Kelowna’s Osland opens season with 4th-place finish in Arizona
Kelowna’s Megan Osland has teed off on another golf season, finishing fourth in her first professional tournament of the year.
Osland, a member at the Kelowna Golf and Country Club, enjoyed the successful showing in Phoenix, Ariz., at the Wildfire Golf Course in an event put on by the Cactus Tour from Feb. 13 to 15.
Osland was rusty on the first nine, shooting 3-over par after six holes before settling down and getting a birdie on a 168-yard par 3.
She continued with four more birdies and one bogey over the next 10 holes, leaving Osland at 1-under par and in seventh place after the opening round.
On Day 2, Osland started with a birdie on the 421-yard par 4 and then went par, bogey, bogey, birdie and par before scoring an eagle on the par-4 seventh by holing out her 93-yard approach shot. Osland added 10 more pars and one bogey to card another 1-under round and remain in seventh place with a 2-under total score.
On the third and final day in windier conditions, Osland had a rough start and was 4-over par after the first nine. However, she turned it around and came back strong on the final nine with four birdies and no bogies to finish even par for the round and 2-under par for the tournament, which moved Osland up to fourth place.
Osland was satisfied with her overall performance, considering it was her first tournament, and is looking forward to the official start of her season on the Symetra Tour — the developmental tour for the LPGA. The Symetra Tour begins play in Florida from March 10 to 12.
Osland graduated from California State University at San Jose State in December 2015 with a bachelor of science degree in recreation management. She was the captain of the Women’s Division 1 golf team and won two events in her final year there.
Johnson dominates at Riviera to take over world No. 1 rank
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Dustin Johnson went to No. 1 in the world with a world-class performance at Riviera.
Johnson turned a marathon finish into a Sunday stroll in the Genesis Open. He finished the third round in the morning with a 7-under 64 to build a five-shot lead, stretched it to nine shots at one point in the final round and coasted home to a 71 and a five-shot win. Johnson became the 20th player to reach No. 1 since the world ranking began in 1986, ending Jason Day’s 47-week stay at the top.
Johnson won for the fourth time against some of golf’s strongest fields dating to his U.S. Open victory last summer. All he cared about Sunday was winning at Riviera, one of his favourite courses where he has had chances in four of the last five years.
Johnson finished at 17-under 267. Thomas Pieters of Belgium closed with a 63 and Scott Brown shot a 68 to share second place at 12-under 272.
WOMEN’S AUSTRALIAN OPEN
ADELAIDE, Australia — Ha Na Jang had an eagle and three birdies in the last six holes to pull away for a three-shot victory in the Women’s Australian Open.
The South Korean player closed with a 4-under 69 to finish at 10-under 282 at Royal Adelaide. She won for the fourth time on the LPGA Tour.
Nanna Madsen of Denmark was second after a 73.
Haru Nomura, the Japanese player who won the 2016 tournament, closed with a 73 to tie for third place at 6 under with secondranked Ariya Jutanugarn (71), Minjee Lee (70) and Sarah Jane Smith (75)
Third-round leader Lizette Salas had a 78 to tie for seventh at 5 under.
Top-ranked Lydia Ko, with a new coach and new clubs, finished well off the pace at 2 over with rounds of 71, 75, 73 and 75.