However, Chappell’s T-35 finish versus Hoffman’s T-47 edged Chappell onto the team…by .23 points. The 31-year-old Chappell, who grabbed his first career win this spring, responded in proper fashion:

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— Kevin Chappell (@Kevin_Chappell) September 4, 2017

Hey, who said the Presidents Cup doesn’t matter?

PGA Tour sticking with familiar faces

Facing a September 1 deadline to opt out of current TV deals, the PGA Tour has decided to stay the course with CBS and NBC at least through 2021, a tour spokesperson confirmed to GolfDigest.com.

An earlier Sports Business Journal report said the tour had evaluated possible relationships with FOX, ESPN and Turner, or potentially launching its own channel.

Though commissioner Jay Monahan struck down this notion at this year’s Players — at least in the immediate future — the tour could look into a partial ownership deal with the Golf Channel. The tour’s current agreement with Golf Channel has no opt-out clause and is signed through 2021.

Michael Cohen

Globetrotter secures status

Peter Uihlein is a former No. 1 amateur and Ben Hogan winner, and won the European Tour’s Rookie of the Year in 2013. But due to injuries the Oklahoma State product failed to gain traction in his ensuing campaigns, finishing outside the top 40 on the circuit’s Order of Merit. Yet 2017 brought renewed health and conviction, posting five top 10s across the world. Gaining entrance to the Web.com Tour Finals, the 28-year-old made the most of his opportunity, winning the playoff’s first leg in Columbus at the Nationwide Championship to secure his PGA Tour card for the first time in his career.

“This year in particular, with the way I’ve tried to change my game, I’ve become a lot more consistent,” Uihlein said. “It’s a good feeling to know that I can play golf just hitting it in one direction and eliminate one side of the golf course, which is something I’ve been just absolutely hammering. I really like where my game is headed.”

The son of Wally Uihlein, the longtime CEO of Acushnet (parent company of Titleist), Uihlein hinted at keeping his options open, perhaps playing on both major tours next season. Where his next destination is unknown, there’s no doubting the direction Uihlein’s game is headed.

Jonathan Ferrey

Stacy Lewis delivers story of the year

Take your Babe Ruth and Broadway Joe promises and shove ‘em. Stacy Lewis delivered the best guarantee in sports history.

Lewis, a native and resident of Houston, pledged early last week that all of her earnings at the Cambia Portland Classic would be donated to Hurricane Harvey relief. A noble gesture, especially given that the 32-year-old has enjoyed another prosperous year on the LPGA Tour. Likewise, Lewis has been unable to get over the hump, her last visit to the winner’s circle coming in 2014. Making the following remarkable: Lewis prevailed at Columbia Edgewater C.C., with a final-round 69 giving her a one-shot win over In Gee Chun.

“When I said that I had the goal of winning the tournament, you’ve got to get a lot of things right, to go your way,” Lewis said. “Just what we’re going to be able to do, we’re going to be able to help me rebuild houses and get their homes back. That’s more important than anything.”

For her performance, Lewis earned $195,000, a number that will be matched by her sponsor KPMG. Already considered one of the more accomplished American players of her generation, her efforts in Portland transcended sport, a mix of heroic and humanitarian. Golf’s not been short on captivation, drama and theater in 2017. But Lewis’ performance earns a spot on the marquee.

The post What you missed this weekend: Thomas locks up POY, Uihlein earns card and Lewis delivers story of the year appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Keely Levins
For the first time in more than three years, former World No. 1 Stacy Lewis has won an LPGA event. Her one-shot victory over In Gee Chun at the Cambia Portland Classic on Sunday marks her 12th LPGA win in an emotional week at Columbia Edgewater C.C.

There was the pressure that comes for a player of her stature having gone 83 events without a win. Yet for Lewis, who had a three-shot lead going into the final round, winning a golf tournament was far from the only thing on her mind.

Lewis grew up outside of Houston. Her husband, Gerrod Chadwell, is the women’s golf coach at the University of Houston. Lewis has said her family has been fortunate and their house is OK, but the Houston area has been ravaged by the disastrous effects of Hurricane Harvey.

