Pornanong Phatlum wins Dubai Ladies Masters

December 7, 2013 1:45 PMAP - Sports

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Pornanong Phatlum of Thailand, right, hugs his brother and caddie after she wins the final round of the …

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Pornanong Phatlum of Thailand celebrates after she wins the final round of the Dubai Ladies Masters  …

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Stacy Lewis from the U.S. reacts after she missed a putt on the 18th hole during the final round of  …

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Stacy Lewis from the U.S. reacts after she missed a putt on the 11th hole during the final round of  …

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Pornanong Phatlum of Thailand plays tees off on the 17th hole during the final round of the Dubai La …

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Stacy Lewis from the U.S. reacts after she missed a putt on the 18th hole during the final round of  …

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Stacy Lewis from the U.S. plays a ball on the 15th hole during the final round of the Dubai Ladies M …

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Stacy Lewis from the U.S. tees off on the 17th hole during the final round of the Dubai Ladies Maste …

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Stacy Lewis from the U.S. follows up her ball on the 15th hole during the final round of the Dubai L …

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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) -- Thailand's Pornanong Phatlum rallied to win the Dubai Ladies Masters on Saturday, hitting a 54-degree wedge to 2 feet on the par-5 final hole for a birdie and a one-stroke victory over American Stacy Lewis.

The 24-year-old Phatlum closed with a 6-under 66 to finish at 15-under 273 in the Ladies European Tour's season-ending event. She also birdied the par-4 17th at Emirates Golf Course.

''I am very excited,'' Phatlum said. ''I just played my own game and stayed calm under pressure. I have learned how to stay focused through meditation. ... When I'm on the course, I just play my game and I didn't think about the win. ... I don't want to pressure myself.''

The third-ranked Lewis, a three-time winner this year on the LPGA Tour, bogeyed the par-3 15th and closed with three pars for a 69. She missed a 40-foot birdie putt on No. 18.

''I'm disappointed,'' Lewis said. ''The back nine that Pornanong played was pretty impressive. She hit golf shots when she needed to and made the putts and I didn't. It's been a really good year. It's had its highs and lows. I've played some really consistent golf.''

Phatlum, 23rd this year on the LPGA Tour money list with $600,210, earned $102,770 for her second LET victory. She also won the 2012 Women's Indian Open.

Spain's Carlota Ciganda was third at 7 under after a 71.

Belgian golf psychologist to Ernie Els dies at 62

December 7, 2013 2:12 PMAP - Sports

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File - In this Thursday, Oct. 31, 2013 file photo, South African Ernie Els tees off the 9th hole during the first round of the HSBC Champions golf tournament at the Sheshan International Golf Club in Shanghai, China. Els says he is considering cutting his golf schedule even more to spend time with his family, it was announced on Thursday, Dec. 5, 2103. The four-time major winner has already slowed down over the past few years, playing 19 tournaments on the PGA Tour and only seven European Tour events last season. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko, File)

SUN CITY, South Africa (AP) -- Ernie Els had another sad day upon learning that his former psychologist, Jos Vanstiphout, had died of a heart attack.

A friend of the psychologist said Vanstiphout died Friday night of a heart attack, the European Tour said. The friend, Xavier Champagne, said Vanstiphout broke his hip two years ago in a fall from a ladder, and in recent months had been dealing with shortness of breath.

Vanstiphout was 62.

Born in Belgium, he became interested in golf psychology after reading Tim Gallwey's book, ''The Inner Game of Golf.''

He worked with Retief Goosen when the South African won his first U.S. Open in 2001 at Southern Hills, where Goosen three-putted for bogey from 12 feet on the last hole to allow for a playoff, and then beat Mark Brooks the next day.

He more famously worked with Els, who won his first British Open in 2002 after the first sudden-death playoff in Open history.

Els, speaking at the Nedbank Challenge in South Africa, received the news two days after the death of Nelson Mandela. He said Vanstiphout meant much to his career.

''We really connected and there was a genuine love for each other there,'' Els said. ''It was a love-hate at times, as everyone will know, but the stuff he taught me and the way that he did it was totally different. His approach was unique, and I know he got under a lot of people's skin. But for me, he was just brilliant.''

Els said he respected the no-nonsense approach of Vanstiphout, using tough talk even in the best of times. Els recalled his round of 60 at Royal Melbourne.

''I walk onto the range the next day and he is all over me again,'' Els said. ''I said, 'What?' And he looked at me and he said, 'You know and I know that you should have shot 58.' That was the way he was, and he knew me very well, and was one of the only people who could say that to me.''

Jaye Marie Green leads LPGA Tour Q-school

December 7, 2013 5:13 PMAP - Sports

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) -- Jaye Marie Green increased her lead to nine strokes Saturday in the LPGA Tour qualifying tournament, reaching 25 under after four rounds.

The 19-year-old Green, from Boca Raton, had a 5-under 67 on LPGA International's Hills Course. She has gone 57 holes without a bogey since dropping a stroke on her 15th hole Wednesday in an opening 62.

''I was telling my dad after I shot 10 under on the first day that I wanted to get to 20 under before Sunday because then I'll have a big cushion,'' Green said. ''Today, when I got to 25 under I was like, 'Shoot, now I want to get to 30 under.' I'm starting to get a little greedy. But I like having such a cushion, which makes me focus on my game and not so much of the leaderboard.''

She was 29th on the Symetra Tour money list this year.

South Korea's Mi Rim Lee was second after a 69, also on the Hills Course. She had a course-record 61 on Friday on the Jones Course.

The top 20 after the final round Sunday will earn Category 12 status, Nos. 21-45 and ties will receive membership in Category 17, and the other players who made the 72-hole cut will get Symetra Tour status.

Tiffany Joh was third at 14 under after a 68 on the Hills Course.

Amy Anderson, the 21-year-old former North Dakota State star who won a record 20 college titles, was fourth at 11 under after a 70 on the Hills Course.

South Korea's Seon Hwa Lee, a four-time winner on the LPGA Tour, and Kathleen Ekey were 10 under. They shot 70, both on the Hills Course.

Cheyenne Woods, Tiger Woods' niece, missed the cut. She closed with a 73 on the Hills Course to tie for 102nd at 8 over.

Woods stays two ahead after testing day at Sherwood

 

By Mark Lamport-StokesDecember 7, 2013 6:43 PM

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Tiger Woods of the U.S. looks at his iPhone after using it to take a picture of playing partner Mark …

By Mark Lamport-Stokes

THOUSAND OAKS, California (Reuters) - Tiger Woods stayed on track for his sixth victory of the year as he maintained a two-shot lead after a tricky day for scoring at the Northwestern Mutual World Challenge on Saturday.

The American world number one ground out a level-par 72 in strengthening winds at Sherwood Country Club to end the third round of the tournament which he hosts with an 11-under total of 205.

In glorious late afternoon sunshine after a damp start to the day, Woods rolled in a 12-foot birdie putt at the par-four last to retain control of an event he has won a record five times.

Compatriot Zach Johnson, the first-round leader, was alone in second place after carding a matching 72 with 2012 Masters champion Bubba Watson a further two strokes back at seven under, after a 69.

Only four players in the elite field of 18 dipped under par for the day, Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy the best of them with a six-birdie 68 that left him a distant 13 shots off the pace.

(Reporting by Mark Lamport-Stokes; Editing by Gene Cherry)