Jin Young Ko wins on LPGA a week after losing No. 1 ranking
THE COLONY, Texas — Jin Young Ko closed with seven straight pars for a 2-under 69 and a one-shot victory in the Volunteers of America Classic, her first start since losing the No. 1 world ranking.
Ko made a par putt from just outside 3 feet on the final hole at Old American Golf Club to beat Matilda Castren of Finland, who also shot 69.
The South Korean star won for the first time this year, and the timing couldn’t have been better. She had held the No. 1 ranking for nearly two years until Nelly Korda supplanted her last week by winning the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.
Ko had failed to finish in the top 10 in four of her previous five starts on the LPGA Tour. But not far from her American home of Dallas, she thrived. She finished at 16-under 268 for her eighth career LPGA victory. She remains at No. 2.
“I was thinking I had a lot of pressure with the No. 1 ranking,” Ko said. “But I made it this week. I’m very happy.”
Gaby Lopez of Mexico closed with a 65, making her only bogey on the final hole. She finished alone in third, two shots behind.
US to play Canada at Nashville, 1st home World Cup qualifier
CHICAGO — The United States’ first home World Cup qualifier, against Canada on Sept. 5, will be at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee.
The venue for the match, announced Sunday, will follow the
Americans’ opener at El Salvador on Sept. 2 and precede a Sept. 8 match at Honduras.
U.S. players will train in Nashville starting Aug. 30, many flying in from European weekend matches.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, three World Cup qualifiers are being squeezed into FIFA international fixture windows designed for two matches. Because of that, U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter says he expects to use more players that he otherwise would have.
The 20th-ranked U.S. ended a streak of seven straight World Cup berths when it failed to qualify for the 2018 tournament in Russia, losing home matches to Mexico in Columbus, Ohio, and to Costa Rica at Harrison, New Jersey.
No. 70 Canada is seeking its first World Cup berth since 1986.
The Americans have four wins, two losses and one draw in Nashville, beating Trinidad and Tobago 3-0 in a qualifier on
April 1, 2009, behind a threegoal game by Jozy Altidore.
The U.S. tied Panama 1-1 in Nashville before 47,622 during the 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup, beat Mexico 1-0 in a 2018 exhibition before 40,194 and defeated Jamaica 3-1 before 28,473 in the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Dominant Luka: Doncic, Slovenia headed to Tokyo Olympics
Most of the members of Slovenia’s basketball team charged toward Luka Doncic moments after the final buzzer sounded Sunday, determined to get him onto their shoulders and carry their best player around the court in celebration.
How fitting.
He lifted them, so they lifted him.
Doncic and Slovenia are headed to the Olympics for the first time, after winning 96-85 at Lithuania on Sunday to clinch a spot in the Tokyo Games. Doncic — the MVP of the tourna
ment in Kaunas, Lithuania — was simply brilliant: 31 points, 11 rebounds and 13 assists, the first triple-double by any player in any of the four Olympic qualifying tournaments that were played in the past week to determine the last four teams in the Olympic field.
“I don’t care about the MVP,” Doncic said. “We won here. We’re going to the Olympics, the first time in our country. It’s amazing. I think every kid dreams about being in the Olympics. I did, too. So, here we are. We fought really, really hard and I think we deserve to be here.”
The game was tied 52-52 at halftime, and Slovenia opened the third on an 11-2 run. Lithuania eventually closed within 71-69, but a 14-0 run by Slovenia put Doncic’s club in control for good.
And when the last few seconds ticked away, Doncic threw his arms skyward in celebration.
“We’re making history for our country,” Doncic said. “We
can just go up from here.”