She wanted to help. Before the event began, Lewis announced she’d donate her earnings from the tournament to Hurricane Harvey relief efforts. She also put the call out to her fellow LPGA players, asking them to bring shoes to her so that she can donate them.

What Lewis did not know as she walked down the 18th hole with a one-shot lead was that her sponsor KPMG was going to match whatever amount she won. The winning check was $195,000, so $390,000 was donated.

“When I said that I had the goal of winning the tournament, you’ve got to get a lot of things right, to go your way,” Lewis said. “Just what we’re going to be able to do, we’re going to be able to help me rebuild houses and get their homes back. That’s more important than anything.”

It was hard not to root for Lewis, given her pledge. Couple her two runner-up finishes in this event with the fact that she’s had six top-10s this year, and a win did not seem out of the question. But there was, of course, the unavoidable fact that her last LPGA win was in June 2014, at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship. That’s a long time to have gone without closing out a victory.

Though Lewis started the final round with a three-shot lead in Portland, the last day wasn’t an easy one. In Gee Chun, who was playing with Lewis, steadily chipped away at the lead until they were walking down the 18th, Lewis up by only one. Chun put her approach over the green. Lewis, whose drive ended up in a fairway bunker, put her approach to about 25 feet.

After Chun’s chip settled six feet from the hole, Lewis had two putts to win. She hit a good lag putt and when the three-footer that was left went in, Lewis had won and the money was going to Houston. The intensely focused, sometimes stoic, Lewis was emotional when her husband came on the green to hug her.

He had flown to from Houston to Portland Sunday to surprise her.

The post Stacy Lewis wins, donates her earnings, $195,000, to Hurricane Harvey relief efforts appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Ryan Herrington
That Stacy Lewis carries a three-stroke lead with one round to play to end a three-plus-year winless streak would be enough to make even the casual golf fan curious about what’s in store on Sunday at the LPGA’s Cambia Portland Classic.

That the 32-year-old is on the brink of all this the same week that her heart has been aching watching the devastating images from back home in the Houston area from Hurricane Harvey makes the story all the more dramatic.

Backing up a second-round 64 with a third-round 65 at Columbia Edgewater Country Club, Lewis pulled away from Moriya Juntanugarn, with In Gee Chun sitting four back and Brittany Altomare five behind.

Lewis will have the psychological hurdle of having finished runner-up 12 times since her 11th and last career LPGA win at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship in June 2014. Yet such distractions pale compared to the lingering thought of what her family and friends have been experiencing in Texas.

Early in the week, stories surfaced of how Lewis’ husband, Gerrod Chadwell, the women’s golf coach at the University of Houston, was rescuing golf clubs and training equipment from the flooding facilities at the Golf Club of Houston. Thankfully their home has been spared any damage from the storm.

Still, Lewis was shocked at the stories and pictures she saw from home, and moved to help out in the way she best could. On Thursday, Lewis announced that she would donate her earnings in Portland to Hurricane Harvey relief efforts.

“I’ve been motivated for one, but I’ve just been extremely calm,” Lewis said. “Anybody who has seen me play knows that’s not normally me. There has just been a calmness about me this week. I haven’t worried about anything and just played really solid.”

Lewis felt that her game has been slowly improving this summer. “I know it’s been a while since I won,” she said. “Everybody talks about it. I really feel like the last few months I’ve been playing some good golf. I’ve just needed a couple good breaks here and there having good numbers into holes.”

Once ranked No. 1 in the world, Lewis has since fallen to No. 18.

Trailing by three, Juntanugarn has the opportunity to take more risks during Sunday’s final round. That said, the 23-year-old from Thailand, older sister of Ariya, has her own history brewing as she aims to claim her first career LPGA title.

“I was feeling great. You know, I have been hitting solid and [gave] myself a lot of really good chances for birdie,” said Jutanugarn after her third-round 66. “Make some, miss some, but it’s still pretty solid round.”

With Jutanugarn’s nerves likely to be working overtime, Lewis has the chance to simply play her game, not force anything and potentially walk away with, if not the most memorable, the most meaningful win of her career.

“You think you got it pretty tough, but there are people down there that have it way harder than we do out here,” Lewis said. “Definitely puts things in perspective.”

The post Stacy Lewis, up by three, eyes the most meaningful, if not the most memorable win of her career appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.